Marriott - Teleporters

Marriott - Teleporters

As the travel industry is always among the first to trial new technologies, British tour operator Thomas Cook recently let visistors of its new concept store try on Oculus Rift headsets to immerse themselves in a ‘virtual reality holiday’.

On a similar note, Marriott Hotels has jumped onto the virtual reality bandwagon as part of its ‘Travel Brilliantly’ campaign in an effort to connect with next-gen travelers. The hospitality chain is taking to major cities a display in which consumers, wearing an Oculus Rift headset, can step into a phone booth-like “Teleporter” and be whisked to Black Sand Beach in Hawaii and the top of Tower 42 in London. Video of the 3D experience here and here .

The Teleporter made its public debut September 18 at the Marriott in New York, and has now embarked on an eight-city tour (Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta,Dallas, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco) that runs through mid-November.

Marriott hopes users of the Teleporter will be inspired to actually go and take a trip somewhere. “Most people go to a hotel’s website and see beautiful but very static images,” said Michael Dail, VP of Marriott Hotels Brand Marketing, adding that the experience around the hotel is key for travellers. The social aspect of the experiment is important from a marketing perspective. Users are encouraged to share their opinions, pictures and personal experiences with the hashtag #GetTeleported, in an effort for Marriott to attract younger travelers who may not be as familiar with the global chain’s brand.