GUEST BLOG: Technology at ground level

With technology and travel now linked intrinsically, the challenge for suppliers is to deliver and exceed traveller expectations. With more and more hotel bookings made on mobile devices, hoteliers have already had to adapt their online presence for smartphones and tablets to ensure that travellers enjoy the best brand experience in the lead up to arrival.   

Yet for hoteliers the technology they offer the business traveller can’t stop there. It's now about providing services that are tailored for the tech-savvy traveller once they arrive.

With guests often travelling with more than one mobile device, it's no surprise that reliable wi-fi with high connection speed is now a must for business travellers, along with multiple opportunities to charge their device within their room and communal spaces. And many travellers would not consider a hotel chain that doesn't provide this complimentary.

As travellers invest in the latest entertainment technology at home, they expect no less when they are travelling and next-generation television sets and MP3 docking stations are also becoming expected features in today’s hotel room.

With tough competition in the meetings and events arena there has also been a shift in expectations – with organisers demanding that hotels go the extra mile to provide services that make doing business more efficient. Meetings and event technology is a key factor to securing repeat business, so hoteliers must think about not only providing the very highest quality technology but ensure that it is easy to use and that dedicated staff are available to manage events on the ground.  

As pioneers in hotel technology, NH Hotel Group faces these challenges on a daily basis. To cater for the growing demand we have introduced our “High Tech Made Easy” initiative, the Group´s value proposition for the MICE segment, which includes 3D holographic projection technology.

For more information, please watch this video: New NH service High Tech Made Easy. This post was written by Rufino Pérez Fernández, Chief Commercial Officer at NH Hotel Group (www.nh-hotels.com). NH Hotels exhibited at the Business Travel Show last week, which experienced a 15% increase in visitor numbers and will return to Olympia in London on 24-25 February 2016.

GUEST BLOG: The Business Travel Show, a journalist's point of view.

A successful two days event, where visitors had the opportunity to walk around Olympia to discover a panoply of the latest travel products and services available.

The organisers definitely demonstrated their expertise in putting together all that is needed to please their audience. The building provided all amenities - restaurant, cafés and lounges -to retain visitors and ensure a most enjoyable day for all participants. The range of 252 exhibitors made it the biggest show in its history, and many of the hosts were catering for their visitors with special events. We particularly loved, and sure it was the same for many of the visitors, the Cellar in the Sky wine tastings, organised by Business Traveller, followed by the special cocktails and liquid nitrogen ice cream presented by Chambers Travel Management, perfect opportunities to work in a relax and chilled atmosphere.

The event was tailored with a particular attention to detail to please all of its attendees, hosting conferences running throughout the two days plus a pre-show conference for hosted buyers only on Tuesday. From the Fundamentals of Business Travel to Technology and Data, there were interesting tracks for all visitors. The numerous networking opportunities, one of which being in partnership with UK Trade and Investment, gave guests the opportunity to enjoy meeting prospect and exclusive buyers whilst enjoying Champagne, canapés, coffee and gifts.

We noticed this year the increasing trend of serviced apartments, 28 exhibitors in total offering this recent and appealing solution for corporate accommodation.  A few years ago, when travelling for work purposes, professionals and corporate were mainly considering prestigious, practical and comfortable of hotels to rest after a long day of meeting and work. Following discussions with several of the exhibitors, we believe this popularity is mainly due to the enormous improvement made in recent years, refurbishing and making the apartments more luxurious to compete with 5 star hotels.  Overall the elegance, privacy, space and home-feeling make them Ideal for short and extended stays around the world, for both leisure or corporate the range available will suit any need.

Our attention was also captured by the WOW (Work On Wheels) vehicle. An innovative solution that allows professionals to travel in style and work in privacy. The Mercedes vehicle has been carefully modified to the luxurious standard similar to that found in a private jet.  The four leather seats either provide individual work areas or can be used as a private meeting room. Having experienced this beautifully designed interior during the show, the sound proofing particularly impressed the Ad Astra team. From the moment the door shut, all the noise from the show just disappeared and we could hear each other perfectly by just whispering. It really gave the full impression of what it would be like when driving around in the noisy London traffic.

From global airlines, hotel accommodation, security services, travel management to innovative travel companies and technology provider, the show hosted all of the possible details businesses need to arrange perfectly tailored travel anywhere around the world.

This blog post was written by Amélie ARRAS from Lifestyle Magazine http://lifestyle-listing.com/.