Technology
Starwood was a very early adopter with the Apple Watch and first just focused on providing the in-the-moment information guests need to make their travel experiences frictionless .
status , hotel address , local language navigation and SPG Keyless technology .”
For well-funded , tech-forward companies like Starwood , wearables offer a tantalizing value proposition that could be a crucial edge for both guest and staff interactions in the near future . Those blazing trails in the space agree that possible applications are numerous . But for now , it ’ s only the beginning .
“ As we receive feedback on the SPG App for Apple Watch from our early-adopter guests , we will continue editing and introducing features to respond to guests ’ real-time needs ,” Waxenberg says . “ As the Apple Watch and wearables , in general , gain more mainstream adoption , we are confident that we will be able to greet new users with a robust , valuable application thanks to this early introduction and feedback .”
H : Where was the pilot conducted ?
MB : One pilot for a Nordic market was conducted in a hotel in Alanya , Turkey , in our Blue Village Family Life Pascha Bay . Another trial was held for a hotel focused on the Dutch market . H : What was the guest reaction ? MB : In both cases it was very positive ... Some 98 % of our customers that responded said they ’ d recommend this to family and friends . When we asked them how they would rate the app , they gave us 9.2 out of 10 . From the customer experience point of view , I think we ’ ve really thought ahead and anticipated those needs , so from that perspective , the product and solution work brilliantly . H : Are there plans to roll it out beyond these pilot tests ? MB : We will hopefully be rolling it out next year [ 2016 ]. It ’ s in the decision-making process right now . But within our business there ’ s quite a lot of willingness to have a look to see where it would fit the best . H : How much would hotels have to retrofit to use this system ? MB : You do need to plan for some changes , so door locks , for sure . You need to have the right technology in place — you need to have the right hardware in the resort — and there might be some changes in the units that control energy and electricity . H : Are there ways to monetize it and offset startup costs ? MB : Taking into account that our trial was only seven weeks , we did see positive indicators that there were certain commercial benefits from introducing the wristbands . H : Where ? What aspect of the hotel would drive that revenue ? MB : If you think of how free and seamless an experience you can offer in a hotel , there ’ s the possibility that a certain purchase may be triggered much more easily . That wasn ’ t necessarily our focus , though ; the focus was mainly on driving the engagement and experience in the resort . Once you achieve that , certain commercial benefits might crystallize .
H : Are wearables beyond the reach of smaller companies ? MB : Personally , I do think it ’ s feasible across the board .
“ If you posItIon your hotel as extremely dIgItally savvy and InnovatIve and you provIde a useful use case , It mIght ease certaIn stays and experIences , even In bIg hotels . It ’ s goIng to come down to the desIgn of the band .”
— Maria BoBrowska , TUi ’ s coMMercial MoBile Manager ( eUrope )
H : Based on what you ’ ve learned , are there certain markets or property types that are better suited for wearables ?
MB : You need to look at certain opportunities , like where you can offer certain add-ons , ancillaries or extras . It would come down to your customer segment and your target group . If you position your hotel as extremely digitally savvy and innovative and you provide a useful use case , it might ease certain stays and experiences , even in big hotels . It ’ s going to come down to the design of the band . H : Will this technology ever become widespread ? MB : I think we will be seeing more companies with interesting propositions and customers and guests finding different use cases . We are early adopters , so it ’ s great to have that opportunity to lead the way .
56 HOTELS January / February 2016 www . hotelsmag . com