Three Ways High-End Hospitality Can Adapt To Survive

Here in the UK, we are now seeing yet another huge blow to the hospitality sector with more rolling lockdowns. With the Government furlough scheme extended till March 2021, you don’t need to read between the lines to see that we are to expect further shutdowns and closures in the near future. 

Earlier this year at the end of the first lockdown, many restaurants reopened on July 4th, while others deemed it impossible to thrive in the current landscape and have closed for good. High-end hospitality faces an additional challenge, as they have to carefully assess the factors that once made them stand out. Social distancing measures will make personal service as we know it impossible, and there will be far less demand for the experiences that put customers in close proximity with others. And with many brick and mortar traders set to lose £2 billion in the lead up to Christmas, just how much more can the high end hospitality sector take?

However, when restrictions begin to lift, there will be those who still seek the ‘high-end’ experience. The industry must now look to re-capture the quality they once prided themselves on, whilst keeping their customers safe. Here are a few areas these high-end hospitality companies will have to innovate in order to keep their top spots. 

The Tech experience

It’s often easy to forget that most of us carry around incredible amounts of computing power in our pockets, and innovative companies will make the most of this fact to keep their customers safe while still providing a wow factor. For example, hotel phone apps, like CitizenM’s, are being adapted to control lights, blinds and room temperature so that guests don’t have to touch the room’s controls. 

We have seen the rise of QR codes across the hospitality sector to limit customers touching menus as well as to create a seamless customer experience. And technological innovation is not restricted to the new generation of hotels and restaurants. To order wine at Scott’s, the 169-year-old seafood restaurant in Mayfair, customers scan a QR code with their phone, which then presents the full wine list right there on their devices, completely contact-free. 

This fundamental shift of behaviour, using technology to provide greater levels of service, will open the door for many others to create products that create safer and more hospitable environments for their consumers. For example, Urban Air Purifier has developed clean air systems for restaurants and urban areas. This technology has now been adapted to reduce the risk of airborne virus transmission, as well as removing pollutants from vehicles in traffic logged areas. 

Align yourselves to other causes 

We have seen many heros during this pandemic, both individuals and brands doing what they can to support those in need. Even though the hospitality sector has taken a real tough hit, we have also seen moments of true altruism. For example, The Pig Hotel group has donated over 190 room nights to the NHS to show appreciation towards the key workers who all too often have been taken for granted. These generous acts don’t go unnoticed, fostering trust and loyalty even with groups who do not directly benefit. Customers will remember long after the pandemic is over which companies went the extra mile. 

Other initiatives, like Hospitality Actions Invisible Chips campaign, allow customers to ‘pre-order’ food, which will be available to them when restaurants reopen. No one wants to see restaurants struggle during these tough times, so these innovative ways for customers to interact with their favourite brands, that goes beyond a simple donation, will be key in protecting the long term health of the hospitality sector. 

Local luxury 

Customers of high-end hotels might once have consisted of international tourists and businesses seeking luxury meeting spaces. With the rise of video conferencing and limited air travel, most rooms are now being booked by guests much closer to home. Regional guests travelling by car have different demands to visitors from further afield, and businesses should recognise this.

Rather than targeting and catering for a broad international audience base, they can instead appeal to a local following through social media and email marketing to recent visitors. Through providing incentives for local visitors, these luxury brands can build a loyal following, who will regularly return for a taste of the tailored services offered. Lotte New York Palace even offers frequent visitors a dedicated room until the end of 2020, which no other guests will be allowed to stay in.  

The future of high-end hospitality is yet to be determined, but the opportunity is there for the industry to experiment and innovate. Through adapting the way they operate and providing new luxury experiences, many will be able to delight their customers just as they once did and achieve a standard that sets them apart from the rest of the field.