TECHNOLOGY
You won ' t see a telephone in Arrive ' s guest rooms .
Callahan says . But a keypad with a simple four-digit code could be faster than a smartphone while still freeing up the guest from having to pull out a room key . The challenge has been finding a keypad lock that can be programmed remotely .
Callahan adds that thanks to the rise of Airbnb and VRBO ,
where owners often use keypads on rental properties , guests are becoming more comfortable with keypads .
SLOW TO TAKE OFF Arrive may also be considered prudent for not investing in smartphone keyless entry . David Sjolander , chief operating officer at Hotel Technology Next Generation , says it ’ s still too early to tell whether mobile checkin and keyless entry will take off . He says a new J . D . Power report on hotel guest satisfaction says only 3 % of guests take advantage of online or mobile check-in . “ Hotels have been trying forever to help guests bypass the front desk but nothing has really worked . And oftentimes , it ’ s not the technology . It ’ s getting guests to change their behavior , and I don ’ t
know if that will ever change . We ’ ll have to wait and see .”
Regarding robotic butlers and concierges , Sjolander notes the ones that are being used for efficiency , such as a high-powered vacuum cleaner that housekeeping can use . However , even the gimmicky-looking butlers like Relay and Aloft ’ s Botlr ( both are created by the same manufacturer , Savioke ) are doing a good job of engaging with the guests .
“ The robots actually had to be programmed to move slower because guests didn ’ t want them to leave the room so quickly ,” Sjolander says . “ They really liked it .” Robots are here to stay , he adds , but the hotel industry hasn ’ t quite figured out what to do with them yet .
As for the tablets that control room functions ,
“ IF THE TECHNOLOGY IS MANDATORY , OR NOT TOTALLY USER-FRIENDLY , THE RESPONSE CAN BE OVERWHELMINGLY NEGATIVE .”
— BJORN HANSON , CLINICAL PROFESSOR , NYU ’ S TISCH CENTER FOR HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Sjolander says those are keepers , as well , especially since guests use similar Internet of Things ( IoT ) technology in their homes . Yet he points out that there are still plenty of security issues to overcome . “ If someone can get into the room , and remove the thermostat and access the wiring that ’ s there , can they take over the entire infrastructure ?” he asks . “ We ’ ve got to get on top of the security issues first .”
It ’ s all in the
WRIST
The Four Seasons Lanai is using technology to stay connected — to dolphins and whales . Guests who don ’ t want to miss a sighting can get alerts from the resort ' s Beach Team on their phones every time there ’ s any activity in the water .
The hotel is using technology to solve another problem that ' s less entertaining but is far more commonplace . “ We have this quintessential Hawaiian resort ,” Tom Roelens , the resort ’ s general manager , says . “ You go to the beach , you play golf , you jump in the pool . But where do you leave your key ? We thought , ‘ There must be technology out there that could solve this problem .’”
As part of the resort ’ s comprehensive renovation two years ago , Four Seasons debuted RFID-enabled wristbands that allow guests to open their room doors without using a key . Guests merely have to approach the door and the lock sensor activates .
“ We really wanted to create something that even if you aren ’ t tech-savvy , it ’ s easy for you to operate ,” Roelens says . “ Our guests are impressed with the technology yet at the same time , it ’ s very intuitive to use .” Technology that ’ s intuitive , simple , and easy to use ? That just may be the , er , key .
60 hotelsmag . com November 2016