Marriott International has created a guest room laboratory to test mobile and other technology that the company says can improve guest experience, room design and construction and can support the company’s sustainability goals.
The hotel room, at Marriott’s corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, will use Internet of Things applications to address guest needs and improve hotel operations.
“We know that our guests expect to personalize almost everything in their lives, and their hotel experience should be no different,” said Stephanie Linnartz, global chief commercial officer at Marriott, according a press release. “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 travelers.”
The company said that IoT technology in the guest room allows the guest to ask a virtual assistant for a wake-up call, request housekeeping, etc., by voice or app. The goal is to give hotel owners a seamless, end-to-end functionality that requires minimum equipment, while customers have an integrated experience between their own data and voice-activated and mobile controls that provides personalized service.
After three months, feedback from the guest room lab will be analyzed; the company said consumers will start to see elements of the technology in hotel rooms within the next five years.