Tech-savvy Travellers Fuel Hotel Renovation Boom

ST. CATHARINES, ONT. – The digital revolution that is rapidly changing the way we live and work is also pushing the hotel sector to move much more quickly to cater to the demands of tech-savvy travellers.

Hoteliers who don’t adapt to the quick pace of change — offering modern amenities that allow guests to seamlessly use their mobile devices — could find themselves falling out of favour in the highly competitive market.

"Traditionally, the cycle for large-scale renovations was about seven years or so for the hospitality industry, but we’re seeing that shorten to four or five years in many cases," says Mike Thorne, CEO of St. Catharines, Ont.-based JUSTJUNK, which has waste removal franchises across the country.

Business and holiday travellers have quickly come to expect amenities that used to be seen as extras — like smart TVs, multiple charging stations for mobile devices and electrical sockets with USB ports — as standard room features.

As they accommodate in technology upgrades like these, many hotels are also investing in other upgrades to modernize their properties, such as updated furnishings, new flooring and state-of-the-art fixtures for bathrooms.

The renovation boom has also fuelled an increase in business for the construction industry and garbage removal services, like JUSTJUNK.

"Our franchise owners in Toronto, Niagara Falls, Vancouver, Halifax and across the country have all been very busy with hotel and hospitality trade clients over the past couple of years," Thorne says. "We work very closely with them around scheduling to make sure our work doesn’t interfere with guests."

JUSTJUNK crews help ensure as much of the material they collect as possible is recycled or donated to charitable organizations for re-use, helping to divert waste from landfills.