What are Data Scientists Doing for Hotels?

Hospitality companies have been collecting data about their guests for years. But that data is basically useless if it’s collected haphazardly and nobody can interpret it. Most people don’t get into the hotel industry because they love data and statistics, and there aren’t enough people that can utilize this data properly. This is where a data scientist comes in. When a company has a problem they want to solve, data scientists will ask the right questions, collect valid data, and figure out what it all means. Here are some ways they can give a boost to hotels:

Targeted Marketing

Hotel marketing tends to rely on blanket campaigns and promotions to attract guests. This kind of guesswork has uncertain returns on investment. But what if sales and marketing knew exactly which people respond to which types of campaigns, and how to identify them? The right data can reveal travelers’ spending habits, what time of year they plan trips, what social media platforms they use, what type of travel generally plan, and what they want from a hotel. Data scientists can also reveal what points during a guest’s stay are optimal to push certain features and add-ons.

Objective Revenue Management

Revenue has been unsteady at best this past year, and at worst, abysmal. Revenue managers are already a standard role within most hotels, but many of them don’t have a background in mathematics or statistics. A data scientist can bring a much more analytic viewpoint that revenue managers might be missing. Revenue managers will be able to set prices more objectively and rely less on guesswork.

Efficient Sustainability

Guests are becoming more conscious of their carbon footprint while traveling. Some hotels have already responded by trying to reduce waste and emissions. But many have a hard time identifying the most impactful initiatives that won’t affect the guest experience. By identifying usage trends in things like food waste, energy consumption, and water usage, data scientists can help companies decide where to focus their efforts. Data can also reveal which sustainability initiatives are important to their guests and how to market them.

Streamlining Guest Experience

Guests are all about the experience of travel and want their stays to be as seamless as possible. Waiting in line to check in after a long flight or struggling with the in-room temperature controls just won’t cut it for today’s travelers. Through data, hotels can build better experiences and stronger relationships with guests. A data scientist can gain a thorough understanding of guests’ habits and pain-points. With this information, hotels can tweak their operations to address the needs of their guests.

Is Your Hotel Ready For a Data Scientist?

Data will be a dominating factor in business decisions for hotel companies in the future. And hotels need professionals who can collect and manage that data effectively. But attracting and hiring people for highly technical positions like this can be a challenge. Horizon Hospitality and their team of recruiting experts will work with you to identify the professionals with the talent and expertise your company needs. Contact us to get started.

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