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OUR WORLD IS INCREASINGLY LINKED TO TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND WE CONSTANTLY LEARN ABOUT NEW INVENTIONS RELATED TO SEVERAL ASPECTS OF LIFE, INCLUDING HOTEL AND CATERING BUSINESS

New technologies are no doubt gaining momentum in the hotel industry and defining its present and future, reaching levels that seem to come out of science fiction. The so-called “smart hotels” are mostly being developed in Europe, Asia and the United States. Progress is also being made in Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil.
The introduction of technology in the hotel industry gives properties a modern look. Smart hotels are generally the most impressive and luxurious properties.
We can’t forget that those who were born between 1985 and 1994 –the so-called Millennials– are ready to manage most processes and conveniences by means of smartphones or any other mobile device, which entails a technological challenge for the hotel industry’s traditional ways.
This generation is less adapted to traditional procedures and they prefer electronic devices. Most of these users do everything through smartphones and a significant percentage of them also depends on the use of laptops, tablets and the Internet.
The Millennials are going to be 15 years from now the group that provided most guests around the world, carrying all of these habits with them, so the hotel industry should be in sync with them.
The use and development of social networks have also allowed potential users to do some research before booking. Positive and negative reviews issued by previous visitors get special heed. Social networks quickly put users’ reviews on the map and millions can learn skim through those opinions when making a reservation.
No time has been wasted by the hotel industry when it comes to following the preferences of these age brackets. For example, these properties presently feature single or multiplayer electronic games, such as the much popular Pokemon Go.

A second tier is occupied by clean-energy-related technologies and those contributing to energy efficiency.
In the same breath, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has recently given the hotel industry a set of tools to slash energy consumption under the initiative named “nearly Zero Energy Hotels” (neZEH) which assesses the consumption level of hotels and provides technological and organizational measures aimed at improving efficiency and fostering the use of clean energies.
We could say that what we presently have is only a small step into this unstoppable process of technological introduction. What technological apps can we find now and what developments are we going to see in the short term?

» Online bookings and web-surfing possibilities in and out of the property.
» Bookings in smart hotels by using the car’s GPS. Conversion of the car key into the key to the hotel room.
» CCTV with the installation of new wireless technologies, thus offering safe environments to create a feeling of true confidence among guests.
» Wi-Fi connections with free Internet service in both indoor and outdoor areas.
» Payment and identification by using fingerprints and biometrics.
» Directional sound to be specifically listened to by a customer.
» 3D TV sets and displays integrated in mirrors.
» Smart bracelets.
» Virtual reality.
» » Service drones as support elements.
» No desks as guests are guided by phone.
» Li-fi, which is a hundred times faster than Wi-Fi.
» Robots applied in cleaning works, baggage handling, drink mixing, consultancy and guest support around the hotel.

Smart Rooms
They are characterized by offering special comfort, which makes guests feel like in a sci-fi world. Some elements that can be found in a so-called smart room:

» Sensors to adjust temperature to the guest’ body.
» Contact with the service personnel by sending messages to their cellphones.
» Tablets and other devices in the room, which have been customized according to the guest’s language to control TV, curtains, lights and signs, request room service, and more.
» Use of biometrics and fingerprint scanners to open the room.
» » Welcome and good night message, customized alarm clock with volume level and music of the guest’s choice.
» Night light to show the way to the bathroom or doorway.

If you are a techie, enjoy it and rest assured these technological developments are going to whip our lives into the shape of the modern world’s new realities, no matter what our age is.