Hotel Technology Trends to Watch – Making Guest Feel at Home

The Frontier of Comfort and Hospitality is Always Being Expanded. What's New?
The Frontier of Comfort and Hospitality is Always Being Expanded. What’s New?

Hotels continue to refine the guest experience as a way of standing out from the competition. Equipment such as hotel supply movement carts improve staff productivity and room turnaround times, while high-tech innovations add to guest comfort and convenience.

Here are top communication trends expected to impact the hospitality industry during 2019. Is your hotel up-to-date with these features?

Mobile and Room Phone Synergy

The prevalence of mobile phones has resulted in hotel room phones being limited to room service and wake-up calls, but technology is in the works to pair the two as a central communication hub. Guests will be able to use their mobile phones for functions such as TV remotes and message centers.

Guest Apps

Apps are a great vehicle for one-stop access to information. Hotel guest apps have the potential to host loyalty programs, special rate notifications, and other valuable functions while also providing data that can be used to personalize the guest experience.

Tech Lounges

Guests traveling for business appreciate the opportunity to work or relax in other parts of the hotel for a change of scenery. Tech lounges provide a comfortable spot where people can conduct business or unwind while keeping WiFi connectability.

Social Listening Tools

In a matter of minutes, hotel guests can share their experiences with a vast audience of social media users. Social listening tools like Hootsuite and Brandwatch let you monitor mentions of your hotel and other relevant keywords. You can then use the collected data to engage in conversations and fine-tune your marketing strategy.

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Our hotel supply movement carts boost staff efficiency and reduce risk of job-related injuries. Contact us for more information.

Hoteliers Are Leveraging These Four Important Items in 2019

Hotel Supply Movement Experts
Hotel Supply Movement Experts

As your preferred source for hotel supply movement carts, we want to keep you informed of news and trends impacting the hospitality industry. Now that the busy holiday season is over, hoteliers are looking ahead to the challenges of 2019 and how best to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Here are four significant trends expected to shape the hospitality industry this year. How can you leverage them for your hotel?

Minimalist Designs

Outdated hotel decor is a major turn-off for most guests, but frequent renovations can be cost-prohibitive. Savvy hoteliers are turning to minimalist designs that accommodate a wide range of styles by simply changing a few accessories. Faux but realistic-looking plants and floral arrangements add an elegant yet comfortable touch.

Cloud-Based Technology

Do you think cutting-edge technology solutions are too expensive? With 62 percent of international hotel chains moving to cloud-based management software, your hotel can’t afford to be left behind. In fact, cloud-based software improves productivity, making it extremely cost-effective.

Local Transportation Partnerships

Many chain and independent hotels have shuttle services to and from airports, but how do your guests get around during their stay? Consider forming a partnership with a local transportation company to give guests convenient access to limos, rental cars and buses.

Mobile Ads

With smartphones becoming so integrated into today’s society, purchasing ads on mobile apps is a great way to reach potential customers. A recent report shows that bookings on mobile devices jumped from 13 percent to 20 percent in just one year.

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Turning rooms quickly and efficiently is an important factor in elite customer service. Visit our website to learn how our hotel supply movement carts can boost productivity while saving time and money.

Technology is Changing the Face of Property Management

the Face of Property ManagementTimes sure have changed since the typical property management equipment consisted of little more than a mop, broom, and screwdriver. Today, software runs the show behind the scenes.

According to a recent Cre.tech article about the most successful real estate apps, 88% of property managers are using cloud-based software. Apps can handle online rent collection, tenant requests for repair, new tenant screening and applications, vacancy listings, and more.

Cre.tech highlights three property management apps with various selling points:

AppFolio, an enterprise level property management software-as-a-service

Buildium, with an owner portal packed with financial reports plus a tenant-facing portal

Cozy, a property management app aimed at landlords and small businesses

Venture funds and public offerings have injected hoards of cash into these tech companies, with the market’s most popular apps becoming extremely profitable. With costs as low as a dollar per tenant per month, this is technology that any size landlord can adopt.

Does Your Property Need More Software… or More Hardware?

The value of such apps mostly comes from small increases in efficiency thanks to reduced paperwork, streamlined rent payments, and digital record keeping.

Property management equipment can bring an immediate impact to your productivity and profits, too. A battery-powered cleaning supply cart can help condo staff do daily chores a little faster. With motorized dumpster movers, you can use one employee instead of two to handle waste collection — while also reducing the risk of worker injury claims.

DJ Products has the property management equipment solutions you need to achieve the profitability that is now possible with modern technology. Check out our WasteCaddy and other efficiency-boosting products for more info.

Mexico Hospital Holds US Citizen Hostage Over Unpaid Bills

powered housekeeping cartDespite the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the United States has continued to struggle with the problem of spiraling healthcare costs. For one woman from Idaho, the issue crossed international borders and has taken on nightmare proportions.

Medical Care or Extortion?

During a vacation to Mexico with her sister-in-law, 67-year-old retired high school teacher Vikki Moormann began experiencing uncontrollable vomiting. Doctors at the Hospital San Javier Riviera Nayarit diagnosed Moormann with a urinary tract infection and the initial stages of pneumonia.

The story took a bizarre turn when Moormann claimed that the hospital wouldn’t allow her to leave until she paid her bill, which had risen to $40,000. A hospital representative denied the accusation, blaming the media and Moormann’s son Ryen for sensationalizing the situation.

The Situation Escalates

While Ryen attempted to raise the funds by setting up a GoFundMe page, Moormann was able to pay only $6,000 of the total charges. Moormann offered to make monthly payments, and her family contacted both the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Consulate, but nothing has been resolved.

In a conversation posted on his Facebook page, Ryen Moormann was told by another hospital representative that his mother would not be released until the bill was paid in full. When Fox News contacted Vikki Moormann, the phone cut in and out until they were informed that she was “busy.”

The Solution to Moving Heavy Hospital Carts

Whether your hospital cart needs are foreign or domestic, ask yourself if your employees struggle with moving hospital carts through busy hallways and tight quarters? Visit our website for information about electric tugs and pushers such as the CartCaddyLite from DJ Products.

Hotels Embrace the New Concept of ‘Lifestyle’ in Marketing

The Hospitality Industry
The Hospitality Industry

Hospitality leaders agree: lifestyle hotels are more than a passing fad. The new norm focuses on guest experience and upscale communal features like critically acclaimed restaurants and WiFi friendly lobby seating.

Travelers want their hotel to be a desirable place to hang out, and “have a room upstairs.” The results can vary depending on the target market (young millennials, business travelers, international tourists) but the emphasis on a unique experience runs across the board.

A recent profile of the Freehand Hotels shows how the new chain learned from its first project, a hostel-style boutique in Miami with private and shared rooms. Guests loved the community lounge spaces but strongly preferred private rooms. Freehand changed gears for its subsequent hotels, moving away from shared bathrooms but keeping the lounge spaces.

Pod Hotels in New York City show the same commitment to the “lifestyle” concept. Guests are greeted by a twenty-something concierge dressed to go DJ at a nightclub — and find themselves immersed in a trendy bar scene before reaching the front desk.

Mainstream hotels and business hotels are embracing lifestyle, too. Some spotlight the beauty of restored historic buildings, local artwork, or lobby filled with business productivity tools.

For hotel management, the shift toward lifestyle hotels means creating a consistent atmosphere. After  choosing new decor and lobby furniture, the hotel can streamline daily operations with new tools for hotel and hospitality cart movement. Employees work with motorized carts to get cleaning and maintenance done quickly — putting the best foot forward for the hotel’s lifestyle experience.

For more info on hotel and hospitality cart movement, visit DJ Products.com.

The Top Colors and Fabric Blends for Hotel Linens

Color and Texture Can Play a Critical Part on How Comfortable You Feel in a Hotel Room. What's Recommended?
Color and Texture Can Play a Critical Part on How Comfortable You Feel in a Hotel Room. What’s Recommended?

What do your guestroom linens say about your hotel? Clean, high-quality sheets, pillows and covers contribute to a guest’s comfort and satisfaction, making hotel supply movement a priority for your housekeeping staff.

Choosing hotel linens involves different considerations than furnishing a bed in a private home. Here are tips to select hotel bedding that enhances the guests’ experience and brings them back in the future.

Best Fabrics for Hotel Sheets

While trendy materials such as bamboo may come and go, cotton is still the gold standard for luxury bedding. Cotton is soft and cool but durable and easy to care for. Pure cotton is preferable, but properties with limited ironing facilities may opt for a polyester-cotton blend that is more wrinkle-resistant.

Lyocell fiber regenerated from wood cellulose, marketed under the brand name Tencel, has become another popular fabric in the hospitality industry. Tencel reduces bacteria build-up and eliminates dust mites so it’s a great choice where allergies might be a problem.

White or Colors?

White’s pristine appearance has made it the classic choice for hotels, where the perception of cleanliness can make or break reputations. Some hotels have been using bed scarves and matching pillow covers to add pops of accent color.

More recently, hotels have been integrating color into duvet covers, which also helps prevent stains. In addition, properties sometimes run into a chronic problem of bedscarves “disappearing,” a situation that’s less likely to occur with duvet covers.

Improve Productivity with Hotel Supply Movement Carts

Nothing’s more disappointing to a hotel guest than to find out their room isn’t ready. Powered hotel supply movement carts from DJ Products let your housekeeping staff turn rooms quickly and efficiently.

Visit our website and chat with one of our friendly sales engineers.

What’s Impacting Your Hotel Revenue in 2018?

Has Your Hotel Room Reached its Full Potential?
Has Your Hotel Room Reached its Full Potential?

Is your hotel seeing the amount of revenue growth you were anticipating in 2018? Our hotel supply movement carts are valuable for improving room turnaround times, but there are other important factors that affect occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) increases.

What steps can you take to raise the bottom line? Here are four current trends you can leverage to positively impact your hotel’s profitability.

Resort Fees

While resort fees have long been a standard practice in destinations such as Las Vegas, hotels in urban markets have only recently begun introducing them at their facilities. Resort fees aren’t subject to occupancy tax, which makes them a good way to gain additional revenue without raising room rates.

Labor Costs

The rising costs of benefits, particularly healthcare insurance, are in turn making labor increasingly expensive. Forecasts and budgets have to be drawn up carefully to accommodate these ongoing changes.

Operators are also taking a closer look at labor-intensive amenities that may cost more than they’re worth. For example, some hotels now provide turndown service on request as opposed to an automatic feature.

Guest Experience

Hotels often remodel during upswings in anticipation of the next downward turn in the cycle. When properties are all comparable in terms of updated decor and facilities, customer service and the overall guest experience become the best ways to set yourself apart from the competition.

Business Travel

As companies across the board look for ways to become more profitable, business travel becomes an expense to cut back or eliminate altogether.

Boost Productivity with Hotel Supply Movement Carts from DJ Products

We offer a wide range of hotel supply movement carts that let your staff perform housekeeping tasks safer and more efficiently. Visit our website for more information.

New Hotel Design Trends Mimic Popular Luxury Airbnb Looks

Indie Arts Themed Hotels - An Emerging New Trend
New Hotel Design Trends Mimic Popular Luxury Airbnb Looks

With luxury Airbnb lodgings stepping up their game to cash-in on social media buzz, hotels are likewise upping the ante when it comes to in-room amenities. Hotel supply movement carts are now toting high thread count sheets, spare throw pillows, and luxe robes and slippers. And the additions aren’t ending with items easily swapped. Some hotels and chains are undergoing in-room renovations, including customer-favored design trends such as…

Colorful Minimalism

Leaving fussy, over-styled furnishings in the past, clean lines and bright neutral furnishings and walls are on-trend, paired with small punches of color in the form of throw pillows and décor.

Multifunctional Furniture

Taking a cue from pint-sized but luxury lodgings, multifunctional furniture such as coffee table/desk combos, multi-use cubbies and stools can be a key feature of small hotel spaces, allowing for a feeling of openness and space, while still meeting the furnishing needs of guests.

Statement Headboards

Sleek, simply styled headboards in bold, bright colors and patterns add a fun (bed)room centerpiece.

Stylish Shibori

Tie-dye’s stylish cousin, Shibori, adds a unique and stylish pop, and are easy to include in the form of throw pillows and blankets.

Lively Lighting

Rather than boring overhead lighting that blends, luxury accommodations look to lively and colorful lighting features or shimmering chandeliers to a touch of whimsy.

Patterned Staircases

Added with premium or adhesive tile, patterned stairs boast a huge style impact, bringing fun and flair to once boring or utilitarian staircases.

Patterned Patios (or Balconies)

Transform balconies or patios with summery tile patterns, letting easy-care flooring shine center stage beneath the sleek lines of minimalistic outdoor chairs and tables.

Ready to step-up your game? Outfit new room designs with the help of powered hotel supply movement carts from DJ Products today.

Top Hotel Trends for 2018 – Reinvention of the Traditional Hotel

Reinvention of the Traditional Hotel
Reinvention of the Traditional Hotel

Rapidly changing technology, new startups, and how much consumers are embracing technology in their everyday lives are all adding up to big changes in the hospitality industry. Innovative hotel and hospitality supply movement products like powered hospitality cart pullers can save money and improve hotel profits by saving time, maximizing manpower, and preventing injuries to service workers. The following are some trends that hotel industry analysts are predicting for 2018.

Independent hotels have good opportunities

An article by TravelMarketReport says independent hotels are faring well in the current economic climate and are perhaps in a better position than large hotel chains that compete with the likes of Airbnb and VRBO. The more connected hotels are to their local community, the better the guest experience they can deliver.

Hotels work closely with local arts and other institutions

TravelMarketReport states that the more successful hotels are seeking to find new guest experiences by working closely with local museums, academic institutions, and other local attractions.

Little things always matter in the hospitality industry

Marc Jongerius, managing partner of flexible accommodations company Zoku, advises hoteliers that if Airbnb is taking their business, they need to take a closer look at their business. Travel patterns change and hotels must be adaptable to remain profitable.

Take care of your staff and your guest

The hospitality industry is very much a people business. It’s important that every person from the hotel manager to the housekeeper be working together to provide every customer with an optimal guest experience. Hotel and hospitality supply movement equipment from DJ Products is designed specifically for businesses like yours.

Contact us today to speak with one of our sales engineers about how our products can prevent worker injuries and maximize manpower.

The Important Trends that Are Shaping the Hotel Industry You Are Sure to See in 2018

The Hotel Industry is Being Shaped By Some Important Trends
The Hotel Industry Trends Will You See in 2018?

In the hotel industry, some trends, such as powered housekeeping carts, are here to stay. Others have a shorter shelf life. Which one of these current hospitality trends will be part of the scene into the new year and beyond?

1. Co-Living

The hotel industry is increasingly putting a focus on the concept of community. One result is the rise in pod hotels, “poshtels” and other properties influenced by communal living options such as hostels.

2. A Complete Guest Experience

Not content to be simply an accommodations provider, Airbnb recently branched out into the tours and activities business. Watch for hotels to follow suit.

3. Redefining Loyalty

Loyalty programs are an integral part of hotel marketing strategies, but they run the risk of ultimately disenchanting members, such as what has happened with airlines. Hotels need to rework their programs to emphasize the personal touch and reward true loyalty instead of just dollars spent.

4. Back to Basics

Technology has transformed the way hotels operate and taken guest services to a new level, but it’s personal attention that defines the hospitality industry. Successful hotels will find new ways to offer genuine customer service to their guests.

5. Think Local

At one time hotels served as community centers, but their attention turned toward serving out-of-town travelers. In the future, hotels will again consider the local community and ways to provide solutions to their needs as well.

Improve Safety and Productivity with Powered Housekeeping Carts

You can’t afford to keep guests waiting, and powered housekeeping carts from DJ Products let your staff turn rooms quickly and efficiently with less risk of injury. Visit our website and use the convenient online chat feature for real-time assistance from our sales engineers.