The UK hospitality industry has lagged in COVID pandemic recovery, with many suggesting ongoing government restrictions are holding the country back as other nations surge ahead. 

In fact, the business travel market in the UK is expected to shrink by 17% this year compared to 2020, according to the Global Business Travel Association. Out of the top 15 business travel markets, only Japan is expected to show a worse annual growth figure.  

But, as more and more of the UK and European population is vaccinated and these restrictions are loosened, we expect 2022 to be a booming year for travel. By summer, we expect the floodgates will open. Why? For one, consumer savings during the pandemic was at an all-time high, and after being cooped up for nearly two years, travelers are ready to spend that money.

Expect a rocky rebound

As guests come back through the doors, however, one of the biggest challenges we see for hoteliers and hosts is meeting rising guest expectations amid ongoing labour issues.

Travelers are returning after 18 months at home and have only their best lodging experiences in mind. They expect the same experience as before, if not better. And now, after the pandemic, travelers expect safe and contactless experiences like digital check-in, payments, mobile key and guest messaging on their preferred digital channel.

Meanwhile, the hospitality labour market in the UK struggles to rebound. As they reopen their doors, many operators are hard-pressed to find talented staff. Teams are running thin and, at larger organizations, many positions in sales, marketing and revenue have been centralized.

Lodging owners and operators will be best served by considering ways to operate more efficiently well into the future, starting by implementing some best practices now.

Accelerate recovery with Cloudbeds

For all the reasons mentioned above, hospitality businesses are turning to technology and adopting digital tools faster than ever before. They’re looking for solutions that drive revenue and increase guest satisfaction while at the same time streamlining operations by automating mundane tasks that were previously handled manually by staff.

In the past, hoteliers and hosts had to work with a number of different tools and vendors to achieve these goals. But more and more properties today are choosing a platform approach, partnering with a single technology provider that seamlessly integrates all the tools they need into one single platform.  

At Cloudbeds, we believe every lodging business large or small should have access to the same tools to operate successfully. Our platform is designed to allow every lodging business, from a boutique hotel to a city hostel to a serviced apartment, to compete on a level playing field in both acquiring and servicing guests.

The Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform seamlessly combines tools for operations, revenue management, guest experience, marketing and payments with a marketplace of third-party integrations to help independent hoteliers and hosts grow revenue, streamline operations and enable memorable guest experiences. Turn to Cloudbeds’ open platform to:

Meet the needs of modern, tech-savvy consumers.

As we exit the pandemic, more people are now comfortable with self-service in all areas of our lives, from self-checkout at the grocery store to mobile boarding passes. Digital transactions are quick and efficient, but most importantly, contactless experiences keep both guests and staff members safe.

With Cloudbeds, lodging businesses can easily set up a mobile-friendly website and booking engine to make it easy for your guests to find and book the property. Check-in and check-out is a breeze with Cloudbeds Payments, a modern payment processing solution that allows guests to pay easily and seamlessly with their favorite payment method, from contactless credit cards to mobile wallets.

Increase revenue by driving demand and managing distribution.

Cloudbeds’ fully integrated PMS, channel manager and booking engine allows properties to easily manage and distribute rates across all channels, including your website as well as hundreds of popular online booking sites like Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb. Tools like Cloudbeds’ Pricing Intelligence Engine (PIE) allow hoteliers and hosts to automate rules and alerts that optimize pricing strategy and track competitor pricing, ultimately helping to optimize occupancy and maximize revenue.

Streamline operations to run a more efficient business.

With many properties working with a leaner staff, it’s become even more critical for hoteliers and hosts to find ways to automate tedious tasks so that employees can refocus their time on guests. Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform is fully and seamlessly integrated, meaning that all data — reservations, rates, availability, payments, and more — all sync instantaneously, saving you time entering the same data in multiple systems. Change rates once in your PMS and they are instantly updated across your booking engine and all distribution channels. Or, when a guest pays with a credit card, know that the payment will sync directly with the guest reservation, saving you hours of reconciliation time.

Furthermore, Cloudbeds’ user-friendly interface makes learning the system quick and easy, meaning that your property doesn’t need to spend a lot of time training employees — a major advantage in an industry with high staff turnover. Online resources such as Cloudbeds University provide additional opportunities for staff to expand their knowledge on areas ranging from front desk operations to reporting and revenue management.

By offering a variety of mission-critical functions in a single integrated software platform with an open API, Cloudbeds helps properties maximize revenue while minimizing time spent on administrative tasks. The platform is designed to elevate every aspect of a property – from the business, to the staff, to the guests – and equip hospitality leaders with what they need to stay competitive in an evolving market. To learn more, visit www.cloudbeds.com.