Hotel Digital Signage... 7 Advantageous Applications

Commonly used to inform, promote or direct guests in the lobby, the use of hotel digital signage has become ever more expansive, delivering an improved experience for customers. Here's a breakdown of the best ways to use hotel digital signage to benefit guests, staff and your bottom line...

Perhaps the trending application is the use of hotel digital signage as self-serving systems. Hotels have adopted this after recognising that guests who had 'done battle at the airport', driven for long periods or had a lengthy train journey, did not enjoy the prospect of waiting at the check-in desk. Digital signage has provided a solution for hotel and guest alike.

Benefit to guest - 'Fast check-in process, and off to their hotel room in double-quick time.'

Benefit to hotel - Eases the strain on personnel in busy periods, and in some cases reduces staff costs.

Digital signage affords hotels greater flexibility, here are some other roles that it can assume...

#1 - Hotel Digital Signage as an Information Point

In any capacity, digital signage can effectively deliver targeted information - based on the audience, business goals, the location and much more. Guests receive a constant flow of information, ranging from flight schedules to entertainment venues within the local vicinity.

It can answer those commonly asked questions too, such as:

• What are the gym opening hours?
• When's my checkout time?

Assigning these 'tasks' to digital signage will free up staff and ultimately, improve the overall experience of each individual guest.

Digital signage can communicate other forms of information too, including:

• A virtual concierge service - covering everything from local attractions and restaurants, basically anything normally asked of a traditional concierge
• Local transport information and flight schedules
• Details of bona fide taxi services
• On-site services and amenities
• Restaurant menus
• Meeting and event details
• News and weather
• Promotional offers
• Location specific information (i.e. at the swimming pool - 3 tips for improving your swimming technique)

#2 - Hotel Digital Signage as a Promotional Tool

Digital signage is a key 'selling' tool used to execute eye-catching messages about on-site or local promotions taking place company-wide.

In a promotional capacity, it offers a flexibility that's unmatched by traditional promotional methods. Many industry sectors can quantify the impact of digital signage, highlighting a significant boost on their returns following a promotional campaign using digital displays.

Additionally, an interactive promotional campaign allows you to capture data, including customer emails and social media links. For more specific target marketing, this information is invaluable.

In a hotel setting, the flexibility of digital signage means an establishment can change messaging quickly and conveniently in order to:

• Direct the attention of guests towards high margin restaurant or bar items and other food and drink specials
• Highlight the pricing and special offers available at sister establishments
• Communicate a hotel loyalty scheme, giving the opportunity to capture guest data
• Sell advertising space to local businesses

#3 - Hotel Digital Signage as a Wayfinding System

Directing guests to hotel amenities immediately makes them feel comfortable in their surroundings. Busy guests want to be able to navigate your establishment with ease. Digital signage represents a much more attention grabbing and powerful directional system than the standard piece of white paper with an arrow saying 'this way'.

A digital signage wayfinding system can be as basic as displaying text, but with more of a visual allure, or you can go for a complete interactive experience.

Why not provide a map, which guests can use to explore all the areas of your facility and, similar to a smartphone, allow them to flick, pinch or zoom in on specific zones to find out exactly where they need or want to go?

Using digital signage as a wayfinding system has a two-pronged, beneficial effect:

1. It improves the guest experience by removing the need to queue in order to ask for directions.

2. It releases staff to perform other duties and in some cases, reduces staff costs.

Additionally, in the event of an emergency, digital signage is perfect for acting as an exit guidance system. Potentially, digital signage could be the key to saving lives.

#4 - Hotel Digital Signage as a Service Unit

Using digital signage as a self-check-in system has arguably become the primary motivation for hotels to invest. As a self-check-in unit, digital signage greatly enhances the guest experience while improving hotel efficiency.

During busy periods it will serve as a virtual concierge, an information point and it can even give guests access to the internet. Digital signage essentially serves as an extra member of the workforce and can be all things to all people, simultaneously.

Digital signage as self-serving kiosks is the current trend across the hospitality sector. They serve as an important tool, positively impacting the following:

• Costs
• Customer satisfaction
• Customer service
• Multilingual capacity

Why are self-serve digital signage systems trending across the hospitality sector? Because customers expect it.

Everything from flight check-in, buying rail tickets and fuelling a vehicle, through to going shopping, gives customers the option to serve themselves. Is it any wonder that the trend is taking off across hotels, restaurants, cruise liners and conference centres?

Did you know? Research conducted by kioskmarketplace.com revealed that 51% of hotels, worldwide, were using a digital kiosk system. Additionally, research carried out at roughly the same time as the release of this information, showed that 55% of travellers would be more likely to stay in a hotel establishment that provided self-serve kiosks.

Aside from increasing efficiency, improving the customer experience and reducing the pressure on manned lobby areas, digital signage also breaks down language barriers.

Hotels attract guests from all over the world and digital signage offers a greater multilingual capacity than any desk clerk. International guests are simply able to approach a digital signage kiosk and select their language.

#5 - Hotel Digital Signage for Conferences and Events

If your venue plays host to corporate conferences, weddings or multiple events at the same time, digital signage is a valuable asset for management and logistics.

For example, conferences, an event where potentially hundreds or thousands of people are likely to attend, digital signage simplifies the registration process, while easing the strain on the front desk.

An industry insider, speaking to Kiosk Marketplace, highlights the advantages of a digital signage touch screen at conference events:

"At a large conference, a touch screen kiosk can allow attendees to register their arrival with ease. With huge volumes of people in one space, they are useful to assist with ticketing and payment, as well as providing wayfinding information."

"Kiosks at events are an ideal advertising tool that display promotional content and dispense coupons. They provide a multipurpose solution, which eases the strain on staff and improves efficiency."

For weddings, digital signage represents a great way to help guests navigate their way to the wedding reception. Meanwhile, digital signage is a really great way to get creative with table plans and more…

#6 - Hotel Digital Signage as an Inside Informative

Digital signage use in a hotel doesn't have to be confined to targeting the customer, staff can benefit from it as well. Many hotels have begun to recognise the advantages of strategically placed digital units, which can be used to reach 'housekeeping', maintenance staff and other service personnel, outlining specific tasks requiring attention.

It can also be used for generic employee communications, updating staff with human resource information, presenting corporate videos and messages. Additionally, it can be used as a motivational tool promoting employee contests. For instance, give 'housekeeping' staff an incentive with a 'most rooms cleaned in a shift, wins a prize', competition.

It has also become commonplace for hotels to utilise digital signage as a staff training tool, a great cost cutting measure for hotels because they can keep it in-house, without the need to send employees on a day or week long training course at their expense.

#7 - Hotel Digital Signage Miscellaneous

The possibilities with hotel digital signage are limitless. You can use digital displays as menus in your venue's bar or restaurant, as entertainment in the lounge area, as a way to showcase glowing guest reviews and as a way to show adverts for non-competing businesses, giving you an additional revenue stream.

Ultimately, hotel digital signage delivers an abundance of practical and money-making benefits, making it the 'must-have' communication channel for hoteliers. The versatility of digital signage means hotel chains can communicate on multiple levels to a variety of different audiences.

From an operational perspective, a digital signage system becomes part of the workforce.

Heighten hotel operations with a digital signage network and give your guests an incredible customer experience. Talk to UK digital signage manufacturer, Armagard about installing hotel digital signage at your venue. Call +1-866-434-0807, today.