Imagine a vacation where check-in lines don't exist and time constraints are a thing of the past.
Has anyone been to Walt Disney World lately and experienced the wonder that is MagicBands? With a touch of the wrist, your MagicBand opens your hotel door, lets you park, confirms your FastPass, and overall commands your entire visit throughout each of Disney's parks.
Disney World is hardly the first and certainly won't be the last to advance to the demands of modern day technology. Many hotels are thinning staff and increasing budget for advanced technology; but how far can we truly get without the need for the human experience?
Many hotels have begun taking a giant digital stride and replaced human staff with computers. Hotels like Blow Up Hall, in Poland, are already using smart mobile technology to better accommodate their guests. There is no check-in desk, just a concierge that confirms your booking and hands you your "room key"…or in other words, an iPhone 5. It comes with a Polish SIM card that you can use as you wish all over the city for the duration of your stay. The process of finding your room is an adventure unto itself as you use a mobile app to guide you to your room. The phone becomes your room-key, concierge, bellhop, tour guide, wallet and connection to the outside world. Feel free to leave that 'old fashioned' wallet locked up in your hotel's room safe, because you will not it need due to the cutting edge technology this Polish hot-spot puts at your fingertips.
The Darling Hotel in Sydney has won awards for its innovative incorporation of technology into their hotel rooms, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Other hotels like Seoul's Hotel Skypark Central are also jumping on the 'smart phones as room key' bandwagon, allowing guests to check-in and out, open doors, order room service and plenty of other ways to limit the needs for human contact.
The footrace is underway, and leaders in the hotel industry are working to meet the demands of their consumers. Disney is currently the leading pioneer for utilizing technology for trip planning. Disney "has an app for that!" While Disney still embraces the need for human help and contact, you can now check-in/out, schedule reservations, book FastPasses, and hold all Disney park passes- right on your smart device.
The real question comes when we ask if we'll ever really be able to fully rely on a virtual world in hospitality. Humans are a complicated species; and with that comes an infinite combination of needs, wants, likes, dislikes and intelligence. How will these apps approach language barriers, varying levels of technical understanding, a complicated request, and so much more?
As we move and evolve in this new digital age, many tech enthusiasts predict a steady progression toward these new travel technologies. The idea of getting to bypass reception desk queues and organise every detail of your trip will be thrilling to some but add even more pressure to others.
In an age where faster is better and patience is low, hotels will be doing themselves a grand favour by incorporating technological advances into their structure. Predictions and possibilities are proving endless – the sky truly is the limit as we embrace and embark on an incredible digital era.
Gina Withey has over 20 years' experience in the travel and hospitality industry in the areas of Sales, Marketing and Operations. An Orlando native, Gina has held positions as Director of Sales, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, National Sales Manager and Corporate Sales Manager, in particular in the corporate travel segment where Gina has established a wide range of contacts within the business community.
Gina is currently Regional Director Sales and Marketing and oversees staySky Resort Management's marketing and advertising for staySky Hotels & Resorts, which includes both Orlando and Daytona Hotels, and sits on the Global Marketing Committee for Visit Orlando.
