Why QR Codes are a Hotel’s new best friend.
The unlikely hero of the past two years has been the QR code, particularly for the hospitality and travel industry.
Created in 1994 by Japanese car company Denso Wave, it was originally designed to track the vehicle manufacturing process, with the benefit of being able to hold and share a significant amount of information - twice as much as a barcode.
More than a decade later in 2008, Japanese stonemason Ishi no Koe ('Voice of the stone') had the idea of engraving QR codes onto gravestones to share photos, videos and information about the person buried there. As a side benefit, every scan of the QR code was logged so family members could know when other relatives last visited the site. Ishi no Koe thought QR technology had the potential to be a new way of for people to pay their respects without physically going to the cemetery. He also saw it as an opportunity for own children and grandchildren to learn about their ancestors.
Despite big ambitions, the QR code wasn't popular and many doubted that it would ever catch on - but perhaps it was all down to timing.
By September 2020, 18.8% of consumers in the US and UK strongly agreed that they had noticed an increase in the use of QR codes since the beginning of the pandemic in March (Statista 2021.)
To be fair, although many credit Covid-19 with the resurgence of QR codes, airlines have been relying on them as boarding passes for years and retail brands systematically deploy them to enhance the customer experience in store.
What really changed in 2020 was that the general public suddenly became comfortable with seeing and using QR codes as a necessary part of everyday life. Their usefulness could no longer be ignored. QR codes facilitated a contactless return to 'normality' after a year of brutal constraints, and nowhere more so than in hospitality and travel businesses.
In Australia, scanning a QR code at the door enabled customers to check in to a venue and be easily traceable in case of positive testing. Restaurants all over the world gratefully replaced paper or laminated plastic menus with QR code decals on the table, which revealed an online version of the menu and prevented the need to dispose of single-use paper menus, or the introduction of sanitising procedures for physical menus between customers. In Europe, the obligatory health pass for entering any public space, restaurant or cafe exists as a mobile or printed QR code.
QR codes are starting to be used to deliver information more efficiently. Pierre Gredel, owner and operator of The BLUE Hotel Bondi, Australia's first fully digital hotel, was looking for an alternative to printed material in the guest rooms and wanted to avoid adding another tech element such as an in-room iPad. He also wanted the flexibility to update, add and refresh information in a cost-effective environmentally-friendly way that added to the guest experience.
QR codes at THE BLUE Hotel are strategically placed throughout the rooms and common areas.
A QR-based Compendium was the perfect solution - and guests love it.
Nick Bonney, founder and CEO of Journey Makr which is featured on The BLUE's QR Compendium, loves it too. "We know that experience-led business are 4-7% more profitable. Our Journey Makr Staylist is a good example. It's a unique branded digital guide that we create for hotels like The BLUE to share with their guests. It lets them know about the best things to eat, drink, see and do locally and turns every visit into a bookable experience. An idea as exciting as that deserves to be presented in a new and engaging way."
Owner-operator Pierre Gredel agrees, "Our guests know we're Australia's first fully digital hotel so they're keen to see what we do differently. The QR-based compendium creates a new in-room experience for them. The BLUE Hotel's digital-first policy means we need to be nimble. Every time a guest comes back to stay with us again, there will be new things to discover and the QR code has a role to play in that."
"At Journey Makr, we're maximising QR technology. We are already working with our customers to personalise their Staylist and tailor experiences for every guest. That's very exciting for all of us." Nick says.
Article by Nicole Sideris
Chief Customer Officer
Journey Makr
LinkedIn
Nicole is an entrepreneur and dynamic hospitality professional with an eye on the future. She advises hotels on how to digitalise their processes, integrate new technology, use innovations strategically, and transform their business model.
Nicole joined Journey Makr after 20+ years as Group General Manager for brands such as Stamford Hotels & Resorts, Art Series, AHotels and Accor.
