Here’s how hotel rooms will look like in the future
Expect…Glass TV’s that know your favourite films, showers that adapt to your body temperature and glass privacy walls which change from transparent to opaque. Personalisation will be the focus of every guests experience.
- Technology, AI and Hotel experts reveal future technology and AI to be within hotels
- 3D imagery and interactive visualises hotel room technology by 2034
- By 2020, 85% of relationships with businesses will not require human interaction
- Over half of the UK population are concerned about how a lack of human interaction being replaced with artificial intelligence will alter their hotel experience.
An Interactive hotel room created by Guestline, hospitality technology experts, have worked alongside technology, AI and hotel experts to reveal how the hotel of the future will look at function by 2034.
A recent study1 predicted that by next year 85% of relationships with businesses will not require human interaction and hotels are seeking ways to become more customised and convenient for their guests. Experts told Guestline, who commissioned the project, that AI and voice control would be one of the most prominent game changers in how we experience staying at a hotel.
“Soon there will be screens that welcome you by name when you approach them in the hotel lobby by using data from your mobile phones which already exists – registered through the hotels WIFI. Once you’re there it will be an automatic check-in process through facial recognition and your room key will be digitally downloaded to your mobile phone” says Ralph Fernando, Director of Strategy, Digital & Operations at Pragma.
You can find the interactive asset here: https://www.guestline.com/hotels-of-the-future/ (You can read more about the experts on the ‘meet the experts’ tab in the interactive)
Guest Personalisation integrates with entertainment
Glass Tv’s are already being prototyped by the likes of Panasonic, and with the allure of minimalism trending within interior design and personalisation becoming the demand for guests, we can expect to find all our favourite films and shows tailored to us on the screen when checking-in.
Glass TV’s will know you’re favourite TV shows and films from your personal profile
“It all starts with the online booking process where integrated systems will begin to ask questions about your preferences to build a personal profile of your likes and dislikes. These integrated systems will hook up to your check-in process where technology can filter through and suggest ideal music, films, and even cultural experiences in the area all on your TV.” says Co-founder & CEO of Humanize, Duncan Anderson who works alongside IBM Watson on AI projects.
“These perosnliased suggestions will also include smart technology to track what you watched and listened to during your stay and continue to build a more customised profile for your next visit, and to package it up it will all be enabled through voice control, remote controls will become a thing of the past”. Duncan adds.
I-concierge and voice control will meet all your demands
The future is where AI and personal service will compete but also complement each other. Ordering a bottle of water of breakfast from the in-room menu will no longer require a call down to reception, but a simple “Hello concierge ” to the i-concierge built into your room.
Operations Director at City Suites, Duncan Anderson says;
“Over the next 15 years voice technology will act as the control hub as it is very personal and hotel rooms are a good opportunity to get the guest to interact with AI to build a better profile of their preferences.”
Owner & Director of Eccelston Square Hotel, Olivia Byrne said;
“Our phones will sync immediately with the in-room technology, for uninterrupted, comfortable and seamless facetiming/television/streaming and viewing. Guests will use dining apps available through the hotel property to seamlessly order exactly what they want, when they want it.
Voice assistants like Siri or Alexa will lose THEIR identities, instead their universally available knowledge will be integrated into our own personalised i-personality/bitmoji. i-assistants will be a comforting extension to our own knowledge. Interfacing will be highly personalised, but less personal.”
Ralph Fernando at Pragma believes:
“Guests will have the ability to cast lighting levels, room temperature and music levels all through either AI or their digital pads on the wall. We already know this exists in some hotels; however the technology is quite basic and we imagine that over the foreseeable future that control for the guests will become more personalised – such as sunrise/set lighting, audio that can produce a selection of noises to help you sleep and aromas to facilitate better sleeping.”
No more will we need to draw the blinds, call down to order room service or ask for extra towels. Soon you’ll just chat with your in-room i-concierge who can even memorise what time to flick the light switch so you can grab some shut-eye.
Shower technology will find your ideal temperature at the touch of a finger
Expect to find digital technology boards which can detect the optimal shower temperature from your body using just the heat levels from the touch of a finger.
“Quickly has technology provided us with ability to access things with touch and fingerprint recognition, using our DNA to make payments, access rooms, start your car and sign into work. Digital showers are already on the market, however moving forward we expect to find digital technology boards which can detect the optimal shower temperature from your body using just the heat levels from the touch of a finger.” Says Sara Canatario, Product Marketing Manager at Guestline
The Digitalisation of Glass
Glass walls can be attractive yet its ability to turn opaque if someone is using the bathroom makes it the perfect disguise. Being able to change the opacity and imagery on the glass makes it the ultimate personalized experienced to each individuals taste.
Watch a sea view or go opaque with glass privacy walls
“Privacy glass will be incorporated within the hotel room that can be made transparent or opaque via an app on the in-room tablet, alternatively it would be possible to activate the privacy wall through voice control.
If it’s not privacy you need it might be to personalise the room to your mood and these wall length glass walls will allow guests to tailor the room decoration to their preferred style and colour, be that a video of beach waves or a sunrise in Bali.” said Ralph Fernando at Pragma.
Everything will be Wireless
Coffee machines will have touch ID setup, and know your drink preferences from your online profile
“Coffee machines are an expectation in higher-end hotels, and we could find over the next 15 years your coffee will be personalised to you. This will be done through handprint recognition and profiling, making your favourite drink depending the time of day” said Sara Canatario at Guestline.
Jo Littlefair, Co-founder and Director of Goddard Littlefair shares her thoughts on a ‘wireless hotel’ keeping minimalism at the forefront of designing a hotel room. Having previously designed rooms for The Principal, The Hilton, Intercontinental and Corinthia Hotels, it is an essential luxury is blended with sleek technology.
“Plugs and sockets will probably go completely. The trend will continue towards hidden or invisible technology, but with the provision that medical research on the effects of wireless connection hasn’t come up with anything negative in the interim. The interface and balance between wellbeing and technology will be key.”, Says Jo.
“We won’t have wiring systems everything will be Wi-Fi enabled and voice control. It should all be enabled and hooked up, things such as TV’s won’t need to have plugs in the back of them it will be so you can install it anywhere in the room.” says Duncan from Humanize.
Guestline recently surveyed 2,000 UK citizens2 about their concerns on all processes being managed through artificial intelligence rather than reception staff.
The results revealed that over half (60%) and concerned about how a lack of human interaction being replaced with artificial intelligence will alter their hotel experience and requests.
Are we ready for the future?