Hotel experts warn data should not just be considered a "hobby"

The hotel industry must focus on how data can be used to understand guests better and remove friction.

A "Man Versus Machine" panel on artificial intelligence in hospitality at ITB earlier this month revealed how some companies are beginning to invest in data processing and analytics to better serve customers.

Chris Silcock, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Hilton, believes data cannot be “something you do as a hobby.”

He says the company began investing heavily in data a few years ago and now has a team of about 150 data specialists focused on data quality, governance and advanced analytics.

Silcock talks of a “large-scale, real-time data environment” that collects about a billion data points each day, which can then be processed to “impact customers in the moment” and make connections so that employees can make better decisions.

“There can be a tendency to take technology and data and do things that sound fun, but if they don’t take friction out or better things, then it’s really just us having a bit of fun with no end game.”

He adds that Hilton is also looking at how it can break down experiences at a much more granular level to be able to cater to more specific needs of customers.

Silcock says that rooms have hundreds of features that guests comment on, and natural language processing can be used to sift through the millions of comments it receives each day.

Sabre Hospitality president Clinton Anderson, a fellow panelist, says the real opportunity for robotics is in automating tasks. 

He says it’s not about robots delivering towels but breaking down room attributes to improve the experience, which can mean higher conversion levels and higher yields.

A number of large hotel companies are talking about room attributes, with IHG saying recently that the piloting of attribute pricing will take place this year as part of the second phase of its Guest Reservation System.