Guideline

Acting SMART – What Does It Mean in the Hotel Industry?

The term "SMART" has become one of the key buzzwords of digitalization. This can be a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises, as digitalization has changed the professional environment for hoteliers. Online marketing and sales, revenue management, online feedback, social media, and sustainable business practices are some aspects that can make it difficult for hoteliers to keep up with rapid developments and remain competitive.

Based on this, as well as discussions with businesses and research, Wismar University has developed a guideline. This guideline is designed to help hoteliers through a three-stage system (SMART, SMART plus, and all SMART) to assess the level of digitalization in their hotel, discover the potential of new technologies, and gain an overview of the market and its opportunities—all tailored to their hotel concept. One thing is certain: hotel concepts are diverse and are based on different guest experiences. Nevertheless, there are essential criteria that must be met to remain competitive in the future.

Public Relations

Public relations are primarily about communication with the surrounding environment, specifically with guests. If you want to stand out from the vast number of online offerings and remain competitive, you need to become more agile and work on your digital skills.

"Advertising is saying you’re good. PR is getting someone else to say you’re good." – Jean-Louis Gassée. Your advertising claims that you are good, but PR lets someone else say it for you. Unlike traditional advertising, PR encourages former guests to share their experiences with your hotel, and ideally, this can inspire potential guests. Whether on Google Maps or social media, customer feedback online has a broad reach and can be seen across multiple channels.

Management

Hotel management has been optimized through digitalization. There is a wide range of software solutions available for every aspect of hotel operations, making it essential to find the right one. Additionally, "all-in-one" solutions are now being offered, which automate business processes while simultaneously analyzing data. Through automated analysis, staff scheduling and workload predictions can be made, and inventory purchases or room occupancy can be more easily assessed.

It seems almost essential to use digital "helpers" in the future—not only for marketing but also for management. Even now, manually maintaining individual booking channels is time-consuming, leading to overbooking and inefficiencies. Software, on the other hand, solves these issues automatically. While some solutions are not yet perfect, considering software implementation in the future appears to be a smart move. The effort required for the transition depends on your company's structure. If a system is already in place, there are options to expand and enhance it.

Infrastructure

In the "Buildings" chapter, you will learn important information about smart technical devices, systems, and their automation, as well as insights into the concepts of complex building automation. It also covers energy management in hotels, smart control options, compatibility, and interfaces, such as those with Property Management Software (PMS – see glossary) and entertainment electronics (e.g., Smart TVs).

To ensure the proper functioning of various smart systems, a good technical infrastructure, such as fast and secure internet or cloud-based solutions, is one of the fundamental requirements. This basic requirement is accompanied by demands for IT security and data protection, which increase with higher standards. To avoid high one-time investments and time commitments, the digitalization of systems can be implemented gradually. Systems can also be introduced individually (e.g., on a trial basis for a room or vacation home).

Mobility

"When someone embarks on a journey, they have something to tell." This quote from the poem "Urian's Journey Around the World" holds today just as it did in the past – however, the way we move around has fundamentally changed. Mobility is in a constant state of transformation and continually presents us with new questions: What modes of transportation do we want to use? How much traffic is beneficial for us and our environment? Which resources are best suited for energy generation?

Mobility also plays a central role in the tourism industry, presenting both opportunities and challenges. When a customer is searching for the right hotel, factors such as accessibility and local mobility are key selection criteria. Traffic issues, such as traffic jams, overcrowded roads, and lack of public transport connections—especially in rural areas—are common and negatively impact the guest experience as well as the region. As hoteliers, you can actively shape the mobility situation and thereby increase the attractiveness of your hotel and the region. Sustainable and integrated mobility concepts represent the future. Therefore, this chapter focuses not only on sharing and shuttle services but also on electric mobility.