Over the past 20 years, many facets of the resorts industry have shifted to adapt to changing consumer behavior and new technology. This has in turn changed how operators and managers conduct business. What was once considered science-fiction is today available on almost everyone’s smartphone. Facial recognition is a reality for resorts, and since it supports guest attribute identification, it’s perfect for mixing with PMS (Property Management Systems) data to personalize the guest experience.
Facial recognition combined with open APIs make for progressive functionality when it comes to 
delivering exceptional guest service. The most advanced are aimed mainly at the customer service back-end and, in keeping with this trend, technologies can now recognize returning guests. Digital information about the guest enables the front desk agent to personalize guest greetings and accommodate preferences such as room type, location, resort amenities and dining options.
Today, resorts are looking to increase their revenue using advanced technologies like facial recognition. Security is an important aspect of maintaining a hotel’s revenue. Guests are attracted to a resort when they know they are safe. Using facial recognition, it’s possible to create some of the greatest security systems the industry has seen. Crimes caught on the resort’s camera can lead to the offender’s facial identification. Beyond crime mitigation, facial recognition can also be used to monitor for small children who appear to be alone. Hotel staff can easily send an alert to the child’s family.
Hotel software is no longer limited to optimizing operations as most would think. It is being used to influence guest engagement in a big way, using sophisticated compatibility with voice-based AI systems like Amazon’s Alexa. When the software is API-based, custom integrations add more value to resort operators who are looking for new, technologically advanced PMS solutions that serve front- and back-of-the-house, as well as their guests.
Technology investments have long been a practical method for hotels to gain an edge over competitors. Facial recognition is one such technology that many are investing in to not only increase revenue, but also to enhance the guest’s experience and security in ways that are much more profound than they have ever been.