Interview: The world is changing. Innovation = KEY
Vision for the future of the hotel industry: "Receptionist becomes a forgotten profession"
Does Corona hinder innovation within the hotel industry? Not according to Dolf Mulder, owner of Hotek Hospitality Group. “Wij hebben bijvoorbeeld gezien dat de vraag naar onze Your Mobile Key mobile key juist enorm is toegenomen, juist omdat er een contactloze toegang tot het hotel mogelijk is. Bovendien kan het hotel een ‘mini-website’ koppelen aan de reservering en de toegangstechniek, waardoor je als hotelier en gast verlost bent van al die vervelende e-mails en de gast geen app meer hoeft te downloaden. Het is een succes geworden en net twee weken voor corona was het systeem helemaal klaar.”
With Hotek's system, you can remotely manage a hotel, with a one hundred percent Dutch-developed and unique product. Mulder has transformed himself from a 'locksmith', as he calls it himself, into a visionary and coach. "I enjoy being a mentor to startup companies and entrepreneurs, as well as to people who come to work with us.
Ook op het vlak van de hotelkamer heeft Dolf een heldere visie: “De hotelkamer van de toekomst, de intelligente hotelkamer, is al bijna binnen handbereik. Daarin gaan wij een grote rol spelen. Via ons product, Your Mobile Key, kun je de kamer straks op intelligente wijze aansturen. Je bedient de verlichting en thermostaat ermee en door het plaatsen van sensoren op deuren en ramen kan bijvoorbeeld gemonitord worden of er iemand aanwezig is of dat het raam open staat. Als er een half uur niemand in de kamer is, dan gaat de thermostaat lager of de airco uit, om maar een voorbeeld te noemen. Dit zorgt voor een mooie energiebesparing. Ook hotels die werken met een magneetkaartje voor het activeren van het licht bieden we oplossingen. Je kunt met Your Mobile Key zelfs een kluisje openen of sluiten als je dat zou willen. Eindelijk is er één systeem voor hotels dat straks alles kan.”
Solution for staff shortages?
It sounds amazing. As a hotelier, you only have to worry about cleaning; everything else can be done remotely and digitally. "That's correct," Mulder continues, "but it has to fit your hotel, of course. But with the staff shortages that exist, I believe it is a solution, even a salvation, for many hotels. Essentially, we develop everything the market demands.
You can 'unlock' a smartphone with facial recognition or a fingerprint. Can this also be done with a hotel room? "Facial recognition is already possible, but whether it is suitable for the hotel industry? You also have to deal with personal data and such, but I can reveal that we are definitely working on it. What will be more commonly used is 'voice'. It is already integrated into home situations, through Alexa or Google Home, so consumers are already accustomed to it."
According to Mulder, younger generations want a different hotel experience than older target groups. "Generation Z wants convenience as travelers. No hassle with filling out papers or fussing with credit cards at the reception, but simply straight to the room. After all, you've already prepared and paid for your stay online. You've searched on Google for the location, found fun things nearby, and figured out how public transportation works. You really don't need a reception anymore. However, some older people still want it, so hotels with a manned reception will remain for a while. Although there are also many 70+ who are digitally proficient. They all have smartphones and use WhatsApp; in principle, there are no barriers to working in that way." Existing apps for hotels are still not great according to Dolf: "Then I would rather choose our solution. First of all, your guests don't want to download an app when they stay for a night, and secondly, they generally don't work intuitively and are poorly developed. It's time for the receptionist to transform into a host or hostess with a smile. A friendly face is missing when the hotel employee only looks down to process paperwork, put it back into the PMS, and then create a keycard..."
Why stick to the old ways of doing things?
The world is changing, and so is the hotel guest. Dolf is happy to go along with it. "Many 'hip' hotels run by younger people are eager to use our products. You often see that older people do things the way they were taught, while the younger generation is freer in entrepreneurship. I see it within our company as well, for example in terms of account managers. Almost everything is done online, and that's also the best way to sell your products. People already know that something is good because of the online presentation and the reviews. When I suggested 10 years ago to allow prepayment in the webshop, there was a heated internal discussion that this was 'not done'. But look at it now, it's common practice to prepay, it's widely accepted. I don't think it's wrong to be a pioneer in something, but sometimes it's difficult to get the older generation on board. Of course, there are also big differences, because there are plenty of older people who embrace progress and think it's great. Personally, I no longer hire account managers who think that customers are waiting for someone to have a cup of coffee with; today's customer wants to communicate succinctly. Online takes priority, although I mentor many young entrepreneurs where I notice that communication with the customer is a bit difficult; it's really important to think like an end user. That's one of the reasons why I like to stay in a hotel that doesn't use our products. I then talk to the manager or the technical director and observe what kind of products could be a nice addition to our range. It could be a kettle for our webshop, to give a very simple example."
The internet has changed the world, so has it changed Mulder's and Hotek. "Coolblue is a company that does very well, a really nice example of a company that handles data fantastically. There, mainly young people with a lot of ambition work, and you notice that. An employee who makes a difference in your organization is someone who mainly enjoys it a lot, but also someone who gives you a lot of space. The latter is sometimes forgotten."
The period of the pandemic seems to be somewhat over, but how was it for Dolf personally? "In the beginning, it was tough, but after two weeks, I switched gears because there was now time to exercise and space to increase my own knowledge, as well as the knowledge level of the staff, by attending and developing training sessions. We have become closer as a team, but I am glad that we can now be out and about again. Sometimes, it's nice to be close to each other because we have an average of 140 projects running simultaneously. It's helpful to be able to ask a colleague something quickly in the office. All in all, this special time has taught us a lot and prompted the hotel industry to finally push the digital transition forward 100%."
Meer informatie over Your Mobile Key vind je here.
