80% of Singaporean travellers prefer hotels that offer self-service technology

Travellers now want to minimize contact with staff and other guests.

Eight in 10 Singaporean travellers prefer to stay in a hotel that offers self-service technology, a study from Oracle Hospitality and Skift showed.

According to the study, many travellers have become anti-social because of the pandemic, and now want minimal contact with hotel staff and other guests. 

Amongst self-service technologies that travellers want their hotel to provide include room service from their phone or chatbot (52%), and contactless payments (52%).

Some 46% also said they want a fully contactless experience for all basic hotel transactions, with staff only available upon request.

Apart from self-service experience, guests are also looking to stay in highly-digital hotels that offer on-demand entertainment access that seamlessly connects to their streaming or gaming accounts (51%); voice-activated controls for all amenities in their rooms (41%); and room controls that auto-adjust temperature, lighting, and even digital art based on pre-shared preferences (37%).

“Guests have now come to expect highly digital, self-service experiences across all aspects of their lives, including travel.  The hospitality industry must move at the same pace by adopting and integrating new systems to better serve the modern traveller,” Patrick Andres, Regional Vice President Hotels and Food & Beverage, JAPAC, Oracle, said.

These new demands from travellers are being addressed by hotels, according to Oracle. Based on the study, 100% of hoteliers are investing in contactless technology, whilst 76% recognize that a “fully contactless experience” is likely to be the most widely adopted tech in the industry in the next three years. 

About 62% of hoteliers surveyed also said their highest priority is to adopt tech that improves or eliminates the need for the front desk experience between now and 2025. 

Besides a highly-digital and self-service stay, guests are also willing to pay more for hotels that allow them to choose their view (51%), check in early and check out late (36%), choose their room floor (36%), choose their room (31%), and use the spa, wellness, or fitness services (27%).