THE NEW NORMAL EFFICIENCY, AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGY

In a world ravaged by coronavirus, these are the three buzzwords by which hotels will have to live, as countries, including India, open up. Transformation will have to meet rigid standards of health, hygiene and safety

India’s sprawling, influential hospitality industry is fast turning its sight to the huge domestic market, rather than wait for global travellers to rescue them from the state of paralysis induced by COVID-19-lockdown, which has virtually wiped out business for hotels.

Remote, secluded hotels with surrounding wilderness and close to nature are expected to be far more popular than city hotels, to begin with.

The impact of COVID-19

A Google Travel Webinar in April 2020 pretty much indicated the same thing: COVID-19 will influence people to travel closer to home, but not via mass transit. Rather, they are likely to take a road journey to not-too-crowded locations closer home.

The era of the big wedding is over for the foreseeable future. And even if big weddings are planned at hotels, guests may not be comfortable partying or mingling with each other till a cure or vaccine is discovered.

Things that hotels and guests took for granted: eating an extended breakfast to start the morning, hang out at crowded coffee shops, linger over a conversation in the hotel lobby, will no longer define your hotel experience.

Among the suggestions coming in thick and fast for hoteliers, one stands out: do not, in panic, reduce room rates or it will be difficult to get them back to the pre-COVID days. Instead, offer attractive packages, such as room packages that include hotel car airport pick-up and drop services.

Hotels believe that perks are a better strategy to entice people to book. They are also enhancing the flexibility of their loyalty programs, with some hitting the pause button on points’ expiry dates. Marriott Bonvoy has led the way, extending status earned in 2019 until February 2022.