Best Western says only smart tech will do

Best Western's digital guru is not interested in updating the hotel franchise's technology merely for the sake of doing so.

"I believe in intelligent updates," chief digital officer Greg Adams tells PhocusWire.

"We sometimes fall prey to great marketing, rather than great and implementable technology. We shouldn't merely update technology for technology's sake."

The intelligent updates he speaks of are what have helped Best Western with its latest advances, which include improved customer experiences and hotel functionality. 

Beyond that, though, Best Western's tech enhancements are designed to protect the customer from fraud. 

"The hotel industry, as a whole, is a target that's rich for fraud," he says. "Think about what happened with Hilton and a few independently owned hotels. And this targeting has been going on for a long time. 

"Best Western corporate is aware, too, of these challenges," he continues, "and understands that there may sometimes be a challenge in implementation because each hotel is independently owned and operated, and may not have the staff or resources to implement these changes. But, in our view, we have a responsibility to the customer first and foremost."

Adams' mindful approach toward customers likewise informs how his team implements technology.

"[We] don't necessarily take the approach that we should always have 'shiny and new' technology," he says, adding that Best Western prefers "the approach that if the technology improves the hotel's functionality, or it improves the guest's experience, we'll implement it on a larger scale."

Extensive testing, however, is required before tech upgrades reach the masses. He cites the example of the hotel's recently revealed mobile guest engagement platform, which he says "showed really good results" when it was beta-tested on the market. 

"I think the most important thing we have to ask ourselves is this: Will the consumer accept the technology we implement? If so, and if it makes their experience better, we're happy to take a look at it, because customer satisfaction is our number one priority."