In a post-COVID world, what changes will the hospitality sector adopt permanently?

It’s safe to say that the last year has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved in the hospitality sector. However, with Boris Johnson's 'roadmap to freedom' now published, and with the vaccine rollout going from strength to strength, it now looks increasingly likely that life will be able to return to some degree of normality in the coming months.

But will hotels look the same? Will restaurants be forced to evolve in any way? Are pubs going to have to adopt new operational methods or retain some of those introduced and implemented throughout 2020?

Let’s take a quick look at what the future of hospitality could – and indeed is likely to – look like:

1. Contactless is here to stay

Many hotels, pubs and restaurants had adopted contactless technologies within their businesses prior to the pandemic, but it now appears likely that embracing such tech is going to become universal relatively quickly. Digital keys, hotel-centric apps, lifts that don’t require buttons to be pressed, sensor-fitted sinks and hand dryers – all of these are already being used to some extent, but will undoubtedly become commonplace in the coming months and years.

2. There will be an increased focus on hygiene

This one may seem obvious, but it’s certainly worthy of note, largely because the methods and means by which establishments are going to embrace cleanliness will be incredibly smart. Not only will ‘deep cleaning’ remain the norm, but utilising materials such as lotus flower and self-cleaning metals for sideboards, restaurant preparation and elevators will become increasingly ubiquitous.

3. More facilities will be available in-room

Hotels will, over the coming months and years, offer more services in guest rooms, from coffee machines to fridges and in-room gym equipment to instruments. This will be a bid to bring in customers looking for a unique experience, and also to minimise interactions between guests and employees. It may be the case that some hotel operators will be unable to do this due to financial constraints, but 2021 seems likely to spark waves of innovation across the industry, so who knows what you could be able to get in your room in the near future.

4. COVID features will remain (but will get prettier)

To quickly react to the changing COVID landscape and to remain open while also doing everything possible to keep guests safe, 2020 saw nearly all establishments in hospitality quickly introduce features such as Perspex shields, handwashing stations and wall-mounted hand sanitiser boxes. These features are unlikely to disappear for a while yet, but they will undoubtedly start being designed to fit more with the wider aesthetic of the establishment, and will therefore become more visually appealing.

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