L15. Innovation strategies in hotel business.

On-line in seconds, work surf, communicate -everywhere -Today, travellers, mostly

businessmen, carry their personal PC to make presentations, communicate with their office, via

e-mails, etc. One possibility offered to them today consists in the use of so-called Pad offering,

in particular,

· Cable-free and universal access to Internet or intranet, wherever you happen to be

· Brilliant colour touch screen

· Ready to go in seconds (instant on)

· Freedom in the selection of transmission standards by interchangeable PC cards

· Unlimited flexibility by open platform Windows CE 3.0

· Comprehensive office software package

· Virtual keyboard and handwriting recognition

For sure, new technologies are continuously offering innovative and more comfortable ways to the traveller. The

160 rooms 5 star Palafitte Hotel in Monruz Neuchatel(CH) offers the visitors of the Swiss Expo 2002 a vision of so

called in-room available technologies.

The importance of innovation has been recognized since the days of Joseph Schumpeter some

100 years ago, and this recognition is continuing with vigour today in businesses around the

world (Economist, 2007; Tidd & Bessant, 2009). Innovation is seen as a key way to effectively

compete in crowded marketplaces, or even to create new market-spaces which disrupt existing

industries and markets by making them less relevant. Cirque du Soleil comes to mind here (Kim

& Mauborgne, 2004).

The hospitality industry is no stranger to innovation, though much of it may not be at the top

level of Booz Allen Hamilton’s framework of being ‘new-to-the-world’ (Ottenbacher &

Harrington, 2010), or even ‘disruptive’ (Christensen et al, 2000). The industry though does

occasionally provide some radical ideas which change the game somewhat. Early examples

from North America would include Holiday Inns, fast-food chains, roadside budget hotel chains,

and the ‘Starbuck’s’ experience amongst many others. More recent innovative ideas have

emerged from other countries, such as Asian-style restaurants (YO!, Sushi Shop, Wasabi Sushi,

Wagamama) and more-affordable modular-type hotels (CitizenM, Yotel). At the top end of the

hotel sector we are seeing state-of-the-art ideas, such as the Burj Al Arab and Rose hotels in

Dubai, the Skypark in Singapore, or even Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. These small

examples demonstrate that the hospitality industry is full of innovation vitality and will no doubt

continue to be so in the future.

This is surprising since so many of the employees in the industry are part of the product, have

high contact with customers, and deep understanding of their experiences. These employees are

therefore a ripe source of creative solutions and ideas and can easily contribute to NSD new

service developments in the more enlightened organizations (Limpibunterng & Johri, 2009;

Tajeddini, 2009). Perhaps though the industry focuses more on tradition and established

practices which provide the customer with a predictable and more certain experiences? Perhaps

management in the industry do not have the space in cultivating creativity within a highly

transient workforce? Or perhaps industry leaders have not been schooled in the science and art

of creativity and innovation, and have more immediate tangible targets to meet, such as filling

seats and filling beds day-in, day-out?

Conclusion - Lodging facilities are not anymore corresponding only to the truly definition: "A lodging

accommodation for travellers". Nowadays, architects, designers, developers, engineers, managers, more

and more are conscious that taste of guests could be different, according to their wishes or needs. Hotel

specialists permanently analyse new trends, define better criteria, present modern standards in order to

improve quality of life in hotels. In the third millennium, the permanent competitive hospitality market of

suppliers is definitely more and more able, combining "savoir faire" and the good use of technology to

offer their guests an "A la carte" environment.

Дата добавления: 2015-12-08