2. Introduction
In regards to a successful marketing and sales trendsin the hotel & hospitality industry, it’s
beneficial for managers to keep up with the latest and greatest consumertechnology. Doing so
provides theguests at their hotel with a positive experience that can result in maintaining
theirguests’ customer loyalty. It’s imperative for managers to understand that their guests desire
the same technology experience they have at their home or office when they travel. Anything
less – and managers risk losing the guests at their hotel for good. Therefore, it is necessary that
hotel managers exceed the expectations of their guests by providing them with the best consumer
technology in order to gain advantage over their competitors.
The Significance Of The I-pad
According to HotelExecutive.com, “the I-Pad is the fastest selling consumer electronic device in
history, predicting that Apple will sell 100 million units by 2012.”(Horner, 2012) The fact isthat
an I-pad is the most popular form of technology in today’s market. Yet another benefit of the I-
Pad is that, “it has a very simple GUI (Guest User Interface) and new users both young and old
are able to use it almost immediately with little or no training.” (Horner, 2012) This is
noteworthybecause everyone is able to figure out how to use. As managers, knowing the
evidence of the I-pads popularity among people and recognizing that it is our duty to fulfill and
exceed people’s technology needs; results in the idea that making an I-pad available in each of
the guests’ roomis a trend worth investing in.
Reach And Scope Of The I-Pad
The reach and scope of an I-Pad as it relates to businesses and organizations impacted are far-
reaching. There are multiple businesses and organizations that have already integrated the use of
an I-Pad into their everyday business practices. According to PSFK.com, a website that inspires
creative business; there is a restaurant in Australia that has replaced their menus with I-pads. As
stated on the website, “customers use the restaurant-provided I-Pads to not only browse menu
selections and order food, but access photos of every dish and even notify chefs of how they
want their steaks cooked.” (Moik, 2012)Also identified on the website is a wine vineyard in
Naples, Florida that permits “wine connoisseurs to browse and order wine through the
Mediterranean restaurants 550 Wine Spectator-recognized wine list.” (Moik, 2012)Clearly the
apps on the I-Pad for the restaurant in Australia and the wine vineyard in Florida benefit the
customer by providing them access to what they want, as soon as they want. In addition, these
applications also benefit the manager’s financial costs by saving them money on the cost of their
paper menus and the wages of the waiting staff.
The Benefits Of An I-pad In Guests Rooms
Aside from the benefit of making the guest feel at home, the I-pad can provide the guest with
many amenities that make life easier for them during the duration of their stay. The applications
3. available on an I-pad are limitless – and in the hotel industry there are numerous applications
available. According to Tnooz.com, a travel technology website, “Tools on the device (which
also come as part of an app for a guest’s own mobile handset) include temperature, lights and
curtain control, in-room dining orders, restaurant booking, spa reservations, housekeeping, as
well as information about the hotel and the local area.” (May 2011) In addition there are also
applications that allow the guest to schedule wake up calls and print boarding passes at the touch
of a button. In correlation with the benefits towards the guests and management are apparent -
the guests stay at the hotel becomes more relaxed & simplified and the management saves costs
on printing materials and employees are notified promptly instead of dealing with the time
constraints involved with phone calls from their guests.
The I-Pad And Its Impact On The World Of Business
The I-Pad revolution is amongst us, and it is undoubtedly impacting and shaping the way
managers in the hotel industry are doing business. The two case studies found on the I-Pad and
how it has shaped and impacted the hotel industry is evident through how the Bel-Air Hotel and
The Mandarin Oriental in New York Citydo their business.
The Bel-Air Hotel
The effect of an I-Pad being available in each room has had a profound effect on the hotel &
hospitality industry and there is an optimistic outlook for hotels and other businesses to use this
device to market their products and make life easier for the guest. The Bel-Air Hotel is a leading
example of how they go about accomplishing that goal. They have discovered that marketing
their food menu and offering their guests the luxury of ordering room service through the I-Pad
has had meaningfully positive results. In comparison to the positive results that the Bel-Air has
experienced, a hotel in Manhattan, New York, reported that “Seeing food photos and other
buying options presented in a non-intrusive way often leads to more orders, and that’s why room
service orders have increased 15 to 20 percent with the apps.”(Rodger) In regards to The Bel-
Air, according to usatoday.com, “Bel-Air reported that 75% of people who order room service
place their order via the I-Pad included in their room.” (De Lorris, 2012)This is significant
because it goes to show how Bel-Air’s guests are adapting to the technology trend. Positive
benefits for management have been reported as well because the I-Pad orders have aided the
kitchen staff in better planning. USATODAY reports “once an order is made, explains Adam
Jones, the hotel's tech chief, the I-Pad system run by Intelity communicates to the kitchen
software run by Micros. The order is printed out for the room-service team and fired
automatically to the specific department, such as the beverage team for coffee orders or the team
making egg dishes. A manager watches the orders and make sure it all happens in a timely
manner” (De Lorris, 2012)
Reaction And Thoughts Towards The Bel-Air Hotel - Barcelona
4. We believe what The Bel-Air Hotel has accomplished is exactly what they envisioned and their
innovation of room service through the I-Pad is what keeps them ahead of their competitors. It’s
obvious that the room service ordering on the I-Pad has profoundly impacted their hotel and we
find it very interesting how the system works. Also, their ability to integrate the I-Pad with the
point of sale is clearlybenefitting their sales and profits revenue. We believe the main
contributors of their success are that they are able to showcase their dishes with photos and even
nutritional information on the I-Pad. We believe that most people prefer to stay technology
advanced and prefer this method of room service over the existing.
The Mandarin Oriental - Barcelona
Most everyone traveling to a hotel has internet access via their own laptop/cell phone or I-Pad
through Wi-Fi service that most hotels offer.However, regarding I-Padsand Wi-Fi service offered
by the hotel, there can be problems that arise with the service connection to the guests’
technology devices; the fact is that the bandwidth for I-pad takes up a significant amount of
bandwidth so problems will always exist with the connectivity to the standard Wi-Fi that most
hotels use. Consequently, it is recommended that hotels upgrade to an unlimited free Wi-Fi. The
Mandarin Oriental Hotel management took that thought into notion and upgraded their standard
Wi-Fi network to better suit their I-Pads wireless connectivity. This in turn extended the Wi-Fi
signals and as stated by muniwireless.com, “The hotel has seen an 85 percent decrease in guest
complaints after the upgrade.”(Vos, 2012)
Reaction And Thoughts Towards The Mandarin Oriental Hotel
We believe that The Mandarin Oriental Hotel – Barcelona did a remarkable job implementing
unlimited free Wi-Fi service so the I-Pads in every guest room worked effectively. By the
management staff offering extended Wi-Fi service to their guests, they are going the distance to
offering the latest and greatest consumer technology; which results in customer loyalty and
potentially attracts new guests as well. Nevertheless, in regards to the purchasing power of other
hotels, many may find it difficult to afford extended service. In this case, it’s suggested that they
slowly raise their rates to make up for the cost or management can charge the guests accordingly
based on their internet use. Otherwise, if management is hesitant to raise their rates or prefer not
to charge their customers with additional fees in fear that it will lose their customer base; they
can make up for the costs of the unlimited free Wi-Fi with the revenue that they obtain from the
sales generated through the I-pad that exists in each room.
Interview with a Hotel Professional
When researching the effects the I-Pad and its applications can do in the hotel industry, we were
surprised to learn how much of an impact the trend is having. We wish we could have had the
opportunity to conduct an interview with a hotel that has obtained I-Pads and placed them in
their guests rooms but there are few hotels in the world that have provided that technology for
their guests. Since we were un-able to do so, we concluded that we would have to interview a
5. local hotel. Upon our decision, we focused our interview questions on gaining an understanding
of how profitable and useful this new trend is compared to the existing culture within the
hospitality industry.
Laura Kendzior – Manager of Comfort Inn Suites
When we approached Laura Kendzior, Manager of the Comfort Inn Suites, we had our sources
printed out in regards to the I-Pad revolution in the business world. When we began sharing what
we have learned with her, we recall she was interested in what we had to present. After she
glanced at our discoveries she agreed that the I-Pad would make life easier for the guests at her
hotel. She explained that having the amenity to turn off lights/TV instead of getting of bed is a
perk that anybody would love. After confirming that it would make the guests’ duration of stay
at the hotel easier we then asked if it would make her employees’ job easier. She noted that the
Comfort Inn does not provide room service for their guests so the I-Pad wouldn’t be beneficial
towards the employees. However, she agreed that if you could check in/check out and notify
housekeeping that would benefit the employees rather than having to deal with the time
constraints of dealing with phones.
Laura was very interested in the point of view we had about the I-Pad and its potential on how
having that sort of technology present in the hotel would be a luxury. On the other hand, she
made clear that having an I-Pad in the Comfort Inn Suites won’t be happening anytime soon
given the circumstances. The interview was concluded when she said, the Comfort Inn does the
best they can with providing the guest with a positive experience, with the materials they can
work with.
We concluded from the brief interview that the I-Pad trend will surely impact the business
landscape of the hotel industry because it opens many new possibilities now and into the future.
It’s recognized that the I-Pad is certainly capable of revolutionizing how management can
operate their hotels and provide a better experience to guests. But as of right now this trend is
much more popular within high-end hotels who can clear large startup costs and have a clientele
that wants the best technology available to them--and are willing to pay for it. In the future we
believe that even the average hotel such as the Country Inn and Suites will use an I-pad or
something similar to it when it becomes financially within reach.
Conclusion
The hotel industry has a unique opportunity to show the worlds’ travelers that it is in synch with
their needs, now and in the future. Hotels such as the Bel-Air and the Mandarin Oriental-
Barcelona are a few hotels that have done so by providing their guests with the best consumer
technology availableat this time. Both of these hotels offering this luxury have reported financial
growth and positive feedback from their guests and employees regarding their actions and that
will support them in the continuous process of trying to stay ahead of their competitors. It’s no
secret; hotels staying up to date on consumer technology results keeps employees & guests fully
6. satisfied, which transcends into a positive atmosphere capturing the attention of the world around
us. Most importantly, the best consumer technology excels profits and allows any business;
whether hotel, restaurant, winery to succeed. In conclusion, as future managers, it’s imperative
that we recognize that we are in the hospitality business; and we have to be “hospitable” and
accommodate our guests’ needs.
References
Horner, T. (2012, 11 16). Top hotel technology trends in 2012. Retrieved from
http://hotelexecutive.com/business_review/2888/top-hotel-technology-trends-in-2012
Moik, Y. (n.d.). 10 innovative uses of the i-pad. Retrieved from
http://www.psfk.com/2010/07/10-innovative-uses-of-the-ipad-by-the-hospitality-industry.html
May, K. (n.d.). Hotel puts ipad in every room, claims most hi-tech in town read more at
http://www.tnooz.com/2011/07/25/news/hotel-puts-ipad-in-every-room-claims-most-hi-tech-in-
town/
Rodger, Y. (n.d.). Room service with the tap of an i-pad screen. Retrieved from
http://phys.org/news/2011-07-room-ipad-screen.html
De Lorris, B. (2012, 4 27). I-pad revolutionizes iconic hotel bel-air. Retrieved from
http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/04/ipad-huge-hit-at-hotel-bel-air-75-room-
Vos, E. (2012, 1 23). Hotels are upgrading wi-fi. Retrieved from
http://www.muniwireless.com/2012/01/23/hotels-upgrading-wifi-infrastructure-to-meet-ipad-
iphone-users-needs/
Kendzior, L. (2012, 11 16). Interview by Brandon Spreiter[Personal Interview]. I-Pad Revolution
Interview.
