The Evolution of the Hotel Front Desk: Why Tech Can Only Go So Far
Photo Credit: In February 2018, the Naumi Auckland Airport opened in New Zealand. Fitting with its name, pronounced "know me," the brand aims to make its front desk experience as personalized for guests as possible. Naumi Hospitality
Skift Take
Even consumers who embrace technology may worry that companies are exploiting them through so-called personalization. Hoteliers need to balance digital ingenuity with a human touch.
As technology continues to transform the hotel industry, one fixture remains a puzzling constant: the front desk. Step into the typical 50- to 200-room hotel, and you'll usually find a tall counter where a guest makes a deposit and picks up a room key.
The persistence of the front desk seems odd. How could this antique setup defy so many trends?
Consumers ignore the box office when booking tickets for a concert or a movie. They have learned to skip the airline counter when flying. They no longer expect to find a sales counter when buying an iPhone at an Apple store.
Yet the front desk of 2018 is much like the front desk of 1928. It has merely ditched the bell and added a Dell.
The desk itself is outdated. Hotels no longer need a high barrier to keep robbers from stealing cash.
Hostile ReceptionIt wasn't supposed to be like this. Two reports sponsored by travel tech company Amadeus in 2010 and 2011 predicted that hoteliers would
