How Can the Hotel Industry Use Metaverse for Its Advantage?

Facebook has been a great deal for hotels from the get-go because of the marketing avenues it presents. And to date, hotels have spent a great amount of money to get the much-needed visibility on this social media platform.  

But things are about to change.

For hotels too? Not sure.

But, it’s for the good, right? Again, not sure!

As a part of a rebrand, social media giant Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta. And with it, the company is bringing a whole new technology.

I have been following this since the very first day and wondering how it is going to impact businesses worldwide including hospitality.

In this article, we will look at the ins and outs, and how hotels are going to be impacted by this move of Facebook (I am still not used to calling it Meta. So, pardon!)

The Current Scenario of Facebook Marketing for Hotels

Facebook is still the most popular social media site in the world. According to Statista, there are roughly 2.89 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2021. Now, this is a HUMONGOUS number which presents a great opportunity for hotels.

Today, when it comes to Facebook marketing, it is much more than just posts or generic ads. The behind-the-scene happenings are a pure treat to watch and understand.

Hotels are investing a tremendous amount of time and money to create content, analyze competitors, demographics, targeting etc. And once that is done, they are again pouring capital on running ads.

And why not? After all, the benefits are worth every ounce.

You not only get to sell your rooms through Facebook marketing but also build a brand that is loved by people.

Not just that, Facebook also provides you with several tools to reach a wider and accurate audience base in creative and highly targeted ways.

Now, I am sure many would say that these are just talks. Not every hotel is inclined towards Facebook marketing. Of course, it’s definitely not every hotel, but if you compare and see, hotels turning to Facebook are much more profitable.

But now, Facebook has also introduced Metaverse that has the potential to change the way hotels look at marketing. Read on as I explain everything in detail  

What is Metaverse?

Before we talk about the social media giant’s new inclusion, we have to first understand what Metaverse is.

The term Metaverse was coined by the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. In the novel humans, as avatars, interact with each other and software agents, in a three-dimensional virtual space that was more like the real world.

Simply put, its virtual-reality space is parallel to the real world where users can interact with computer-generated environments and with other users.

Facebook Metaverse

On 28 October 2021, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook is now Meta. All the apps and technologies will now come under one new company brand. He also stated Meta’s focus will be to bring the metaverse to life and help people connect, find communities and grow businesses.

Since then, metaverse has become the talk of the town.

Big names like Apple, Microsoft, and Google, have been extensively trying to get a stronger hold on virtual and augmented reality. But Facebook has now gained the first mover’s advantage. And it all dates back to 2014 when the company acquired Oculus VR. The social media kingpin has been actively working all these years and finally, it has come to reality.

Watch:

Virtual Reality in the Hospitality Industry

Virtual reality (VR) in the hotel industry has been around for quite some time now. And over the years, VR has grown to be particularly valuable.

Hotel’s from all around the world are using VR as a super marketing tool. Guests or potential guests can now take a virtual tour of the hotel — be it of the room or other parts of the hotel. Simply put, hotels are now allowing guests to experience hospitality before they book or before they arrive.

Are Metaverse and Virtual Reality Same?

While we are going all technical in this blog, many of you must be having this question in your head.

Well, the answer to this isn’t really clear. However, I would like to put down my thoughts.

Despite being a very old concept, metaverse has gained traction only after Mark Zuckerberg’s recent presentation. Meaning, metaverse still isn’t well understood. But on the other hand, VR is well defined. People know how VR works and what its capabilities are.

But again, when I listen to Zuckerberg, the metaverse seems to be more of Web 2.0 where virtual reality is rebranded. Meaning, metaverse could a part of virtual reality or it could be a combination of virtual and augmented reality. 

But one thing that is sure is:

 We are not just going to view content but WE ARE GOING TO BE IN IT!

Is the Metaverse a Friend or Foe to the Hotels?

Now, let’s look at this and talk from the hospitality industry point of view. And the first thing that hits our minds is whether the Facebook metaverse is going to be on the hotels’ side.

Well, to be honest, I (or anyone from the hospitality industry) don’t know the answer yet.

However, I will try to put some of my thoughts around this.

“From now on, we will be metaverse-first, not Facebook-first. That means that over time you won’t need a Facebook account to use our other services.”

Mark Zuckerberg

I think you can clearly understand what the Facebook CEO is planning. It is going to build a more maximalist version of Facebook or you can say an interconnected set of experiences straight out of sci-fi.

Now, to answer your questions about whether Facebook metaverse is your friend, YES and NO both.

Hospitality establishments will now have to start investing more time in learning about the metaverse and exploring opportunities. Because we have seen in the past, whenever a new feature is launched, it starts giving traction to those who use it during the initial days.

Basically, what I am trying to say here is that Facebook has the upper hand here. It has what all you hoteliers need — business. And if you want to be friends with this giant and reap benefits, you have to mould yourself and explore all the new avenues it presents.

(Again, I know it’s Meta; it’s just that I need time to get used to it.)

And how can hotels do that? Read on as I explain just that in the next section.

How Can Hotels Take Advantage of It?

When I think of the advantages of metaverse for the hotel industry, I see a long list. Let’s look at some of the prime benefits that metaverse is likely to present to the hospitality industry.

Virtual Hotel Tour

You must be thinking that many hotels are already offering this. But wait, with metaverse things are going to get vast. With VR, a guest can just look around the hotel. But with metaverse, the guests can actually be in the hotel.

Imagine being virtually present in a hotel, the manager walks to you and gives you a tour of the entire property. You’re not just looking around, but living in that virtual world with your avatar, interacting with other guests and staff in the hotel.

Isn’t this amazing?

Room Comparison

Guests always find it hard to figure out what the actual differences are between a premium and a regular room.

I remember so many instances where I paid a fortune for premium rooms. I don’t know why. Most of them; the room, per se; weren’t actually premium. And of course, I left honest reviews. I am not letting anyone fall prey to the ‘premium room’ scam.

This problem could be solved easily with metaverse.

Guests can walk inside every room, interact with the elements, and see what different accommodations offer and whether they meet their preferences.

How About a Virtual Birthday Celebration?

Imagine you’re staying in a hotel in the Maldives to celebrate your birthday and to make it more amazing, the hotel decides to put you in a metaverse where all your loved ones are already present. You all are interacting, celebrating while being hundreds and hundreds of miles apart in reality.

All these three points are just to give you a glimpse of how hotels can reap maximum benefits of the all-new metaverse. Meaning, it shows what can the hospitality industry expect from the metaverse.

The role of virtual reality in the hotel industry has been the talk of the town for a long time. We all have and are still witnessing how virtual reality is transforming the hospitality industry. Now, with metaverse (which is believed to be a more advanced version of VR and AR), things are going to get better in the hospitality industry.

Technologies like metaverse could be a great game-changer for hotels if utilised the right way. Be it sales or marketing, it can make a great impact on hotels and significantly boost their revenue.