A major report, ‘Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentationn, reveals the emerging behaviour and demands of the future hotel guest and what this means for the types of hotels we will see in the future. The report is developed by Fast Future Research, an independent futures research and consultancy firm, and commissioned by Amadeus. 

Published recently, the report looks forward to a time where augmented reality, responsive guest environments and robots may become commonplace as guests demand greater personalisation, increased comfort and more innovative experiences. At the same time the report also highlights new hotel models that may emerge including invitation-only hotels, hotels co-branded with luxury brands, white-label hotels and ‘catch-all’ hotel chains that will deliver one-star budget hotels through to six-star luxury properties. The study contains both quantitative and qualitative data and draws on desk research, expert interviews and a global survey on future strategies and business models for the sector. The survey was conducted with 600 respondents from around the world, of whom 42 per cent work in the travel industry. 

Key findings
1.    Guests will be able to tailor every aspect of their hotel experience
Traditional customer segmentation is likely to die and will instead be replaced by personalised service spectrums and a ‘total service model’. This will mean that the guest of the future will be able to tailor every aspect of their experience including technology, hotel services, the bedroom, journey, pricing and communications. Over two thirds of survey respondents agreed that by 2020 traveller motivations will become increasingly fragmented and diverse and harder to segment into clearly definable customer groupings.
 
2. The hotel of the future will be more personal, connected and responsive
With changing guest requirements it is likely we will see hotels catering multiple needs and demands. We will see innovations such as intelligent furniture, personalised nutrition and responsive technologies that understand cognitive functions. More than nine out of ten people questions felt that by 2020 hotel guests will expect their stay to be personalised around a set of choices they make at the time of booking or prior to arrival.
 
3. Horizon scanning, anticipation and rapid implementation will become some of the hallmarks of successful hotel groups 
The report details characteristics of successful hotel chains of the future including the ability to spot opportunities and dangers, develop effective strategies and implement change programmes quickly. The report highlights the central role of technology systems in helping hotel groups stay ahead and meet the needs of tomorrow’s guest. 

Jérôme Destors, Director, Hotel IT, Amadeus Hospitality Solutions said, “Only by looking at the global drivers and forces of change can we begin to understand the future hotel guest and what this means for hotel chains. Whilst not definitive, in this report we have been able to build a compelling picture about the hotel of the future and what changing preferences of the guest means for guest experience in the next ten years. Critical to meeting the needs of future guests will be intelligent and responsive technology systems that can support the evolution of hotels and we are committed to helping our customers remove technology barriers so that they can transform their business and make the most of emerging opportunities.” 

Rohit Talwar, Chief Executive, Fast Future Research said, “What we see is a shift from neatly defined customer segments to a more fragmented set of service spectrums that will demand hotels to act in a way that is guest-focused personal, connected and informed. The right technology will be an increasingly important weapon in delivering on guest expectations and securing brand differentiation.”

 To coincide with the launch of the report, Amadeus has announced the launch of Amadeus Hotel Platform, a centralised above-property solution that will transform the way hotels do business.  Built around one comprehensive database, and available as a Software as a Service model (SaaS) it combines central reservation, property management and global distribution systems into one fully integrated platform. Offering a single and real-time view of the entire business, Amadeus Hotel Platform allows hoteliers to deliver innovative and new guest services to generate additional revenues and react to market changes as new trends, behaviours and demands emerge.