Shiji’s Insights Podcast invited Beatriz Heras, Head of Digital Transformation, Operations, and New ICT Initiatives on the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH), to hitch Florencia Cueto and focus on the continuing digital evolution in hospitality, offering worthwhile insights into the position of innovation in trendy resort operations.
Takeaways
Know-how is important for contemporary inns, enhancing visitor satisfaction, streamlining operations, and driving profitability.
AI and automation are reshaping hospitality. To remain aggressive, inns should embrace synthetic intelligence, information analytics, and automation.
TechYRoom highlights innovation, showcasing know-how in actual operations earlier than large-scale adoption.
Accelerated digital transformation. The trade’s speedy tech adoption post-pandemic highlights the necessity for agility and adaptableness in resort operations.
Future tendencies
concentrate on integration, breaking information silos, and delivering hyper-personalized visitor experiences.
The position of Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero in hospitality know-how
ITH, a number one establishment below the Spanish Confederation of Inns and Vacationer Lodging, has been on the forefront of introducing new applied sciences to the sector. With a robust concentrate on digital transformation, vitality effectivity, and sustainability, the organisation performs a key position in figuring out trade wants and fostering technological developments.
Established twenty years in the past, ITH has been instrumental in adopting and implementing technological options throughout the resort trade.
Twenty years in the past, many inns didn’t even have administration techniques; the whole lot was accomplished utilizing Excel sheets. Now, we’re speaking about synthetic intelligence, robotics, and applied sciences that had been unimaginable again then. Beatriz Heras
ITH goals to bridge the hole between know-how and hospitality by assessing trade wants and integrating options that enhance operational effectivity and visitor experiences.
The organisation’s main areas of focus embody:
- Digital transformation: Introducing instruments and techniques that optimise resort operations.
- Operations: Streamlining workflows to boost effectivity and visitor satisfaction.
- Power effectivity: Implementing good options to scale back vitality consumption.
- Sustainability: Selling eco-friendly applied sciences to align with world sustainability objectives.
TechYRoom: A showcase of hospitality innovation
One of ITH’s most innovative projects, TechYRoom, serves as a real-world showcase for cutting-edge hotel technology. Initially launched as a temporary pop-up, the project evolved into a permanent showroom within a hotel in the Valencian Community.
The initiative highlights technology designed to meet the specific needs of guests, particularly senior travellers. Key innovations include:
- Voice control systems: Enhancing accessibility for guests with mobility challenges.
- Robotic assistance: Supporting staff by handling repetitive tasks.
- Smart energy solutions: Ensuring medical devices remain powered without relying on traditional room key-activated electricity.
ITH provides a tangible example of how technology can enhance guest experiences while optimising hotel efficiency by integrating these solutions into an operational hotel environment.
Accelerated adoption of technology post-pandemic
Since COVID-19, hotels have undergone a rapid digital transformation. Beatriz emphasised how the crisis accelerated the adoption of technologies that had been in development for years.
Key advancements include AI-driven decision-making, which helps hotels predict demand, personalise guest experiences, and enhance operational efficiency. System integration breaks down information silos, creating a seamless flow of data across departments. Additionally, process automation reduces manual workloads, allowing staff to focus on personalised guest interactions.
Technology should serve as an enabler, allowing staff to focus on customer service by removing repetitive tasks and optimising resources.Beatriz Heras
These changes reflect a broader industry shift towards intelligent automation, where technology enhances—not replaces—human hospitality.
The future of hotel operations
Looking ahead, ITH is working on multiple projects poised to transform the industry. Their initiatives include redefining professional competencies in tourism by integrating robotics into culinary training and other operational areas. They are also expanding TechYRoom, extending the concept beyond guest rooms to other hotel spaces. Additionally, they are leveraging technology to deliver personalised travel experiences, tailoring services to guests’ unique preferences and requirements. These advancements will continue to shape the hospitality sector, establishing technology as an essential component of hotel operations.
Conclusion
As digital transformation accelerates, staying informed about emerging trends and innovations is essential for long-term success in the evolving hotel technology landscape. To continue advancing, hotels must embrace AI and automation whilst leveraging data to create hyper-personalised guest experiences.
By adopting integrated tech platforms and investing in staff training, hotels can break down silos and maximise the benefits of automation. Focusing on purposeful innovation will help the industry optimise operations and enhance the guest experience.
Watch the full episode here (in Spanish):
About Shiji Group
Shiji is a multi-national technology company that provides software solutions and services for enterprise companies in the hospitality, food service, retail and entertainment industries, ranging from hospitality technology platform, hotel property management solutions, food and beverage and retail systems, cost gateways, information administration, on-line distribution and extra. Based in 1998 as a community options supplier for inns, Shiji Group at present includes over 5,000 workers in 80+ subsidiaries and types in over 31 nations, serving greater than 91,000 inns, 200,000 eating places and 600,000 shops. For extra info, go to www.shijigroup.com.