hospitality kiosks
were also plagued by several other
factors. These included the widespread
perception of the Web as a competing
medium, the excessive amounts required
for kiosk development, extended
procurement cycles and the unusually
lengthy pilot project, which was needed to
introduce a valuable kiosk system to the
public. The lack of precise planning and
minimal thought to applications, design,
and maintenance also caused many kiosk
projects to falter.
However, kiosks have come a long
way since then with new avenues opening
for their deployment. Ben Wheeler, the
marketing director of kiosk manufacturer
RedyRef Interactive Kiosks, said that the
kiosk industry had some excellent ideas
that could be expected to cause some
hustle in the coming days. Two of these
were apps for medical marijuana kiosks
and medicine dispensing kiosks in the
United States.
Considerate design
Another aspect of the industrial kiosk
in the hospitality industry is the over-
all enhancement it brings to an area;
the interior design holds a great deal
of significance in the luxury hospitality
sector. Industrial kiosks can help hotels
and restaurants get their interior design
in order, apart from enhancing their
efficiency and reducing time. However,
most luxury hotels find kiosk installations
challenging because of the risk it poses
to the interior design of the hotel.
Luxury hotels are often adorned with
high-quality marble and are loaded with
beautiful ceramics, expensive chandeliers
and the most exquisite gold details. The
luxurious style of these hotels means
that no industrial kiosk can match its
level; any standard solution would risk
transforming the area into a train station
or airport wayfinding system. The answer
for them is customising the kiosk design
to resonate with the visual elements
in the hall. A combination of different
high-quality materials can give the kiosk
a unique look – the kiosk blends entirely
with the surrounding location and looks
more like decor than an IT device.
The value that kiosks add to the
interior design of a hotel or a restaurant
enhances the overall ambience of that
place. Most savvy interior designers would
be well aware of the significance of being
able to control the different components
of a place with ease.
Tablets displayed in enclosures can
engage with customers even during the
unavailability of the front of house staff.
Moreover, bar kiosks can provide the
customers with a digital menu, which can
cater to the needs of the customers even
when staff aren’t present to meet their
needs. The positive impact that hospitality
kiosks have on the front of house services
can also lead to an improved back of
house function. Tasks can be completed
efficiently and with reduced errors with
requests and orders being processed
automatically. It goes without saying that
kiosks have a bright future ahead, and
they're certainly here to stay. n
KIOSK solutions 13