8 hospitality tech innovations transforming guest experiences

Imagine arriving at your hotel and being offered your favorite drink. It’s a simple, thoughtful detail that builds long-term loyalty.

Now, consider delivering that same level of personalization through your payment experience.

Unified Commerce makes it possible.

By connecting all guest purchases through a single platform, Unified Commerce makes it possible for hotels to provide a seamless experience across every touchpoint, from check-in and dining to the poolside lounge and spa, with their preferred payment methods, devices, or currency.

With access to real-time data, hotels can better understand guest preferences, respond quickly to their needs, support a variety of payment methods, and streamline reconciliation.

Hotel guests value speed. 13% claim that slow check-ins or checkouts are reasons not to rebook a hotel, according to our Hospitality Report. 

Kiosks or apps are emerging as a way to speed up check-ins and checkouts. Instead of waiting in line, guests can check-in, scan their ID, grab their key, and go — in just a few taps.

But it’s not just about the guest experience. These innovations free up time for staff to focus on other things.

With modern technology, hotels can improve their loyalty programs and recognize guests at any interaction. 

This means you can automatically offer perks and discounts without needing loyalty cards or clunky apps–a true VIP treatment.

How does higher performance, better risk management, and consistency across channels sound? 

With Card-on-file, hotels can offer fast and convenient transactions by securely storing guest payment card data, with guests’ consent.

To protect the data, hotels can use tokenization.

Tokenization significantly improves payment security by replacing sensitive card data with a unique, encrypted token that protects against fraud. These tokens allow guests to make future purchases without re-entering their details. 

This is a growing trend in hospitality, and hotel management company Oetker Collection is already using it. With Adyen’s tokenization solution, they reduce risk and comply with regulations in the countries in which they operate. 

At their hotel, The Woodward, guests’ details are protected from the moment they book. Guests can order at the restaurant, buy drinks at the bar, and pay for spa treatments without presenting their card, entering a code, or signing a bill.

Another use of the technology is network tokenization, which automatically replaces a 16-digit PAN with a non-sensitive reference called a network token, which is used to authorize online and recurring payments.

Guests crave convenience. And hotels are adapting. Instead of making guests go to the payment terminal to pay, staff can now meet guests where they are when they are ready to pay. Pay at table, for instance, is a key trend in the hospitality industry. 

Mobile point of sale terminals (mPOS) provide flexible experiences for both staff and guests. As long as there is an internet connection, staff can move around and accept payments anywhere.

Taking it to the next level are Android apps that take orders (and payments) directly on the payment terminal. These all-in-one devices remove the need for a POS station altogether.

When booking, safety is top-of-mind for many guests, and protecting guest data is essential.

Hospitality businesses are adapting by taking proactive measures to reduce fraud. The right approach shouldn’t compromise on the guest experience. 

Adyen’s authentication engine uses machine learning to make smart authentication decisions and only prompts 3D Secure (3DS) when necessary. This ensures a safe and seamless payment journey, protecting your business while boosting conversion and guest satisfaction.

In hospitality, where service makes or breaks the experience, AI helps enable fast checkouts, prevent fraud, reduce costs, and respond to guests’ needs in real time.

With Adyen Uplift, hospitality businesses can use AI trained on global payments data to optimize the entire payment funnel, sharpening and automating risk decisioning. Protect, a component of Adyen Uplift, leverages Adyen's risk engine, which is designed to detect, prevent, and combat fraud, maximizing conversion while minimizing cost.

Embracing innovation is essential for hospitality businesses looking to meet evolving customer expectations.

By using smart payment technology, hotels can meet guests where they are, anticipate their needs, and deliver an unforgettable experience.

Adyen gives hospitality businesses the flexibility to offer the payment experiences that are most relevant to their business—self check-in and check out, or a personalized, attentive 5-star resort experience experience. Hospitality businesses gain access to a range of innovations, allowing them to choose the ones that best align with their goals. This flexibility allows them to tailor the guest experience to their unique needs.

Discover how Adyen helps hospitality businesses drive growth, increase operational efficiency, and offer seamless guest experiences.