Matthew Rouwie O.

Ong Services Marketing

BSBA MM 2-1D Ma’am Glova

Augmented Reality for Hotels


(Innovation for a Service Business)

In Marketing, the use of technology has become the trend for the past decade to attain the
customer retention of every businesses to their clients. Innovation benefits the service businesses
in making them more interesting to the likes and preferences of consumers. One kind of
technological innovations that businesses might consider tapping into is the use of the
Augmented Reality (AR). This kind of technology increases the brand engagement, and creates
unique style for the customer to interact with services. Augmented Reality projects reality-based
environment that generates the ability of computer to display visuals, sounds, and effects which
makes an ehanced real-world experience to the user. It provides opportunities to increase the
revenue of companies and also improve the user-experience of the customers.

Augmented Reality can really increase the customer satisfaction and in terms of customer
relationship management, the hospitality industry such as hotels fits for this type of technological
advancement and innovation. Augmented Reality was first used for gaming, Pokemon Go was
one of the best game example that uses this kind of technology and the success of it can now be
taken into action o other industry such as the hospitality industry. Augmented Reality focuses on
building trust to customers since in hotels, customers may receive virtual information regarding
the available services for the rooms through their mobile devices. From there, they will easily
identify what room best suits for their preferences. In addition, because technology is evidently
attached, it will attract the millenial audience and they may initate the trend on social media, it
would cause advertising breakout for the hotels in the Philippines. Concentrating on such target
market would definitely emerge the service business since these generation loves technology,
they will instantly help you promote your business through the use of Augmented Reality
application.
 So what makes Augmented Reality helpful to hotels? First is, it is Convenient to the
customers. Imagine being able to view the hotel room 360 degrees, allowing the customer to see
the information of the hotel location in just one tap of the mobile application, it is very suitable
and accessible for the users. Second, it will become more Interactive, especially to millennial
customers. In the Philippines, millennials want services that promotes user-experience, this
generations likes to engage in this kind of interactivity. Seeing the designs and the setup of the
location of the hotel through the help of the Virtual Reality gadget which helps the customer
view the scenes and images of the hotel venues more realistic and entertaining. In this way,
customers are able to determine the features of the entirety of the hotel before even actually
going there. Lastly, Augmented Reality shapes the Outlook of the hotels. Augmented Reality
isn’t all about projecting the looks of the hotel, it can also be used as “remote control” and virtual
keys to hotel rooms. Augmented Reality as remote control in a way that it controls technology
inside the hotel room such as turning the lights on/off, the television, the sound system, the
curtains, etc. It can also served as virtual keys for opening doors, instead of using real ones, you
can use your mobile phone, with the help of the hotel’s information technology, you are able to
unlock your hotel room doors on the day you check in.

Customers may also see the other contents of the hotel such as the swimming pools, the
spa, the gym, even the dining rooms. People would easily navigate through the hotel’s property,
it could give real-time information through specific location that the customers want to visit. As
the customer increases spending time using the application, it gives the hotel more opportunity to
advertise their other services. The more guests interacts with the Augmented Reality Application,
the more data can be gathered on the behavior of every customer. Hotel can use this application
on how they will be able to study and have research on their target market especially the
Millennials who are the ones likely to use the application It would definitely satisfy the
technological needs of the consumers while using the technology. The millennials may tweet and
use hashtags (#), vlogs in Youtube, and Facebok live to promote the Augmented Reality
Application in hotels nationwide. Since it would become a trend, it will attract foreign travellers
and would likely want to experience the virtual environment inside the hotels in the Philippines,
rather than choosing a place to go, the Augmented Reality application can guide them on
exploring the best hotel to stay at during their vacation, it would definitely become enjoyable for
the travellers.

Moreover, since hotels caters the travellers as well, they may include navigation features
in the Augmented Reality application. The content of it provides virtual map of the hotel, it can
serve as a navigation tool for the customers when assisting for directions on what route should
they take to arrive at the hotel. However, there can be an opportunity to improve their own
application, which makes prospecting the area more delighful and satisfying. They may also
install games for the young ones to play like having an adventure inside the hotel and get fun
freebies and sponsored items. Grasping on the Augmented Reality ensures the booking sites of
the hotel because of the new way of presenting the hotel surroundings.

Due to the advancement of technology in the world of Marketing and the rise of the
generation of the Millennials, the shift of service businesses like hotels in targeting
demographics has increased making Augmented Reality significant. Instead of using a “boring”
brochures and pamphlets, guests may now explore the luxurious experience of the hotel both
offline and online. This application certainly secures the revenue of the company and will surely
makes the customers go back for relaxation. Implementing this would make unique advantage in
this competitive industry. Businesses adapting to these changes expands the businesses’ scope of
operation as well as launching it to the next level with the help of this development. The
importance of this technology is that it will serve as the catalyst for the future generations for
service businesses in tapping into unique way of making the customers feel more pleasure to
every offerings and multitude of opportunities are waiting ahead for this industry.