The outbreak has prompted individuals to raise their health consciousness. The sanitation and health practices and services of the facility will first be checked by visitors intending to visit. People will prefer hotels where they will feel safe and have effective disease control measures.
Therefore, the social distance and hygiene measures that we have started to see and will continue to see in hotels and recreational facilities are supported by technology trends. Perhaps currently used technological systems or on-demand innovations are now a necessity, and the infrastructure of existing systems needs to be improved, as the usage intensity increases, such as reservation systems.
We can examine these trends and the measures taken under several headings.
Actions to Maintain Social Distance
Online Reservation Software
Online reservation systems have been used before. However, nowadays, all reservation stages, from prepayment to the final payment, and even all options that will minimize face-to-face at the venue, such as prepayment food orders, are started to be used. Therefore, the infrastructure of the reservation software used needs to be improved. Especially if you have purchased a quota-based reservation system, this may be a problem.
Besides, due to social distance, not only the rooms but also the dining area, the sports center, how to use the sports equipment, planning, and reservation structure are started. It doesn’t make much sense to keep manual lists and manage people remotely in this way. It is necessary to examine various reservation applications so that your guests can make their plans and manage them most transparently and practically.
RFID wristbands that can be used to minimize contact with customers can make it easier to enter and monitor them without contacting areas such as door entry, gym, meeting room. And again, thanks to RFID wristbands or RFID cards, check-in and check-out processes become contactless and fast. Because, by matching these cards with their information and mobile apps, guests can make a contactless payment, open their doors, and rarely have to contact the receptionist.
Food pick-up or door delivery services
It can be said that the most important measures to prevent crowding in hotels and public accommodation areas were actually taken for mealtimes. Because it is a time when everyone will be closest to each other and naturally have to take off their masks. Many companies chose to serve people one by one and one by one in order, such as room service or delivery from the dining hall. It is also a separate method to inform you that the meal is ready via SMS or mobile application.
Surveillance Systems
Although this issue is a bit sensitive and inflames the privacy issue, the use of video cameras has become quite common under these circumstances, especially to control crowd and mask use. With thermal cameras, which are also used to measure body temperature, crowded areas and people who do not wear masks can and even need to be monitored.
Hygiene and Safety of Guests
Although regular cleaning, hand sanitizers, and masks are offered in great abundance, further prevention is needed to monitor customers and ensure their safety. Especially in Asia, with RFID wristbands, the information of people coming to restaurants, hotels, etc. can be recorded and in case of any COVID-19 incident, the information of these people can be contacted more easily because their information is kept in a digital environment. And these RFID signals can also be used to detect places where crowds are concentrated in the venue.
At the same time, by reading RFID card, hotel staff and cleaning staff can report their location or, for example, the places they have cleaned and come into contact with, and they can be saved from being under any suspicion. Because RFID technology makes all information accessible and traceable.
