Your next business trip could look a lot more high-tech if Marriott International has anything to say about it.
Last week the Bethesda, Md.-based hospitality giant revealed the “IoT Guestroom Lab,” a prototype Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled hotel room developed in collaboration with digital building experts Legrand Group and powered by Samsung Electronics Ltd.’s Artik IoT platform.
According to Marriott, which constructed the room at its Bethesda headquarters and will be collecting visitor feedback over the next three months, the project’s goal is nothing less than to develop “the ultimate hotel experience of the future.”
“We know that our guests expect to personalize almost everything in their lives, and their hotel experience should be no different,” Marriott global chief commercial officer Stephanie Linnartz said in a Nov. 14 statement. “By teaming with best-in-class partners, we are leveraging mobile and voice-enabled technology to give our guests the ability to set up the room to best meets their needs – whether that is creating the ultimate relaxation environment or one that enables productivity for business travellers.”
True to its name, the IoT Guestroom Lab incorporates several mobile and voice-enabled IoT systems, devices, and applications, including smart lighting, voice-activated room controls, and multiple screens to create both a personalized experience for potential guests and optimize the host hotel’s operations.
Among other features, guests visiting the Lab can presently use their voices or a smartphone app to set an alarm, convert a wall into a full-length mirror at a specific time for exercise routines, request housekeeping services, or even start a shower at a preferred temperature stored in their customer profile.
The goal, according to Marriott, is to create a future where hotel owners can take advantage of an end-to-end solution that requires minimal equipment, while providing customers with a digital-first experience based on the information they provide.
The company expects to begin adding elements of the project to its hotel rooms within the next five years.
Check out a breakdown of some of the prototype room’s features below.
