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— JULIA SPILLMAN
STATE TOF ART STAYS HE
ROBOTS AND VIRTUAL GARDENS AND SMART WINDOWS, OH MY! FROM COAST TO COAST, HOTELS ARE IMPRESSING GUESTS WITH THE LATEST LUXE AMENITY: TECHNOLOGY.
By JILL SCHILDHOUSE
While we may not yet have flying cars that transport us to our vacations and business travel, each year the hospitality industry moves one step closer to delivering a futuristic Jetsons-like experience to guests. The worldwide pandemic kickstarted early adoption of some technological advancements, but it’s only a small taste of what’s to come.
“Much of what was implemented during COVID will stay,” says Robert Rauch, the founder, hotelier and hotel operator behind R.A. Rauch & Associates and a faculty associate at Arizona State University, where he teaches hospitality entrepreneurship. “Contactless check-in and touch-free menus will likely be the norm. Mobile will be a close second. Even baby boomers use their mobile phone for everything, so, going forward, reservations, mobile checkin, messaging with guests, mobile room key and control of the guest room via mobile phone will be standard.”
So what other tech innovations will wow guests as hotels race each other to deliver next-level safety, convenience, comfort, sustainability and entertainment? At these properties across the country, the future is already here.
CARNEROS RESORT AND SPA ESTATE MAGAZINE ESTATE MAGAZINE 93 93
AI-Powered Beds
CARNEROS RESORT AND SPA / WWW.CARNEROSRESORT.COM
WHEN YOU CHECK into one of the four Harvest Suites at Carneros Resort and Spa in Napa, immediately disregard everything you’ve ever heard about limiting technology usage in bed. Your king-sized Bryte Restorative Bed awaits, and it’s a literal dream come true. Luxurious Bryte Beds monitor sleep through AI technology to provide better sleep quality and quantity. Guests can control the beds with an in-room tablet, but the bed also just knows when to release the pressure points that would otherwise wake you up and controls the climate for optimum balance during each sleep stage. These beds are proven to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up less frequently throughout the night, which means you’ve just found your best night’s sleep ever — and it’s not even at home!
NFT Art Gallery and Robot Concierge
DREAM HOLLYWOOD / WWW.DREAMHOTELS.COM/HOLLYWOOD
PLENTY OF HOLLYWOOD blockbusters have warned you that robots will eventually take over, and now we’re one step closer to that reality — but in a much less threatening way. Dream Hollywood, comprising half a city block in the heart of Los Angeles’ Hollywood entertainment district, now boasts two robot concierges. Alfred and Geoffrey don tuxedos (obviously!) and offer such contactless conveniences as bottle service, food and supplies delivery and guest greetings. The futuristic feels in this hotel don’t stop there, because last August the property unveiled a first-of-its-kind physical NFT (non fungible token) exhibit in partnership with The Crypt Gallery. Open to the public and curated by NYC-based NFT art collector-turned-innovator King of Midtown, this immersive experience allows guests to learn about digital art and participate in live auctions to help start their own collections.
ROBB AARON GORDON Thermal Body Mapping Spa Treatment
YOU MIGHT EXPECT spa treatments on the secluded Hawaiian island of Lāna'i to be focused on simplicity and Mother Nature’s bounty, but the practitioners at Sensei Lāna'i, A Four Seasons Resort also lean on technology to transport your body to new levels of relaxation. The Thermal Body Mapping and Massage treatment uses Sensei-developed thermographic technology to create a visual map of your body, revealing any asymmetries, muscle tightness and areas of pain. This data is then analyzed and incorporated into your custom massage, with targeted bodywork focused on restoring flexibility and alignment.
Smart Windows
LAKE NONA WAVE HOTEL / WWW.LAKENONAWAVEHOTEL.COM
ORLANDO IS KNOWN for delivering on innovative entertainment, but even more futuristic features lie beyond the Disney theme parks. Lake Nona Wave Hotel, located just southeast of Orlando International Airport in Lake Nona, is dubbed “a smart city with soul,” and lives at the intersection of well-being and technology with impressive advancements throughout. Our favorite is the usage of View smart windows in each of the 234 guest rooms (including two penthouse suites with floor-to-ceiling windows), which use artificial intelligence to automatically tint based on the sun’s position. Guests can enjoy more natural light with unobstructed views because blinds aren’t needed to control light, heat or glare — plus the technology blocks 99% of UV light in its darkest tint state.
Augmented Reality Garden
LOVE THE IDEA of escaping to a rooftop garden for a little R&R? Don’t forget to bring your smart phone, because it’s the key to unlocking the rooftop digital forest at JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort. This augmented reality experience comes to life once guests download the Shimé app and use it to interact with three sculptures. Each time guests return to this spot — whether that’s the next day or a year later — they’ll get to “see” just how much their trees and plants have grown. This space coexists with a secret butterfly garden, a 70-foot wall covered with more than 600 handmade titanium butterflies that change hue throughout the day.
COURTESY OF JW MARRIOTT
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WHAT’S NEXT FOR TECH-BOOSTED HOTEL OFFERINGS?
1. METAVERSE. Everyone’s getting into the metaverse, so why not hotels? “Innovations in the metaverse offer numerous ways for hotels to market their property to anyone in the world in an instant, explains Tricia Costello, executive director and CEO of creative agency Fresh Wata, whose team broke digital ground on MetaVegas. “They can offer tours to guests and meeting planners from around the world at a moment’s notice.” How does it work? Guests can park their avatar’s car at valet, walk through the front doors and be greeted by a knowledgeable host ready to book their conference or event. They can see the hotel’s layout, walk through hallways and enter rooms, such as a penthouse, and approach the mini bar to see what’s in stock. The hotel manager can look at your avatar eye-to-eye, pull up a hologram property map, teleport you to the gym or pool party where a DJ is spinning, or to one of their restaurants to show you a video message from the chef. The possibilities are endless. 2. 5G WIRELESS. “5G will come to fruition fairly soon,” says Rauch. “This will completely disrupt all hotels as many now provide cable, fiber or satellite technology and all are striving to improve Wi-Fi speed.”
3. MORE ROBOTS. “We will see more robotics rolled out, especially those that perform mundane tasks,” says Rauch. “These will include delivery/service robots and vacuumcleaning robots.”
