money hospitality
Hotel industry in upheaval – digital reception and farewell to small businesses
Status: 07:31 | Reading time: 3 minutes
In the future, check-in could be possible more often without staff
Quelle: Getty Images/Twenty47studio
High costs, scarce staff, consequences of the pandemic: the hotel industry is struggling with many problems. As big chains expand, smaller houses are increasingly losing out. However, the hotel of the future promises greater comfort – and more automation.
Things have not gone well for the hotel industry in recent years. The lockdowns during the pandemic hit her hard, and houses were closed as a result. The impressive growth in 2022 of 45.3 percent compared to the previous year in the number of overnight stays should not hide the fact that the values in real terms – i.e. price-adjusted – are still a good nine percent behind those of the pre-Corona year 2019.
Without this effect, bookings increased by 1.3 percent. According to forecasts, overall sales this year should be above the 2019 level again.
“The mood moves between hope and skepticism,” says Guido Zöllick, President of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga). “On the one hand, we sense good demand from guests in many establishments. That encourages and gives confidence. On the other hand, the cost pressure is enormous.”
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High inflation is only part of the problem. It is also difficult that bookings in the hotel and catering industry are always made at short notice and companies therefore lack planning security, says Zöllick.
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Apart from these current concerns, there has also been a change in the industry – and rather subliminally: There are fewer individual accommodation establishments overall. “The German hotel market has long been known for a large number of small, privately run hotels,” says the Munich hotel consultancy Zarges von Freyberg. “For a number of years there has been a change towards larger hotels, which are often part of a hotel chain.” Their expertise is driving the professionalization of the businesses and leaving less room for small hotels.
Source: Infographic WORLD
The lack of offspring also causes difficulties. The hotel consultants explain that the number of trainees has been falling continuously since 2007. Because of the short-time work and waves of layoffs in the pandemic, around 631,000 employees have also migrated to other professions since 2019.
Service robots are not the solution when there is a shortage of staff, says Dehoga President Zöllick. The association knows of some companies that are already using them. “Because there is no question that service robots can be helpful and relieve the burden for larger groups and for certain activities – for example when delivering and removing dishes or simple meals.”
But machines could never replace hospitality workers, he points out. Personal contact is and will remain the linchpin of a successful gastronomic business.
Source: Infographic WORLD
Nevertheless, the industry does not want to stand still. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering and Organization has been researching how the hotels will continue for years. Concepts for the future are designed together with the companies. The first survey and study results showed, for example, that customers want an individual and flexible room selection.
The booking should therefore be able to be made in the same way as reserving a seat on an airplane. Check-in and check-out should be largely automated – i.e. also possible without staff. According to the survey, guests also value technically networked, customizable interiors and a combination of co-working space and hotel. Innovative bathroom and wellness areas are also in demand among travelers.
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In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is required, since the providers of the embedded content as third-party providers require this consent [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the switch and via privacy at the bottom of the page.
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