For vacationers who tend to enjoy the finer things in life, some of the world’s high-end hotels understandably appeal. However, these luxury lifestyle connoisseurs who frequent five-star resorts and their Michelin-starred restaurants may have noticed the rise of digital services as in-person offerings begin to decline.

A trend we’re noticing in other areas of life, technology-based innovation is changing the planet as we know it. For instance, the rise of AI has impacted numerous industries, including customer service. The same applies to the high-end hotels travellers are staying in, with many of the finest hotels around now turning to digital services as they attempt to modernise their overall packages.

MGM Resorts Has Phased Out Concierge Desks

Las Vegas, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, is home to some of the most famous casino resorts around. For many casino guests staying in the resort city’s plethora of famous hotels, it has been almost impossible to ignore the decline of in-person concierge desks. In fact, Casino.com reports that MGM Resorts International has decided to close in-person concierge desks at six of its distinguished resorts, including Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand.

Lack of Demand as a Driver of Change

For guests seeking restaurant reservations and event bookings, these personal assistants are now becoming less prominent, with some industry experts believing a lack of demand has played a key role in their decline, while others suggest a downturn in tourism revenue has forced MGM to make cutbacks. Whatever the reason, traditional jobs have been cut, and apps like the MGM Rewards app are now taking over instead.

Digital Guides Are Also Prevalent

Alongside the decrease in the number of in-person concierge desks, digital guides have also become far more prevalent in today’s tech-savvy climate. Instead of issuing in-room printed materials upon arrival, hotels have streamlined their services further by providing guests with digital guides that can be accessed easily on devices like smartphones and tablets.

A Simple Way to Find Out More

By lessening the load on front desk staff, guests can explore these digital guides in minutes and find out about services, schedules, and more. A hardly surprising introduction, given the array of apps people tend to download these days anyway, digital guides represent a straightforward way to find out everything a hotel guest needs to know with a few taps. Likewise, some guides can be shared with family members and friends, enabling visitors to gain an insight before they’ve even arrived.

Mobile Check-Ins Are Becoming More Common

Further highlighting the reduced contact between hotel guests and their employees, the emergence of mobile check-in services has also been inescapable for holidaymakers. A great decision for many travellers who relax in some of the world’s very best resorts, it offers a faster and smoother check-in process as guests can complete the check-in on their smartphones and tablets before they land or even the night before their flight.

Staff Are Now Freed Up

As mobile check-ins have come to the fore, hotel guests can now avoid what can be a tiresome in-person check-in process and enjoy more flexibility in their check-in times, while hotel staff everywhere have been freed up to focus on other areas of the hotel. Additionally, hotel owners are able to cut costs and remove long queues in hotel foyers, making for a smoother all-around operation.

Whether one prefers the warmth of a personal concierge or the efficiency of a digital interface, the direction of travel in luxury hospitality is clear — and the hotels embracing this shift are doing so thoughtfully, not at the expense of the guest experience.