For a growing number of consumers, the typical morning routine involves a screen of some sort. For some of us, it could mean sitting down to a full breakfast with a Kindle, while for others it might mean racing out the door with a travel mug full of fresh coffee for a public-transit commute that doubles as a chance to catch up on the news via smartphone.
The more ambitious among us might be up before the sun to hit the treadmill while streaming the latest buzz-worthy Netflix series.
The modern guest experience
However you start your day, digital technologies likely play a role. More and more, this is becoming just as true of the hotel guest experience as it is of everyday life.
The image of a traveler sipping coffee while flipping through a physical newspaper is becoming a nostalgic memory of the hotel industry of ages past. We live in a digital age, and today's guests crave a seamless blend of global insights, tailored content, and the convenience of digital access.
This isn't a fleeting trend; it mirrors our broader transition to a digital-centric lifestyle.
See also:
Meeting guest expectations
Because we exist in a world where digital technology has become such a ubiquitous — and expected — part of daily life, the hospitality industry must take guests' expectations into account by including high-tech touchpoints and digital solutions along the entire guest journey, from check-in to check-out.
A while back, we told you about a Hospitality Technology study in which 76% of survey respondents reported that they would be willing to pay a premium (in the form of a slightly higher room rate) for technology features that are important to them.
Here are a few other key findings from that same survey:
-
73% of respondents embrace the use of mobile devices to make reservations and interact with a hotel.
-
91% said they were more likely to choose a hotel that offers free WiFi over one that doesn’t.
-
73% said they were likely to return to a hotel that offers tech features that they consider important.
The digital guest experience
As we have discussed previously, the quality of digital experiences can make or break a traveler's brand loyalty. For that reason, adopting new technology is a key to remaining competitive in the hotel industry.
Quoted in a report from Skift and Oracle Hospitality titled Hospitality in 2025, Scott Strickland, executive vice president and chief information officer at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, had the following observation:
Guests know they can watch Netflix or pay for Starbucks using their mobile phone, and they want that same experience at the hotel.
As the report points out, however, technology is not a replacement for personal service and human-level hospitality: "Hotels have to approach every investment and enhancement by examining what excites their guests, what inspires their employees, and ultimately, what will drive revenue for their business."
The hotel business embraces innovative platforms
Understanding this shift in guests' expectations, the hotel industry has embraced innovative platforms that have emerged as the modern traveler's ideal morning companions.
To deliver the tech-integrated guest experience their clientele expects, hospitality operators can use digital news amenities like PressReader to deliver a more personalized guest experience.
The largest all-you-can-read platform of newspapers and magazines, PressReader enables hotel guests to discover relevant and trusted content from more than 120 countries in dozens of different languages.
Readers can browse content online or download entire issues using the PressReader app, right on their own phone, tablet or computer. This puts the power of choice in guests’ hands and gives them more value for their hard-earned travel dollar.
With PressReader's extensive catalog of global newspapers and magazines, guests can dive into content that resonates with their interests, be it international headlines, local events or niche topics.
Share hotel content with Self-Pub
In addition to giving them a world of content to browse while lingering over that first cup of morning joe, PressReader can help hotel brands elevate the guest experience in other ways.
Using the Self-Pub feature, for example, hotels can digitize and upload their own content to the front page of PressReader to further engage hotel guests with newsletters, offers and essential information. Boost guest engagement by sharing hotel directories, restaurant and bar menus, and even a list of local attractions.
When guests open PressReader, they’ll be greeted by the hotel's latest Self-Pub content, ensuring they see important updates and news before they begin browsing the app’s catalog of publications.
They’ll value having digitized menus, directories and, of course, newspapers and magazines delivered every day and will appreciate your commitment to reducing your carbon footprint.
Going digital has other benefits
Embracing digital amenities does more than enable hotels to create exceptional guest experiences.
Going digital also means hospitality brands are able to offer more selection for their guests while streamlining their hotel operations — and that can make for not just an elevated customer experience, but also a better employee experience for hotel staff.
By providing guests with up-to-date content they love in a paperless format, PressReader can take the work of selecting, purchasing and distributing hard copies of publications off of the plates of employees who already have their hands full with other duties.
This is an important consideration in a time when the hospitality industry is still grappling with a labor shortage.
Looking at the bigger picture
Looking at the bigger picture, embracing new hotel technology is about more than just giving guests something to read in the morning after they order room service, and it goes beyond simply replacing the daily newspaper with a digital alternative. It's emblematic of an emerging approach to customer satisfaction, one that enhances a hotel stay with personalized recommendations, custom offers and bespoke experiences.
It's about:
-
Curating a personalized guest experience tailored to each customer's individual preferences
-
Tapping into the diverse interests of guests
-
Crafting a reading experience that's as unique as each traveler
Flexibility and customization
As we learned when we interviewed members of Les Clefs d’Or about how technology is changing the travel and tourism industry, being flexible is an important way that travel companies can meet changing guest expectations.
For example, where young professionals might be eager to digest their daily news on mobile devices before they go about their day, older guests might have a long-standing preference for the newspaper they read with their morning coffee — and they can now access it on an iPad.
Hotels that are doing this right are partnering with digital platforms that allow for that level of flexibility and customization.
Meeting a variety of guest needs
According to Peter Buday, the Chef Concierge at Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, his hotel’s partnership with PressReader allows him to meet a variety of guest needs with one subscription:
Hotels have to start thinking about how technology can help their employees elevate the guest experience, while still keeping the human touch. The luxury segment will always be about that extra little something special that only humans can provide.”
Waking up to a new guest experience
The hospitality sector stands on the brink of a new day. With each new generation of hotel technology, the industry is more able to transform the customer journey into a hyper-personalized experience.
Being able to offer guests a superior digital platform for the news that matters to them is only one small part of the picture, but it goes a long way towards making mornings a little less routine and a lot more luxurious.
As a new dawn breaks, travelers are greeted with a world of content, ensuring that they start their day with insight and inspiration.
