Princess Cruises has created a device that unlocks a world of possibilities for cruise guests. The device is called Medallion, and it is a chip that can be worn as a necklace or bracelet that allows a guest to customize their experience. The Medallion has an App that guests can access to help them, for instance, locate family members on the ship or set food preferences across restaurants. The Medallion device gives access to certain areas of the ship and works as a room key as well. With this technology, more can be automated for the guest. Currently Princess Cruises uses this technology, but there are wide opportunity and advantages for other lodging and hospitality companies to implement this same technology.

Medallion Uses in Hotels

A hotel hotel run with this “rewards system” would be popular with anyone looking for ease of check-in. Again, everything would be done before arriving via the connected app. Setting reservations, room selection, adding special requests, and ordering room service can all be taken care of by this system. When the person arrives, they scan their medallion and are shown to their room with a map on the app, just like on the Princess Cruises. Another addition to this system could be possible If a hotel fashioned a “small robot washing machine on wheels” that can be programmed to drive itself to rooms and allow the person to do their laundry as some people are very specific about how they want their clothes cleaned. The person can schedule for a laundry bot to show up in their room at a specific time. The person would then pay for the service through their Medallion.

Source: Northern Arizona UniversitySource: Northern Arizona University
Source: Northern Arizona University

Uses in Resorts

As a resort is a combination of different hospitality businesses, it is easy to assume that resorts would have the most uses for the Medallion. Imagine one big resort interconnected with this system that allows guests to customize their stay and get everything they want. Not only would this benefit the guests but the shareholders and managers as well. Casino, spa, gym, and bar managers would get a lot of information gathered from the Medallion like what drinks guests enjoy most at bars and what spa packages aren’t selling, and much more. Manager can then turn to new menu items or get rid of packages not selling. Everything made possible because of the Medallion technology.

Resort Casinos

Casinos all over the world are implementing RFID technology in their casinos. This technology is helping Casino Managers track their chips and decide which of their games are profiting the most. It also helps them keep tabs on anyone who might be cheating. Whenever a chip is placed on the betting space the table can count how much the bet is and therefore keep accurate accounts. If the Medallion technology was added to the mix, a guest can scan their Medallion to the seat and everything being computed will be attached to their account. Then a guest can be paid out at a table by adding the funds to the Medallion account that they have, eliminating the need for taking their chips or a ticket to cash out. On their account, they can see what they spent, what they made, and other statistics.

Resort Spas

When guests make their appointments on the Medallion app they could set preferences like temperature, music, light settings, etc. At the resort spa, guests can scan their Medallion to check-in to their appointments when they are brought into their massage room.

Resort Gyms

Something that would be cool to have at a gym would be to invest in cardio machines with built-in touch screens that connect with your Medallion and have streaming apps like Netflix and Spotify for music. On the app, a guest would be set a layout of their screen like which apps to display. When a person whats to use a machine, for example, a treadmill, they can scan their medallion onto the treadmill and the screen they “designed” will pop up. Now they can choose a movie to watch or play their workout music playlist. Another function that can be brought up by scanning the Medallion to the treadmill would be bringing up specific workouts that the person has completed in the past and remembering personal record (PR) information. This could motivate the guest to beat that workout and every time someone beats the PR the treadmill and Medallion work together to motivate and congratulate the guest.

Resort Bars

Similar to the capability of the Medallion technology on Princess Cruises, guests can use their Medallion to order and pay for drinks from anywhere in the resort. The only difference is that it could be tricky to supervise where the drinks are going. This is a problem because being on land, people can now drive and that is a big liability for the resort. Instead, a good start could be to use the Medallion to pay for drinks contactlessly. In the app, they could set up automatic tipping for a certain percentage, eliminating the need to sign and allot a tip by hand, and therefore making it truly contactless.

Source: Northern Arizona UniversitySource: Northern Arizona University
Source: Northern Arizona University

These creative uses for the Princess Medallion technology in the hospitality industry are all possible with the technology we have today despite the futuristic feel. The first resort to implementing this technology will surely find even more innovative uses for the Medallion. We will see labor costs going down dramatically as a lot of the capabilities of this technology replace jobs like hosts, schedule planners, bartenders, and even cashiers.

Medallion Uses in Restaurants

If a network as advanced as the Princess Medallion was put into a restaurant there are endless possibilities for what it could become. Imagine a reward program for a popular restaurant chain powered by the Medallion. For example, Olive Garden could unveil a new rewards program where every member was given a bracelet to wear when entering the restaurant. The way it would work is a person goes onto the Olive Garden website and signs up for the rewards program and they are sent the Medallion to wear every time they go into an Olive Garden location. The person then downloads the app and allows their location to be used and enters their allergies. Now, whenever they want to have dinner at an Olive Garden they can choose which location suits them best, set a reservation, and order in advance. While on the menu, the options that don’t suit them because of their allergies will be blocked off to avoid confusion and help keep them safe. On the app, they can choose what time they want their drinks and food brought out. When the person gets to the reservation they would scan the Medallion on a screen and a map would pop up to show them to their table. At their table, their drinks and appetizers are already set up and the food is set to be brought at the scheduled time by a drone. When the person is ready to pay they do so contactlessly with the Medallion and reward points are added to their account automatically. No staff has been seen to this point and it might feel futuristic but we already have all of the technology. The only thing left to do is to put it all together.

Uses in Healthcare and Medical Centers

The Medallion technology is perfectly suited for applications in healthcare and medical centers – which arguably are the type of settings that can greatly benefit from innovation, customization, and high-touch service delivery.

Whether it is hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, medical spas, or assisted living communities, an incredibly high volume of information and communication is required throughout interactions and touchpoints between patients and staff. This data tends to be sensitive and needs proper encryption to keep it protected. Furthermore, it can be overwhelming to navigate and keep track of the amount of information healthcare facilities accumulate and require over time. The Medallion could enable patients to have the right data at the right time readily available and simultaneously keep it safe. Similarly, it can be used to securely sign documents electronically, update any critical items such as advanced healthcare directives, as well as update insurance data or upload relevant documents to the provider directly.

The device can also function as the perfect tool for communication between patients and staff. Patients will be reminded of their appointments, and they can use the Medallion as personal GPS to guide them through the often-extensive halls and complexes. Also, upon entering a doctor’s office or therapy and examination rooms, any prior discussed treatment plans will instantly be accessible for all medical staff so a continuous and smooth patient management can be conducted.

This technology could make it possible to keep track of patients’ vitals 24/7 without being attached to machines or confined to the bed at all times. In case of an emergency, the Medallion would automatically alert medical staff, but patients can directly call for assistance themselves (wherever they are). The integrated GPS would make localization swift and easy. Any current medications and their dosages as well as the Medallion will display potential allergies. This does not only make it simple for staff to see relevant information but more importantly it can serve as a safety feature requiring double-checks before new or additional medication can be introduced.

Conclusion

Princess Cruises created a device that unlocks a world of possibilities for several of the hospitality segments and for guests. The Medallion device is a fashionable piece of jewelry with a chip that can be worn as a necklace or bracelet that allows a guest to customize their hospitality and tourism experience. Presently Princess Cruises uses this technology, but there is wide opportunity and advantages for other hospitality companies to consider and potentially implement this same medallion technology in their operations.

Acknowledgment: This research paper is sponsored by the GloMed.Education website.

References

Fred DeMicco
Northern Arizona University