Innovative Technologies

Traveler data protection

How Hospitality Apps are Protecting Hotel Guest Information

Amidst the troubles the tourism industry has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime has been an unfortunate additional concern for hospitality companies and travelers alike. Cybercriminals have taken the crisis as an opportunity to prey on fear and the virtual shift at a time when we need online systems more than ever. This puts guest information at risk.

From credit card numbers to itineraries, your data should stay perfectly safe during your travels. After all, everyone deserves a peaceful break from the stresses of the modern world. Fortunately, hotels and tourism-related apps are becoming increasingly aware of threats and are taking the necessary steps to protect guest information.

Protecting your own and your hotel’s guest data comes down to understanding when that data is vulnerable and using the right tools and software to prevent unauthorized access. This article explores how hospitality-focused apps are stepping up to provide information security so that travelers can take advantage of digital travel tools without having to worry for their data security.


Vulnerabilities in Guest Information Processing

A variety of information is collected during travel and hotel visits. From the first instance of searching for appropriate accommodations and onward, travelers submit their names, email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card details.

Meanwhile, hotels increasingly rely on digital tools and practices like mobile check-in and smart assistants. This means additional data transfers over digital networks. These smart systems offer an improved guest experience, but they can also come with risks if not properly protected.

Fraud and data theft are unfortunate occurrences when using technological platforms and, while some systems are better than others, no network can completely guarantee absolute safety from a data breach.

Hoteliers and their guests face threats like:

• Theft of personal identifying information.
• DarkHotel hacking attempts through spear-phishing scams and peer-to-peer network attacks.
• Ransomware and DDoS attacks.
• Point-of-Sale system breaches.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, hackers have more than doubled their attack attempts. Pandemic-related phishing schemes and social engineering scams have thus become common practices. Therefore, to keep tourists safe and at peace today, hoteliers must adopt security measures that mitigate cybersecurity risks so that they can also focus on all other pandemic-related health safety measures that are necessary to guarantee their guests a safe and pleasant stay.

Hacker breaching data – Photo by tookapic on Pixabay


How Hotel Apps Help Secure Data

Few industries are still unsupported by helpful mobile applications today. The hospitality and tourism industries are among the most served ones! Hotel apps enhance the guest experience at just about every stage of travel, from bookings to guest management and travel tips. But what are tourism apps doing in terms of cybersecurity?

Apps like Manet provide both guest convenience and information security right from the check-in process and on, offering a secure platform for travel assistance and contactless service. Here are just some of the other ways tourism apps achieve this security:

Manet App - Digital Concierge
Checking in with Manet


Securing Mobile Check-In

Digital room keys are one of the revolutionary tech innovations powering contactless service and virtual guest check-in. In the time of social distancing, these systems can be immensely helpful in maintaining health and safety standards. But they can also present digital threats, especially where credit card information is involved.

Fortunately, however, tourism-related apps like Manet, address these threats and have implemented security standards to better protect guests against any vulnerabilities in the system. Frequent updates, user authentication, and consistent tests of the Internet of Things (IoT) lock systems all help maintain mobile check-in procedures to keep guests and their information safe.


Educating Travelers and Providing Alternatives

Hoteliers recognize that when it comes to traveler data, guests want to feel like they are in control of their own privacy and security. Hotel apps can make this possible by educating guests regarding cybersecurity best practices. Whether it be through comprehensive guides to logging in safely to guest WiFi or information on how and when the hotel will contact guests, these applications can make a big difference in ensuring traveler data safety through education alone.

However, traveler-focused tools should also consider alternatives to guest WiFi. For instance, the 5G wireless network is emerging as a faster and more effective way to access the internet. Mobile app developers are recognizing the need for 5G compatibility in hotel and tourism applications and tools, allowing guests to utilize these networks without relying on vulnerable guest WiFi. Manet, with its smart travel assistants, has always been at the forefront of ensuring the compatibility and availability of network options like these to help keep traveler information secure.

Manet Smart Travel Assistant
Traveler using Manet Smart Travel Assistant


Revitalizing Security Tech

Cybersecurity technologies are improving all the time. In the course of application development, hospitality and software companies are applying these new technologies to improve encryption and data storage processes on mobile devices.

For example, artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms are getting increasingly good at modeling, predicting, and catching potential data breaches. The use of these tools from the application development process onward inspires more thorough security practices to secure mobile app code from the backend. Then, encryption techniques can also be broadly instituted to secure the platform for the end-user.

Tourism-centered applications and digital tools are fueling better security through better processes and highly-trained information systems professionals who add value through their cybersecurity expertise. Modern tourism requires an extensively digital approach, so these professionals are key to constantly improving mobile hospitality applications to offer cutting-edge security.

Thanks to skilled cybersecurity professionals and highly secure travel and hospitality digital tools travelers can kick back and fully enjoy their stay knowing their information is safe.

Happy tourists – Photo by Jill Wellington on Pixabay


A Safer Future for Tourists

In the face of widespread industry troubles like pandemic and cybercrime, tourism app security is an absolute travel necessity. Not only can secure technology help hoteliers flourish, even while COVID-19 rages, but it can also help them establish high digital protection for business guests who often have to work remotely while traveling.

With the future of the travel industry dependent on the security of guest information, implementing protections from the app development stage to the check-in process helps making safe travel possible even in a world full of digital hazards. For hoteliers, implementing in their processes a secure and proven hospitality application may make the difference in hotel reputation for guest data security.

Article by Luke Smith – Manet Guest Writer & Technology Enthusiast

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wearable technology

The Impact Of Wearable Technology On Tourism Industry

The term “wearable technology” covers gadgets that you usually wear in daily life such as fitness watches, heating jackets, heart-rate wrist bands, body cameras or rucksacks with built-in WIFI hotspots. With continuous ground-breaking advancements, tech manufacturers introduce wearables that you incorporate into everyday life. As consumer demand for amazing travel experiences is increasing, tech companies work hard to introduce advanced gadgets and wearables designed to satisfy traveler needs.

Below we focus on some aspects of the impact that this wearable technology has had on tourist and travel industries:

Generating revenue from Virtual Reality

A lot of tourist agents are now utilizing virtual reality technology to give their customers an immersive view of their destination, hotel accommodation or overall tour perks. When using this technology, customers get a clear preview of their vacation and an idea about what their flight experience, hotel rooms or even walk on a beach of their destination would be like. This virtual experience makes the travel experience more appealing and makes vacation purchases more probable.

Photo by Hammer & Tusk on Unsplash

Easy and worry-free airplane boarding

In recent years some airlines have developed applications that support wearable technology like for example smart watches. These applications enable easy boarding with smartwatches or smartphones instead of boarding passes.
This way, boarding and check-in processes are sped up for the joy of demanding travelers who do not need to queu up and go through time consuming procedures when traveling.

smart boarding pass
Photo by Dose Media on Unsplash

For example, a famous luxury gadget producer introduced in a wrist gadget that allows travelers to directly scan on-screen boarding passes without the worry of carrying them everywhere. This gadget also allows gps navigation, Uber booking whenever needed and easy restaurant-hotel-shopping center lookup. Last but not least, it will also act as your travel guide and translate for you different languages.

Capture the perfect time-lapse with body cameras

A perfect technology gadget for wanderers when it comes to collecting memories on every step of the way. For example, ski lovers who want to film all their adventurous descents, until now had to use bulky selfie sticks and mobile cameras to shoot their videos. Today body cameras have made this job easier, as skiers just have to fix them on their skiing suits and voila! Filming adventurous skiing memories and breathtaking timeplases on high mountains becomes a child’s play!

Smarter customer experience

Wearable technologies have transformed customer experiences making them richer and more pleasant. For example, hotel guests using smartwatches can receive push notifications on them, sent by their hotel concierge, to confirm a spa or dinner booking and they can also use them to pay their bill at check-out.

Safety and health security for the adventure lover

Small wearable gadgets also have a big impact on traveler security and safety. Recently, a skin care company introduced a gadget that reports ultraviolet ray exposure helping travelers avoid sun burn. Another travel accessory company has introduced smart backpacks that have anti-theft gps, charging sockets and a built-in electronic weight scale showing how much they weight.

Photo by David Preston on Unsplash

The above mentioned applications of wearable technologies on tourism are revolutionizing the way people travel and their number is destined to grow rapidly in the next years.

Article written by Eliza Megan

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guided tours

How Guided Tours Can Make Your Travel Better

Different people have their preferences in terms of travel. Some like to do the searching of itineraries on their own when they get to their destination. Others prefer just to sit back and let a travel company assist them during their trip.

Guided tours have their perks for people who travel in groups or for those who backpack or travel solo. For some, it makes for a more immersive experience when they’re on vacation. It also consumes less time in terms of preparation because they arrange your itinerary during your trip.

We all have different needs when it comes to vacation preferences. The great thing is, we have options that can we can benefit from. Let’s look at the one being discussed now to learn how guided tours can make traveling better.

Source: Unsplash

More time for the sights

When you sign up for a guided tour, you’ll have more time to enjoy the beautiful sights of your destination. Most travel and tour companies have their own or a partner that provides transportation for the guided tour. Some invest in travel vans or a bus for sale to use for city tours.

Since you are on a guided tour, it means you’ll follow a schedule of places. This allows you to see everything you want in a time-efficient manner. This is also perfect when you only have a limited time to cover a lot of ground.

On an open roof tour bus or a boat, you’ll get to pass through many different places that are not on your itinerary but are worth checking out. You can take photos of them and include them on the list of places to visit for your next travel.

Source: Unsplash

Learn more about your destination

The guides that accompany you on tour are knowledgeable about your destination. Most of them are trained by their companies or locals who’s lived there their entire lives. If there’s anything you want to learn about the destination that you haven’t Googled yet, the chances are they know about it.

You can learn about the culture of the place from their perspective and insights. They’ve got insider knowledge that you don’t know about, and they know so much more about certain facts, details, and nuances that only locals know. Your vacation wouldn’t be complete without picking up new stuff, and you’ll find those on a guided tour.

That’s the immersive experience that most people look for. It’s one of the things that makes signing up for a tour worth more than the money you paid for it.

Manet App - Digital Concierge
Manet Mobile Smart Travel Guide

Experience digitally-assisted tours

You’ve probably used navigation apps on your smartphone once or twice before. Take that to the next level and get on a tour that uses mobile travel assistants.

Mobile travel assistants are optimized to upgrade travel experiences. For example, Manet provides innovative travel software that can make traveling convenient. Their mobile app serves as a digital companion where you can do everything, from scheduling itineraries to language translation.

Through the use of technology, your guided tour can be even better than you ever thought it would. You can have the smooth and hassle-free travel you desire in the palm of your hand.

Source: Unsplash

Safety and comfort

Traveling on a tour is safer than doing it on your own, especially if it’s your first time and you’re alone. You’re guided, and you’re with a group of tourists that are in the same boat as you are. You’ve got more people to ask for help from and talk to if in case you need to go in a different direction for a little while.

Your tour guide will inform you about which areas to avoid. There are sketchy and risky areas in all destinations, and it’d be wise for you not to explore them.

Wrapping up

Signing up on a guided tour has its positives that’ll make for a better vacation experience. If you’re up for it, try one to see how it works for you.

Author’s Bio:

Rosette is a freelance writer who loves to travel and go on road trips. Setting off the road for over 5 years now, she’s developed a habit of looking for the best transportation services to give her a one-of-a-kind experience on the road. Today, it has become her hobby to read and write about transportation comfortability, safety, and luxury.

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Luxury Hotel

Mobile Check-In To Smart Hotel Assistants: Technological Advancements To Change The Face Of Luxury Hotel Industry

Traveling to unknown soil is something close to everyone’s hearts. It is our chance to free our minds from routines and troubles for a few days. It is a way to pamper ourselves for a change and the luxury hotel business rests upon offering up the best experience of our lives.

When you take a glance at a hotel room, you see a bed, night-lamp, TV on the wall, a bathroom, and furniture here and there for our convenience. But, hotel rooms are changing at a rapid speed, especially luxury hotels that are determined to pique traveler’s interest. However, the completion in the hospitality industry is ruthless and offering guests a lasting impression has never been this difficult.

With everyone incessantly active on social media and possessed a platform to criticize instantly, it has become quite difficult to stay on top of hospitality trends. On the contrary, technology has lent a helping hand. According to Allied Market Research, the global luxury hotel market is expected to reach $20.44 billion by 2022 and the increasing adoption of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (AI) and robotics have boosted the market growth. Moreover, from mobile check-in to high-speed internet connection and smart hotel assistants, several technological advancements have helped gather tourists’ attention.

Here are a few emerging technology trends that would certainly change the tourism and hospitality industry as we know it.

Smart rooms

It is an era of smartwatches, smart shoes, and smart homes. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise if you saw an advertisement for smart hotels with smart rooms. The technology has become vital for the hospitality sector as it includes automated checkout services, the use of IoT and wireless data linking, and personalized environmental settings within the hotel room. The luxury hotels aim to offer the utmost luxury to their customers and a fully-customized experience helps them create their brand identity.

Luxury Hotel
Luxury Hotel Room

Mobile travel assistant

The use of travel assistant is the cutting-edge technology in the hospitality industry and luxury hotels should make the most of it. Mobile travel assistants such as manet offer you a unique, simpler, and user-friendly way to keep in touch with your beloved, use offers & services offered by hotels, and explore the city with just one tap. It offers you information regarding currency exchange, places to visit, buy tickets to the city’s prime attractions, and much more.

Manet Digital Concierge
Manet Smart Travel Assistant

Virtual reality tour & hotel robots

Virtual reality (VR) technology has entered the real estate market to offer a tour of the flat without setting foot on the property. It creates a digital environment for customers to explore to check out services of the luxury hotel from their own home.

Customers can experience the tour of the hotel before making a booking. What’s more, several hotel websites now offer VR tours and 360-degree videos during the booking process to help customers understand exactly what they are spending their money on.

Apart from this, the use of robots is one of the most fascinating hospitality trends as it uses the most advanced technology available to use to improve traveler’s experiences. There are already several examples where luxury hotels are using robots for greeting guests, offering tourist information, and even for room service. Moreover, robots are not used for restaurant waiting, security, and luggage transportation. This minimizes interaction with hotel staff and frees them to attend to crucial issues that demand human interference.

Robot Butler for hotels
Robot Butler for Hotels

Mobile check-in and contactless payment

Mobile check-in allows travelers to check-in using the mobile app without and reduces friction for customers. Moreover, it eliminates human interaction, and customers can check-in according to their convenience and reduces waiting time. On the other hand, mobile check-in helps luxury hotels to carry out the check-in process without troubling customers and physical interaction, which has become essential owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has helped the widespread adoption of contactless payment technology. It not only helps to improve the speed of transactions but also offers additional comfort to customers as they do not need to carry their cards all the time. The increasing demand for mobile wallets and wearables has further supplemented the growth of contactless payment technology. With the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic still fresh in minds of travelers, contactless payment is on the verge of becoming a necessity.

Artificial intelligence for personalization

AI offers the simplest way to represent how the luxury hotel business is evolving. The ultimate goal is to offer a seamless and enjoyable experience during their stay and AI could help create an experience suitable to their preferences and choices. After analyzing guest data, AI can map and identify user preferences to create an ideal accommodation package. As per analyzing several customer’s travel plan data, luxury hotels can develop more targeted marking campaigns and understand what customers want.

Robot concierge for hotels
Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality

In the rapidly-evolving luxury hotel industry, it has become imperative to provide state-of-the-art facilities, impeccable customer experience, and a personalized experience that leaves a lasting impression. Advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, and contactless payments have helped the hospitality experience more streamlined and user-friendly, which is bound to gather more and more customers in the future.


Author bio: Swamini Kulkarni holds a bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation and control engineering from Pune University and works as a content writer at Allied Market Research. She is deeply fascinated by the impact of technology on human life.

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Hotel sign during winter

Navigating the Winter Months With the Help of Your Hotel App

Winter is coming. Or, it may be already here, depending on where you live. Some areas of the continent have already seen their first snowfall. If you own or manage a hotel, winter always comes with a few trepidations and potential setbacks. But, this year, things might already feel worse than ever.

winter hotel
Image by Ivana Mariankova from Pixabay

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge hit on so many industries, and the hospitality sector has been severely impacted. While hotels have been heroes in times of need, with some housing first responders and healthcare staff, paying guests haven’t been as prominent this year. Part of that is due to travel restrictions because of the pandemic — the UK just implemented another strict travel ban to mitigate the risk of new COVID variants. Therefore, many people just aren’t going out and travellingtravellersthey usually would out of fear.

On top of the pandemic, winter weather can play a huge part in how slow the hotel business can be this time of year.

One way you can navigate the winter months and not only stay afloat but find success, is to use a hotel app. You can expect a digital transformation within the industry in a post-pandemic world. People will want a personalized experience and access to different amenities in the palm of their hand. You can get a jumpstart on that transformation by using your app now to get through the winter.


Make Your Guests Feel Safe

Unfortunately, winter is also commonly known as flu season. This year, that can have an impact more than ever, since COVID cases are still spiking in certain parts of Europe and the world beyond. While the best way to prevent the flu is to get a yearly vaccine, people can reduce their chances of getting sick by:

• Staying home if they have symptoms
• Washing their hands frequently
• Staying socially distant from others

Those tips might sound familiar, as they’re the same rules everyone should follow for COVID-19. While people have the responsibility of taking their health into their own hands, they also want to know the places they visit are doing their part to keep things hygienic, too.

public health best practices
Image by Klaus Hausmann from Pixabay

As more people start to travel again, you can give your guests peace of mind by keeping your hotel safe and clean. Disinfect surfaces and rooms frequently, and make sure your guests know the efforts you’re putting forth. Additionally, you can provide information about social distancing and best practices to stay healthy.

All of this information can be provided to your guests via your app. You can even let them know when their rooms have been cleaned, and every safety measure you’re taking to keep them healthy during their stay.


Keep Your Staff Informed

Your hotel has already undoubtedly had to go through some changes this year because of the pandemic. In winter, even more changes can occur in a matter of hours. It’s important to be able to communicate with your staff as effectively and efficiently as possible.

If a disaster occurs from a winter storm, you’ll want everyone to know quickly. It might be a burst pipe, a broken furnace, or damage to the actual structure of your building.

Whatever the case, you will need a direct line of communication with your employees. You should be able to inform them of what is going on, what your expectations are, and what they should be doing.

online training course for hotel staff
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

Your app can help you do that, so there is no confusion as to what the recovery plan is. Your employees can stay safe, and you’ll be able to communicate digitally to make sure your hotel gets back to business as quickly as possible.


Attract Guests Throughout the Winter

Despite COVID, threats of bad weather, and other wintertime setbacks, it’s more important than ever to continue to market your hotel. In Prague and Rome, where the hospitality industry was significantly hit by COVID, the revenues per available room (RevPar) dropped by 78% and 86%, respectively for during March 2020. If your business is on the line, finding ways to keep guests coming throughout this cold season is crucial to keep things running.

Thankfully, having an app and getting on board with technology is a great way to start. You can market yourself through your app, and people will learn more about you from the palm of their hand. Customizable services are a great way to attract people to stay with you, especially when they can control those services on their phones. Some ideas for custom amenities include:

• Different room types to choose from
• Minibar options
• Various bathroom product brands
• Access to streaming services on the television
• Access to different areas of the hotel, including the pool and gym

Everyone wants a customizable experience, and they don’t want to have to make a phone call to the front desk or ring for room service all of the time. In today’s digital world, including as much information and as many services as possible on your hotel’s app can make a big difference in how you market yourself to travelers.

Manet Hotel App
Manet Hotel App

The possibilities are truly endless with a hotel app. From amenities and information about your business to suggestions on things to do and places to visit during a stay, you can give guests full control over their experience with you. During the upcoming winter months, that can be a crucial technique to help your hotel stay afloat and see success again.

Article by Luke Smith – Manet Guest Writer & Technology Enthusiast

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empty hotel corridor

How technology can help hoteliers face the second covid-19 wave

As predicted by world’s leading virogists , after the initial covid-19 outbreak, a second pandemic wave has followed in autumn 2020. Today we’re right in the middle of this wave, we can’t predict when it will end and experts say it might be followed by a third one.

Governments and health organizations have taken new measures in an effort to flatten the contagion curve. These measures have inevitably put the world economy in difficulty for a second time and, as during the first pandemic wave, one of the most affected by the covid-19 industries was again the hospitality industry.

hotel closed for covid 19 crisis
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Travel restrictions, national anti-contagion measures and the fear of being infected have practically eliminated all flows of leisure or business travelers. As a consequence, hotel bookings, as during the first pandemic wave, have collapsed again and hotel companies all over the world have gone into crisis.

However, in every crisis there are hidden opportunities and during this second pandemic wave, the biggest opportunity that emerged for hoteliers was that of covid hotels.

What is a covid hotel?

Covid hotels are accommodation facilities where covid-19 infected people, who do not need hospitalization or are asymptomatic, can quarantine until they until they get over the infection. These people cannot be hospitalized, as they would occupy precious hospital beds needed by severe covid-19 patients, and cannot either return to their homes, as they would risk infecting their cohabiters and loved ones.

man in quarantine for covid 19
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

This is why local health organizations and governments have requisitioned hotels in order to transform them in quarantine facilities that can help hospitals optimize their bed capacity and covid-19 infected citizens transition into normal life without the risk of infecting their peers.

A new business opportunity for hoteliers

Covid hotels represent a new big business opportunity for hoteliers affected by the recent pandemic crisis.

Hoteliers who decide to transform their hotels into covid-hotels can keep generating revenue until the pandemic crisisi has ended and tourism starts recovering again. However, managing a covid-hotel is not as simple and straightforward as managing a leisure or business oriented hotel.

Image by Markus Distelrath from Pixabay

Covid hotel clients are people who cannot leave their rooms, cannot come into physical contact with other people or with hotel employees and therefore they need food&beverage delivered to them daily as well as good phone and internet connectivity in order to communicate with their loved ones and work remotely.

remote working during quarantine
Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

It’s easy to imagine that, today, there are no hotels built keepin a covid-19 crisis in mind. That’s why most hotels are not organised to meet covid-19 safety measures and quarantined people needs.

For example, today most hotels will find really hard providing their clients with a 24.7 fast internet connection as well as with an efficient real-time food&beverage ordering&delivery system. Imagine how much a hotel’s internet connection can slow down when all its guests perform videoconferencing or movie streaming at the same time throughout all the day.

Imagine also how difficult can be for reception employees to receive and dispatch room service orders for breakfast, lunch and dinner for all their rooms at the same time.

Therefore the question arises spontaneously: how can hoteliers overcome the above mentioned difficulties and transform their hotel into a covid hotel in order to adapt their business to the new market scenario and manage to get over the current crisis?

The answer to this question is quite complex. However it can be summed up in 4 words: thanks to Manet technology!

Let’s discover more about this technology in the following paragraphs.

How can Manet technology help covid hotels meet staff and guest needs?

What is Manet?

Manet is an advanced mobile assistant and concierge packed in a smartphone and designed to replace traditional hotel room telephones. Among its features there are unlimited internet connectivity, unlimited worldwide calling, public health and safety tools, 24.7 voice and text communication with hotel reception and advanced service ordering and booking tools allowing on, one hand, hotel guests to have their hotel’s services at their fingertips and, on the other, hoteliers to satisfy guest needs and manage hotel facilities at best.

Manet Mobile Smart Travel Assistant
Manet smart mobile assistant and digital concierge

So let’s see how these features can provide fine solutions to covid hotel needs.

Digital communication and entertainment

Each Manet device works as a very fast wifi internet hot spot. Therefore, covid hotels equipped with Manet can provide each one of their guests with an individual fast and efficient internet connection allowing them to surf the web, perform videoconferencing, work remotely and stream movies or music without experiencing internet connectivity lags and drops.

movie streaming
Image by Andrés Rodríguez from Pixabay

Food order and delivery

People who quarantine for covid-19 in covid hotels need food delivered directly to their rooms more times per day. With Manet devices, menu and order management become easy and straightforward both for guest and hotel staff as the Manet platform includes a smart food order management system that enhances the guest food ordering experience and facilitates order dispatch on the hotel staff side.

room service delivery
Image by Franck ROCHETEAU from Pixabay

Guest-reception communication

Manet devices include smart voice, video and text communication channels aimed at enhancing guest–reception communications. Guests can choose either to call, videocall or text the reception and receptionists can also send one-to-one or one-to-many push messages to their guests. All these options make communication easy and safe for guests and hotel staff as they can choose the communication channel that best fits their needs and their mood without any physical contact that could increase covid-19 infection spreading.

hotel reception
Photo by Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka on Unsplash

Easy and constant communication with health professionals and authorities.

Last but not least, Manet devices provide their users with real-time public health notifications, issued by local health authorities, as well as with public safety numbers that can be reached with a simple screen tap. Thanks to Manet devices it is also very easy to find and communicate with hospitals and pharmacies located near every Manet-equipped covid hotel.
Moreover, Manet devices have a built-in function allowing their users to request an in-house doctor visit, book an appointment at the doctor’s studio or even schedule a doctor-video-consultation at their convenience. This way they can have continuous medical assistance and feel safe during quarantine.

video conferencing
Photo by Dylan Ferreira on Unsplash

To sum up, the second covid-19 wave is a reality we must all deal with. A reality that has created lots of problems to solve as well as new business opportunities for hoteliers, hospitality professionals and covid-19 patients who need to quarantine away from hospitals and from their homes.

Once again, the most important problem solving factor, in this new tough scenario mankind is facing, is the same one that has helped humanity overcome the biggest obstacles encountered in the last decades. This miraculous factor is simply technology!

Article by Athanassios Karaiannis, Digital Marketing Specialist

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Cloud computing - Manet Mobile Solutions

Innovative IT Cloud Services for Digital Travel Solutions

Manet Mobile Solutions (MMS) continues performing innovation on its IT platform to implement increasingly smart and flexible digital solutions for Travel industry. Thanks to its devops partner, Neboola, a new cloud platform has been implemented on Amazon AWS to drive our Continuous Improvement approach.

Neboola recently helped MMS to carry out a further step towards containerizing its digital services. The best choice in terms of costs and benefits to deploy a containerized cloud platform without the obstacle of external dependencies or legacy environments fell on ECS Fargate, the AWS branded and fully-managed container orchestration service, which allows excellent levels of scalability, reliability and cost optimization.

A few dozen yaml code lines were suitable for creating a Bitbucket pipeline to smartly automate the build and release of new software versions in the development and production environments.

Amazon AWS ECS is the simplest and most immediate way to quickly get in touch with the advantages of containerization. The choice to adopt this technology is essential to tackle the project by using an efficient and cost-effective approach.

Amazon ECS logic structure
Source: Neboola Stories & News

“I am very satisfied with the results obtained thanks to the introduction of these technologies. The cost of AWS ECS service is highly competitive and the effort required to see our software up & running is minimal with respect to the traditional IT architectures. This means accelerating new features release and cutting the time to market for our ideas and our new business initiatives. This can be extremely important both for startups and for traditional companies: this approach helps to become more efficient and to emerge in an increasingly competitive industry.“

This is how Andrea Proietti, CIO at Manet Mobile Solutions, has commented his experience with AWS ECS.

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Hotel room

How Hotel Apps Enhance Guest Experience

There’s no question about it: the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world significantly. And now, countries around the world are seeking to carefully open up again, hoping that a vaccine is on the horizon, even as they prepare for the possibility of a second surge.

In our new normal of optimism mingled with anxiety, hoteliers find themselves operating in a very different environment than what they’re accustomed to. In short, our world has changed, and the hospitality industry is having to change with it.

Tourists during covid-19 times
Photo by Victor He on Unsplash

The good news, though, is that technologies are able to make it easier than ever for hoteliers to give their guests first-class experiences. With hotel apps that your guests canenjoy on their mobile devices, you can provide them with the kind of service they’ve come to expect but at a distance that keeps everyone safe during COVID-related restrictions. This article describes best practices for using hotel apps to enhance your guests’ experience.

Contactless Service

In this era of social distancing, your guests are probably going to want to limit their contact with hotel staff as much as possible. The good news, though, is that you don’t have to be face-to-face with your guests to provide them with extraordinary service.

Manet App - Digital Concierge

Manet’s app, for instance, can be used directly to your guests’ smartphone or other mobile devices. With this app, your guests can access every ancillaries your hotel has to offer, from ordering room service and reserving seats for breakfast in a common area to digitally checking in and out and making payments remotely.

Going Digital

In addition to apps that guests can use directly by using ttheir smartphones or tablets , hoteliers can also provide proprietary digital devices that are keyed to unique services to upgrade your guests’ stay experience .

Manet devices, for example, can offer free calling as well as unlimited internet and wifi hotspot capabilities. Plus, thanks to tourist content and services available on Manet devices, your guest will always be in-the-know regarding the latest and greatest must-see attractions near them.

Manet App - Digital Concierge

And travel assistants such as these can be customized precisely to your guests’ needs. They can be used to help guests research the area, locate tourist attractions and shopping and dining venues, learn about local customs, and even help with foreign languages and currency conversions.

All your guests need to do is grab the digital device that will be ready and waiting for them in their rooms and then hit the road! Plus, if you want to take your service to the next level, you might provide a lightning-fast car charger or Bluetooth speaker to take along with them.

Mobile travel assistant charging in car
Photo by form PxHere

That will provide an added bit of security, knowing that this essential device will always be charged and ready, no matter how long your guests’ adventures may be. Best of all, it is precisely that kind of attention to detail, that kind of thoughtful finishing touch, that can win your guests’ loyalty for years to come!

SaaS Tools

Customizing and optimizing your guests’ experience isn’t only about making the best use of customer-facing apps and devices. You can also deploy these tools to learn about your guests, your operations, and what you might do better to boost your revenues while ensuring your guests’ stay is the best it can be.

Manet dashboard tool, for example, provides virtually limitless opportunities to learn about your guests, their needs, and their expectations. Geolocation capabilities in customer apps and digital devices provide important data on your habits, such as identifying local attractions that your guests are most likely to visit, as well as which customer demographics are most likely to be drawn to these attractions and when.

Manet Dashboard

Once you understand not only what your clients expect, but also what they like, you can provide customized recommendations, communicated immediately, and directly to your guests through your hotel app or digital device. “Heat maps,” for instance, can identify your guests’ aggregate locations once they leave your hotel and allow you to send push notifications for promotions and deals offered by partners and affiliates.

Premium features can also be offered through these apps and digital devices, providing an additional revenue stream. Guests can pay for these premium services on-demand, giving you a new tool for upselling without requiring face-to-face contact with your guests. And that not only protects your add-on services revenue streams, but it also provides the customization that ensures an outstanding customer experience.

The Takeaway

There’s no question that life as we know it has changed since the advent of COVID-19. As a hotelier, you’re going to be serving a customer base that is, in some ways, quite different than before the pandemic.
But, no matter what the impact of the virus may be, all guests want essentially the same thing: safety, peace of mind, and a good experience. And today’s technologies are perfectly designed to help you provide exactly that, no matter what the pandemic may bring.
Through the use of hotel apps, you can offer your guests superb, highly customized service, with minimal physical contact. From mobile check-ins and smart rooms to pre-programmed travel assistants, technology can help you not only maintain your stellar service reputation but bring it to the next level of excellence!

Article by Luke Smith – Manet Guest Writer & Technology Enthusiast

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Technology in Luxury Hotels - Manet Mobile Solutions
digital transformation in hospitality after covid 19 emergency

Digital Transformation in the Hotel Industry After the COVID-19 Emergency

With continuous changes and developments in the digital world, industries and businesses need to adapt to the latest technological innovations and advancements.

After every decade, every industry experiences the need to go through a series of technological changes and transformations. And same is the case with the hospitality and food and beverage industry.

Modern hospitality dynamics


Today, hotel guests prefer to stay at those hotels than can offer a personalized hotel experience to their guests. Right from selecting the best snowbird heliskiing destinations to getting details about accommodations and reservations; people prefer a more quick, reliable and efficient customer service.

Benefits of providing personalized services to the clients

All kinds of hotel operators are actively adapting to the latest technologies that are specially made for the hotel industry. Right from building personalized mobile apps to providing virtual room tours, hotel operators are using all their digital resources to improve the overall quality of their service for their clients.

Today, hotels are aware of the competition between both new and old hotel operators. As a result, businesses are striving hard to find stand out by offering more personalized services to their clients.

To survive amidst the corona pandemic, companies need to upgrade their internal and external business operations.

The Internet of Things (IoT) in the hospitality industry

The Internet of Things (IoT) in the hospitality industry

By using the latest technological solutions, hotel operators can address different issues related to the hospitality industry and find effective ways to solve them.

Today the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) can be seen everywhere. Through smart rooms, guests can control all different amenities. And with the help of AI bots, guests can get a timely response on behalf of the hotel operators.

Whether it is IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence) or VR, (Virtual Reality), the hotel industry is benefiting a lot by using these technologies.

Giving access to different amenities and services through the mobile app or voice assistants

Just like any other service industry today, clients expect a smooth and uninterrupted hotel experience. The use of technology and the level of service given to customers should be better than what clients have access to at home.

With the rise of Airbnb and other online lodging services, accommodation that is backed by IoT and other smart features are becoming more popular among the general public.

• An IoT enabled smart room allows guests to access all amenities and services through the hotel’s own mobile app or voice assistants like Siri or Alexa.
• In smart rooms, all appliances, gadgets, and amenities are controlled by IoT hardware and voice assistants.
• Smart rooms help the guests to get more personalized and timely services from the hotel operators.

The use of automated chatbots in the hospitality industry

AI solutions, when combined with ML (machine learning), can determine big data that gives more accurate estimates for improving the decision-making powers.

One of the most famous examples of the implementation of AI in the hospitality industry is the increasing use of chatbots. These automated bots can:

• Help to improve the overall user experience of guests during their stay at a hotel.
• Are programmed to interact with hotel guests through various apps.
• Can provide relevant information regarding purchase history, accommodation, food preferences, online and offline payment options, recreational activities offered, etc.

With time and continuous testing and support, these bots tend to improve and become more for giving suggestions and recommendation to guests.

Analyzing and predicting booking behaviour

AI-driven bots are more responsive and quick. They can provide prompt answers and suggestions to guests on time. Chatbots have undoubtedly become the foundation of the entire hospitality industry.

Right from making reservations, to providing online customer support when combined with machine learning algorithms can help to predict customer behavior while making a booking with a hotel operator.

Giving virtual rooms tours to guests

With the help of AR, ML, and VR technologies, hotels can provide virtual rooms tours. To experience these virtual tours, people need to have:

• Access to a computer
• Any smart device with a Wi-Fi connection
• VR glasses
• Headsets

In some cases, hotels provide headsets to their clients. Through customized hotel apps, users can access all kinds of information regarding accommodation, food, and other services charges.

To sum up

Considering the current situation regarding the COVID 19 outbreak, a branded hotel application can help both customers and hotel operators to interact without any form of physical contact.

Moreover, guests can access any hotel service from anywhere anytime. Furthermore, guests can receive various notifications, alerts, messages, and updates through these apps. Therefore, customers can make online bookings, check-in, and check-out through these apps.

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