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He predicts they’ll add mobile
check-in by March 2015, with
additional capabilities such as the
ability to control drapes and light-
ing to follow. “The goal is to give
guests all that control at their
fingertips,” he says. “As properties
add these capabilities, we’ll be
adding them to our app.”
For hospitality companies, an
advantage to providing these
services through a proprietary app
is that it gives guests a reason to
download that app. “You’ll be able
to offer push promotions to guests
in real time,” Haussman says.
“When a guest walks by the paddle-
board rentals, you can message
them a coupon for a 50-percent
discount. Some guests will be
bothered, but most will love it.
When they’re sitting on the beach,
they can order a drink or food.”
Bandwidth Bonanza
Although many of these technolo-
gies can lead to cost savings for
resort operators, those savings
will probably be absorbed by the
need for additional plugs and
bandwidth. “The amount of band-
width that’s needed is seemingly
limitless,” Haussman says.
“Everyone wants to do their own
thing; you know, dad is watching
ESPN, mom’s reading a magazine
on her iPad, and the kids are play-
ing video games online.” Guests
are arriving with three or more
devices per person, so having
plenty of accessible outlets avail-
able is also paramount. A surfeit
of bandwidth or outlets may be a
problem guests also deal with at
home, but they’ll certainly enjoy
knowing that their vacation homes
come well-equipped.
Judy Kenninger is a Brownsburg,
Indiana–based writer and
communications consultant who has
worked in the shared ownership
industry for nearly two decades.
Properties also have the option of
offering guests the ability to print
articles or publications they prefer
to read that way.
Seabourn is offering the ser-
vice on its cruise ships. The ships
download requested content daily
and store it on their local network
so guests can access their choice
without going online. In addition,
each ship will make available a
small supply of tablets with
PressReader already downloaded
for use by guests who do not
carry personal mobile devices.
Unlocking Potential
When it comes to replacing physi-
cal door keys, hospitality com-
panies are actually ahead of
consumer technology, where such
systems are only just now being
adop t ed . Rad i o - f requenc y
identification (RFID) and code-
based systems have been avail-
able to resorts for several years,
but near field communications
( NFC ) t echno l ogy, such as
Bluetooth, may be where the
industry is headed. The technolo-
gy allows the guest’s smartphone
to serve as the room key and
accommodates online check-in.
For example, the Starwood
mobile app does much more than
permit guests to book overnight
stays with Starwood Preferred
Guest (SPG) points and see the
latest offers. Guests can also
access around-the-clock assis-
tance through iPhone’s FaceTime
function. Aloft-branded properties
have mobile check-in, where
guests are messaged with their
room number. Upon arrival, they
simply hold their SPG card near
the lock, and it will open. The next
frontier is to eliminate the need for
the card and allow guests to use
their smartphone instead. Recently
rolled out at the Aloft property in
Cupertino, California, Bluetooth
technology allows guests to enter
their rooms using an Android 4.3
or iPhone 4s (or newer) device.
“The big advantage of NFC is
that most phones already have
the technology,” says Alastair Cush,
director of product management
at Kaba, whose Assa Abloy divi-
sion provides the technology using
Legic’s IDConnect service. The
locks can also share information
with the property information soft-
ware, so the front desk can be
alerted to the guest’s arrival, a
welcome message will play on
the TV, and the restaurant can
be prompted to send up a bottle
of Champagne. “Properties can
create a complete room scene,”
Cush says. This could include
lighting and music that comes on
as the guest enters.
Proprietary Apps
Many resorts are including ways
to contact staff and access ser-
vices in their proprietary apps, but
MobileSuites, a new iPhone app,
intends to be a one-stop shop
for travelers. CEO Dennis Meng
says the app, which debuted in
September 2014, already works
with approximately 500 hotel
brands, among them Hyatt, Le
Méridien, St. Regis, W, and Westin.
Duly Noted
As of January 2014:
•
81 percent of American adults with income over
US$75,000 have a smartphone
•
32 percent of American adults own an e-reader
•
42 percent of American adults own a tablet computer
•
29 percent of cell owners describe their cellphone
as “something they can’t imagine living without”
Source: Pew Research Internet Project
TECH TALK
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
JANUARY – MARCH 2015