UAE hotels are among the global leaders in smart hospitality solutions, as Dubai and Abu Dhabi are set to top 110,000 smart hotel rooms in 2017, experts announced today in advance of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), taking place this month in Dubai, UAE.
As the Internet of Things (IoT) has gained popular attention in the five years since we first published on the topic,1 it has also beguiled executives. When physical assets equipped with sensors give an information system the ability to capture, communicate, and process data—and even, in a sense, to collaborate—they create game-changing opportunities: production efficiency, distribution, and innovation all stand to benefit immensely. While the consumer’s adoption of fitness bands and connected household appliances might generate more media buzz, the potential for business usage is much greater. Research from the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that the operational efficiencies and greater market reach IoT affords will create substantial value in many industries.2 (For more, see the video “What’s the one piece of advice for a business leader interested in the Internet of Things?” And to see how experts believe the Internet of Things will evolve, see “The Internet of Things: Five critical questions.”)
In the consumer world, it’s already somewhat fraught: Older people may not be aware that their smartphones feed their location and other information back to their mobile carrier and/or device maker. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. Many younger folks know but don’t care. They figure there are no secrets in this world and if they get some benefit from sharing that data, it’s all good.
Call it on-demand on steroids. A 10-month-old San Francisco company called Recharge has developed an app that enables users to book a stay in hotel for just for 67 cents a minute, or $40 an hour.
The offering sounds both brilliant and preposterous, yet it has already attracted some smart investors, including Scott and Cyan Banister and early Google engineer Harry Cheung, who’ve provided the company with $650,000 in seed funding. It’s raising up to $2.5 million altogether.
When it’s mission-critical to know more about the latest digital innovations in the hospitality space, the time is now.
In order to master the hotel industry's digital transformation to realize the substantial economic benefits and retain guests’ interest, brands must be able to adapt and overcome significant challenges—namely the growth of OTAs and sharing economy websites such as Airbnb and HomeAway.
In today’s competitive market, hotels are striving to be more than just a place to spend the night, providing guests with a rich hospitality experience that improves on everyday life. This focus on differentiation makes the hospitality industry an ideal place to implement augmented reality (AR) and beacon technology, two of the latest and greatest hospitality trends.
Hotels can offer a personalized experience leveraging devices already in their guests’ pockets, while also utilizing these technologies to increase upsells and marketing objectives. But it’s essential that hotels use beacons and augmented reality thoughtfully, so that the technology expands upon the experience already created by the physical hotel, rather than complicating it for guests.
Top technology executives in the hotel industry speaking at the recent 2016 HTNG North American Conference said dealing with old systems and convincing owners and franchisees about the importance of technology remain significant challenges. Some of the hotel industry’s technology leaders said the biggest obstacles they face come within the industry and even inside their own companies. Sources said integrating older systems into newer technology and convincing hoteliers about the overall value of technology are still major hurdles.
I read an absolutely invigorating article on eHotelier recently which considered a number of ways that hotels can compete against Airbnb. If you are interested, you can read it here.
The author, Alex Shashou of ALICE App, very eloquently offered different ways in which hoteliers can leverage technology to improve the entire customer experience and how to differentiate your hotel(s) offerings versus not only Airbnb but also your more historical (and future) competition.
Nothing annoys me more than hearing top-line hotel company executives say, “We’re not a technology company; we’re a hospitality company.” You can—and must—be Over the past few months I’ve heard the same phrase repeated often at hotel conferences, usually by pretty big-name brand CEOs, and it’s this: “We’re not a technology company; we’re a hospitality company.”
Guests continue to expect all the modern “smart” features they enjoy at home to also be available in guestrooms when they travel. While this is constant, the specific amenities they seek are rapidly evolving.
Technology, F&B and educational programming will figure heavily in the future of meetings at hotels. Sources said technology, food and beverage and educational content are three key areas of hotel meetings likely to evolve in the coming years. In some cases, future upgrades are intended to make meetings smoother and more productive. In other instances, a bold reinvention of longstanding traditions is needed.
Many hotel brands offer free in-room Wi-Fi on a conditional basis, but guests want more. I can’t remember my password. I can’t remember what special character I used. I can’t remember which random letter I capitalized in the word I swore I would remember because it was the name of my first guinea pig when I was 10 years old.
There’s no weariness quite like the fatigue and impatience that sets in at the end of a long day of travel. You’ve made it through security gauntlets, cramped seats, noisy kids, and traffic to arrive at your destination. What’s next… a long line of your fellow crabby travelers, or a quick trip straight to your comfy room and minibar? As an hotelier, you know which of these customer experiences translates into greater loyalty, advocacy, and revenue.
Call me old school, but when it comes to VR (or virtual reality), I tend to think back to the movie 'Demolition Man' that came out in 1993, starring Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock, the action takes place in 2032, in a futuristic version of Los Angeles where there is no violence (we can only wish).
What can we expect from work, play and life in general in a 100 years is the subject of a report from Samsung SmartThings. The Future Living Report predicts three areas which might impact our leisure time in a century and it notes, we’re likely to have more down time with advances in technology (virtual meetings from home etc.) making for a shorter working week.
When I’m in a hotel room I like absolute privacy. After all, calling upon Baphomet and/or playing Firewatch takes absolute concentration and I don’t want humans intruding on my reverie. That’s why the folks at Savioke are building the Relay.
Technology has been steadily changing all aspects of our lives for a long time, and how we travel is no different. Just a few decades ago, a family on a road trip might have been armed with nothing more than a highway map and change for a phone booth.
The Henn-na Hotel in Japan just got more futuristic. Walking up to the front desk, customers are greeted with the familiar bow and the typical “Welcome” spiel from a typical Japanese woman. The catch: she’s a robot. Henn-na means either “flower” or “it’s weird,” depending on your interpretation. This new development, however, isn’t so surprising. Service bots and AI are used to help customers in retail stores like Lowe’s. Why shouldn’t they help guests check into a room? Though the integration of AI will continue to grow, it is not quite what people might expect. Furthermore, hospitality experts and engineers do recognize that customer satisfaction is key. To move forward with service bots and robots, hotels need to convince their guests it’s a good idea. So how does the future look?
Here are five tips that offer guidance in how to make your property less attractive to hackers whether from an outside offender or employees.In 2015, the hotel industry suffered unprecedented cyberattacks. In one month alone, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Hilton Worldwide Holdings all fell prey to savvy cyber thievery.
Technology in public spaces focuses largely on integrating guests’ personal devices to improve their experience.Much of the thought and discussion about technological innovations in hotels revolves around in-room experiences, but public spaces, from lobbies to restaurants and meeting spaces, are also continually adapting to new technology.
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