Accommodation has become a lucrative alternative source of revenue for many operators, and an increasing number are boosting profitability with modern automated check-in systems.
Feeling the effects of inflation on trade and the rising cost of both overheads and labour, even as staffing remains tight, more publicans are looking to capitalise on the opportunity of affordable pub accommodation – bringing online or adding to the rooms found in most hotels.
One of the challenges in operating rooms is the complications around arrivals, which often come up late at night or during peak service periods.
“Pub operators shouldn’t be doing key handovers in the middle of dinner service,” says Josh Stuart of Automate Accommodation. “That’s not hospitality — that’s operational friction.”
For many venues offering accommodation, automation has moved from being a ‘nice-to-have’ to necessary operational infrastructure.
Australian-built hospitality platform Automate Accommodation looks to close the gaps between bookings and arrival, managing room access and communication with guests. To date it has been deployed at more than 1k rooms across Australia and New Zealand.
The systems automates check-in and guest access, with messaging, meaning even late arrivals don’t require staff intervention.
It integrates with existing PMS workflows and digital lock infrastructure, meaning operators can modernise without having to remove or change existing systems.
Operators find they experience fewer after-hours calls, lockouts and interruptions for managers and faster, clearer guest arrivals, which assists positive feedback and reviews.
They also achieve more consistent service across rosters and nights, with centralised oversight and staff only having to step in “when something genuinely needs attention” Stuart says.
The reduced labour requirements could allow consolidation in management, saving an average $80-100k year, which would facilitate the automated hardware and installation.
For smaller operators the change can mean fewer late-night interruptions and the ability to take leave without service collapsing, evolving operations from a 24/7 obligation into “a sustainable business”.
Stuart adds that all pubs already automate much of the day-to-day, and accommodation is just the next step.
“Most venues wouldn’t dream of running manual payouts on EGMs, so why are check-ins still being handled like it’s 1995?”
The Short’s Welcome Hospitality, operating iconic venues such as The Glenmore and the Australian Heritage Hotel, in The Rocks, implemented Automate Accommodation across two of its North Coast accommodation properties. They found guests enjoying faster access, clearer communication and fewer delays.
“Labor remains the largest controllable expense in accommodation,” says Welcome Hospitality GM Carl Mower.
“Automation has allowed us to centralise oversight across sites while increasing service standards.”
