Guests have high expectations of their hotel stays. Seamless, self-service, hassle-free experiences have become a must-have — and the savviest hotels meet these demands with technology. Providing exceptional services to your guests in person remains the bedrock of hospitality, but a stellar digital guest experience is now a cornerstone of the modern hotel stay.

A hotel guest’s digital experience significantly impacts their perception of your property and brand. Every virtual guest interaction represents an opportunity to exceed a traveler’s expectations—and here are the key trends that help you do so.

An Answer for Every Call

Hotels miss up to 40% of phone calls—meaning a lot of potential reservations are left on the table. By adopting AI-enabled voice technology, hotels increase the call volume they can handle without adding to staff workload.

Tip: Look for an AI-powered voice assistant that can handle questions on behalf of your front desk, reservations and concierge departments for maximum impact.

Travel Planning Powered by AI

As travelers become more comfortable using AI, hotel searches, itineraries and trip planning will become easier and more conversational.

Tip: Help guests get the answers they need about your hotel and their trip with an AI-powered, conversational chatbot.

Automated Guest Messaging

Your front desk staff likely spends much of their time answering guest questions. Because so many inquiries are similar, AI communication tools can automate a majority of responses—freeing up time for your staff while still providing an exceptional guest experience.

Tip: Invest in a guest messaging service that uses AI to provide instant, accurate responses when guests contact your hotel.

Seamless & Secure Digital Payments

Data security is a significant concern for hotels and guests, especially with regard to sensitive information, like credit card details. Offering seamless and secure digital payment options puts travelers’ minds at ease and also eliminates outdated paper processes to increase compliance for your property.

Tip: Stop taking payment details over the phone or via paper-based forms and instead send digital payment links and authorization forms (that are PCI-1 compliant).

Personalized, Mobile-Based Add-Ons

Room upgrades, add-ons and other upsells are traditionally offered exclusively at the time of check-in, but only having one chance to sell add-ons means you’re likely leaving money on the table. With tech-enabled upselling, guests can purchase relevant offers from their mobile devices at any time.

Tip: Use a dynamic upselling platform that automates add-on offers at strategic points throughout the guest journey.

Self-Service Technology

Modern guests prefer modern solutions, which include self-service technology like kiosks. Not only does this give travelers more agency, but it also alleviates long lines and bottlenecks at the hotel’s front desk.

Tip: Provide options for guests to arrive and leave on their terms, including mobile check-in and checkout as well as self-serve lobby kiosks or tablets.

Informational QR Codes

QR codes give guests a quick and easy way to access property information. Well-placed QR codes give guests the information they need right on their phones.

Tip: Consider taking your paper resources, such as in-room compendiums, into the digital sphere and making them available via a QR code.

Mobile Access Keys

It’s estimated that switching to mobile keycards at a 250-room hotel would remove 73,000 plastic keycards from circulation. Go green and increase convenience by giving guests the option to unlock their rooms from their phones.

Tip: Encourage the uptake of mobile access keys by offering guests meal vouchers or other special perks in exchange for using them.

Digital Tipping

Research shows that over 70% of hotel guests want to tip staff but don’t have cash on hand. Digital tipping offers guests a more convenient way to reward staff, putting more money in your team’s pocket and incentivizing exceptional service.

Tip: Find a digital tipping solution that’s designed for the hospitality industry and integrates seamlessly with your guest experience tech stack.

Online Feedback

Good online reviews are one of the most valuable things a happy guest can provide, but capturing their feedback can be difficult once they walk out the door. Prompting guests to leave a review as they checkout keeps the request timely so you can get their positive review right away.

Tip: Consider software that prompts guests to leave third-party reviews if they’re happy with the service they received.

From AI-powered planning to mobile check-ins and digital payments, the right digital tools don’t just streamline operations—they create better guest experiences. When hotels blend great service with smart tech, they make every stay feel effortless and memorable—and keep guests coming back.

About Canary Technologies

Canary Technologies is revolutionizing the hotel tech stack with its award-winning Guest Management Platform, digitizing everything from post-booking to checkout. Trusted by 20,000+ hoteliers in 90+ countries, including Marriott, Four Seasons and Wyndham, Canary is the top-rated solution on HotelTechReport. Canary’s solutions include Canary AI, Mobile Check-In, Smart Checkout, Dynamic Upsells, Guest Messaging, Digital Tipping, AI Voice and more. Canary eliminates paper processes, boosts revenue, increases staff efficiency, enhances the guest experience, and reduces chargebacks and payment fraud.