Navigating the Future of Guest Experience

I am delighted to speak with Vladislav Valiček, the Digital Projects Manager at Aminess, a hotel chain in Croatia. Mr. Valiček is at the helm of steering Aminess's digital transformation, employing his vast expertise in technology and hospitality to enhance guest experiences through innovative digital approaches. In this interview, he shares his insights on the trends, challenges, and future of digitalization in the hospitality sector. Let’s explore how Aminess is setting new standards in creating memorable guest experiences. 

1. Mr. Valiček, from your perspective, what are the current trends in the hospitality industry regarding customer experience and digital transformation?

A significant trend is the increasing integration of digital technology to personalize guest experiences. This includes using data analytics for customized offers, AI (artificial intelligence) for personalized communication, and IoT (Internet of Things) for an enhanced experience during guest stay. Another trend is the focus on sustainability and experiences that reflect local culture and authenticity. 

2. What are some of the most common challenges you face in consistently ensuring a high-quality customer experience?

One significant challenge we face is the evolving guest expectation for a seamless, digital-first experience, akin to the convenience of a personal travel assistant accessible via their mobile devices. Guests now anticipate instant, personalized services—from booking to check-out, they seek convenience, immediacy, and customization, all through their mobile devices. However, a pivotal aspect of this digital journey is not just initiating engagement digitally but maintaining it throughout their stay. Often, guests who book their stay digitally revert to traditional, physical interactions once they arrive at the hotel. The challenge lies in encouraging guests to continue utilizing digital services while on the premises, thereby enhancing their experience and operational efficiency. 

he orchestration of a seamless experience requires not only providing a compelling digital platform but also educating guests on its benefits and ease of use. Whether it's ordering room service, making reservations, or requesting housekeeping, the goal is to offer guests the power of choice between human and digital touch. 

On the other hand, delivering on these expectations involves intricate orchestration across various hotel operations and systems. Integrating and managing the necessary technologies and processes to offer such personalized services is complex. Every guest preference needs to be accurately captured and actioned, requiring robust data integration and real-time responsiveness from all stakeholders. 

One significant problem arises when something needs to change. A change can necessitate adjustments in how services are offered, which might involve reconfiguring software, retraining staff, or even reevaluating third-party partnerships. And all this has to happen without detracting from the guest experience. 

In essence, while the digital transformation in hospitality aims to meet and exceed guest expectations, the complexity and dynamism of managing such operations cannot be understated. It requires a delicate balance of technology, human touch, and operational agility. 

3. You mentioned the balance of technology, human touch, and operational agility. How does Aminess balance the use of technology with in person experiences to create a sense of personal treatment?

Achieving this balance can involve using technology to free up staff from routine tasks, allowing them more time to provide personalized service. Technology should be seen as a tool to enhance personal interaction, not replace it. For example, automated systems can handle reservations and check-ins, while staff can focus on personal greetings, concierge services, and personalized recommendations. 

4. These are great examples. Can you share what you are currently working on to enhance guest experiences via technology?

We are actively advancing several digital projects to elevate the guest experience. Among these, we're developing a mobile app designed specifically for our employees. This app will facilitate instant and continuous communication, streamline training, and ensure consistent alignment during employee onboarding.  

Additionally, we are in the process of redesigning our website, set to launch later this year. It will offer an improved guest experience by seamlessly connecting with other channels, thereby enriching the overall journey and ensuring a cohesive experience across all platforms. 

Simultaneously, we're focusing on unifying customer data across all touchpoints to achieve a comprehensive understanding of our guests. This crucial step supports the implementation of the SAP Emarsys customer experience platform, enabling us to predict guest needs more accurately, customize our communication, and deliver personalized experiences on a larger scale. Importantly, this platform will also enhance our internal communications, aligning with our goal to provide a seamless guest experience. 

5. Can you walk us through Aminess's journey towards deciding to invest in a customer experience platform? What were the key factors and considerations that led to this strategic decision?

Being a relatively new brand formed in 2016 by Laguna Novigrad d.d., our mission was to bring together various hotels along the Adriatic coast under a single, cohesive brand. Since our inception, we've expanded our portfolio to include 16 hotels along with 10 other hospitality structures, including campsites and resorts with villas and apartments. 

Throughout our growth, we've maintained a unified brand voice, yet faced the challenge of disparate communication channels emerging from multiple systems. With PHOBS as our booking system and a separate CRM among others, our messaging was fragmented, creating a siloed experience for our guests. 

Recognizing the need for a more integrated approach, we identified the necessity for a platform that could consolidate these channels. A unified customer engagement platform would not only streamline our internal processes but also enable us to offer a more personalized and efficient service to our guests. The goal was to enhance the customer journey at every touchpoint, leveraging technology to anticipate guest needs and deliver bespoke experiences that resonate with our brand's commitment to excellence. 

After thorough market research and internal assessments of our unique needs, the decision to invest in SAP Emarsys was made. This step was driven by the desire to harness data analytics, automate personalized communications, and orchestrate a unified guest experience. It’s a strategic investment aimed at propelling Aminess into the forefront of the hospitality industry's digital future.

6. I understand that technology serves as a foundational element in your quest to provide exceptional service. However, simply having a customer experience platform isn’t enough, is it?

Certainly, it’s the understanding of how to leverage this technology—how to transform our current processes into new ones that truly elevate the guest experience. While we at Aminess pride ourselves on our expertise in hospitality, mastering the nuances of customer experience, particularly through digital platforms, presents a different kind of challenge. It's a domain that's continually evolving and requires a specialized skill set to navigate effectively. 

This acknowledgment led us to collaborate with FrodX, who are specialists in this field. They have been instrumental in guiding us through the complexities of digital customer experience platforms. Before adopting a new system, it was critical for us to map out the entire guest journey, pinpointing every touchpoint that could potentially enhance our guests' interactions with our brand. 

With FrodX's expertise, we conducted a thorough analysis of our communication at every stage—out-of-stay, pre-stay, in-stay, and post-stay. This detailed examination helped us understand where we stood and what we needed to improve. The insights gathered from this exercise were invaluable. They guided not only the choice of platform but also how we would tailor it to meet our unique requirements, ensuring that every moment a guest interacts with Aminess, whether digitally or in-person, is meaningful and memorable. 

7. Looking ahead, what are some future technologies or innovations you think will further transform the hospitality sector, particularly in enhancing customer experience? 

The future might see more widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for personalized guest experiences and augmented reality (AR) for enhancing the guest experience during their stay. Robotics for service delivery and Internet of Things (IoT) for creating smart environments will continue to evolve.