A vision for the future
At the beginning competitive advantage lay heavily on the three L’s; “Location, location and location”. Then, as we moved on to the age of Knowledge Management, it changed dramatically to the 3 K’s; “Knowledge, knowledge and knowledge. Now, an upheaval of tectonic proportion has shifted it to the three S’s; “Safety, safety and safety”.
It’s still a long way before hotels offer voice-controlled guest rooms. Nevertheless, after COVID-19, here is an outline of a potentially real scenario, where the internet of things will come into play very soon.
You’ve just checked-in to your hotel and you walk into your guestroom - without touching the door knob. As you step inside, you immediately trigger cleverly concealed sensors that automatically switch on the air-conditioner. By pressing a button on your smart phone, you move the window curtains enabling some sunlight to stream into the room. If it is both dark outside and inside, a quick jab of another button on your phone turns the room lights on.
All this simply made possible, by turning your smart phone into a remote, with the addition of a hotel app, featuring in-stay functionality that gives guests the power to also adjust the room temperature, stream personal content to their room’s TV, contact the concierge, and order in-room dining, etc.
Going in to the bathroom, you place both hands under the washbasin tap and a sensor detecting your hand movement activates water to run. You don’t need to use your hand to turn it off either- the intelligent tap stops the flow of water as soon as you take your hand away. Imagine a hotel bathroom that complements this auto hand-wash with an automatic soap dispense and a hand dryer – all in the same location.
Finally, you allow your body to drop on to your bed – but not before plugging your phone into the charger that’s conveniently located on the side of bedside table. From the moment you entered your hotel room, and, up unto this time, your hands touched only your mobile phone.
Funnily, mobile apps that can do all of what is described here, entered the market several years ago. But a majority of hotels were reluctant to invest fearing they were not worth the cost unless they actually engage guests. Thus, limiting their use to increasing revenue with ancillary offers, real-time marketing through targeted promotions sent through the app and the capture of data to build guest loyalty through a tailored experience.
Understandably, the hospitality industry has a long way to go before it is up and running. However, while hotels by way of necessity will prioritize safety and sanitation, it would make sense for them to incorporate flexible ways in which guests can exercise and enhance their personal sense of well-being given an array of choices.
Technology and automation, vehemently disliked by many prior to COVID-19, because it reduces human interactions, will, like cutting-edge facial recognition systems be the norm. The technologically sophisticated hotel without staff is just around the corner. So, get used to it.
However, remember, technology like everything ages – unlike human interaction.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier |
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