Group items tagged

This article discusses the various options for reducing both a hotels energy costs and its carbon footprint. Many times a hotel will combine a door sensor with a motion detector. However, some in industry argue that a door sensor is over unnecessary. Real saving is energy is achieved through "through management of the property's HVAC system". Whatever system is installed it is best to err on the side of the guest. Door sensors can be tell if a guest has enterer or exited a room. But if a motion detector is installed it can be sure of a guests presence.

This is an interesting article that teaches us eleven useful methods to be energy efficient in running hotels. According to authors' experience, it is not unusual for hotels to save $10,000 to above $30,000 per year, per property, by employing the right measures. For me, I like the lights saving part which can be simple and effective. For instance if we install a motion sensor in the bathroom per suit, it can help to keep the lights off when no one uses it and this can save at least $50 per room per year. For the decorative using lights, like the night pool lights, if we turn it off, we can save at least $250 per year. We can also install motion or occupancy sensors to light hallways and stairwells. Besides we can control the parking lot lights to a saving of $250 per year.  Energy saving methods can be everywhere and if we pay much attention to details of energy usage, it puts money in hotels' pockets.

This is an awesome article. I think that if people would just think a little more when they are using electricity it can save money but when people are staying in hotels the mind set is that they are not the ones paying for the electricity so who cares -- leave lights on all day and leave the TV on all day. There are so many ways to help save money in hotels by putting up lights with sensors in so many locations that really will help the planet as well as help the property save money. Great article!!

Scientists at Purdue University are working on a sensor that relies on readings of carbon dioxide to control the climate system of a building. This can be beneficial for hotels and other hospitality industries that see significant charges from energy consumption. The uniqueness of the sensor is that it can control the climate more accurately since rooms that are empty will have lower readings of carbon dioxide thus energy will not be used to control the climate.

Energy management is a important part of physical plant of hospitality management. The most significant meaning of energy management is to reduce costs and drive up profits. Energex system is a kind of energy management software introduced in this article. It can adjust the using of the HVAC system automatically and save energy costs. It also can ensure the guests' comforts. The system can be used in both old and upcoming hotels. What the hotel need to do is to install a sensor along side the thermostat. I believe this is a good technology for this industry because it can not only benefit the hotels but also be environment-friendly.

Traveling is becoming a popular trend. People love to visit new locations around the world and are expecting a high quality level of technology. The more people travel, the higher their expectations become. The new technology trends being offered in the hospitality industry include wearable technology and sensors. Guests are able to check in and have a key-less room entry with an apple watch or something similar. Rooms are equipped with sensors for lights, an app to adjust room temperature as desired, TV voice recognition, digital news papers, and much more. Another important aspect of technology in the hospitality industry is providing rich travel related multimedia content. People like to use apps or websites such as Yelp, Youtube, or trip advisor to offer travelers suggestions and real life user experiences and reviews. Thus, providing such brands a way to create significant relationships with their current and future customers. Hotels encourage their guests to use social media to share their experiences. Yelp and swarm allows people to check-in and be rewarded for visiting the locations, by offering a complimentary cocktail, appetizer, and so on. In addition, Hotels encourage their guests to hashtag their stay. Robots are entering the hospitality industry, from serving foods, carrying luggage, and acting as hotel receptionists. You will be able to find this in the Henn-na Hotel in Japan.

Brands can now differentiate themselves from their competitors through the effectiveness of digital technologies such as sensors, robotics and mobile which provide a unique experience for customers. Sandals for example, uses key card sensors to door guest doors and customers are able to control the smart TV programs with an app on their phone. In addition, we uses a predictive system to monitor our rooms forecast as it relates to travel booking per month / year. The article focuses on five common trends: 1. Personalization by using predictive analytics: One example is Kayak, a travel booking site that uses the predictive analytics for their price forecast. 2. Integrating wearable technology and sensors: Hilton Worldwide and Starwood Hotels integrated Apple Watch in their business operation to enable mobile check-in, keyless room entry and special request. 3. Providing rich travel related multimedia content: Customers are able to review valuable information about their destination through various social channels such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, blogs and other websites. 4. Leveraging social media: Social media channels are allowing customers to share their stay experience at a resort and plus give rewards points and discount offers. Marriott Hotels for example, has a PlusPoint reward system. (https://sourceable.net/hotel-design-trends-for-millennial-guests/) 5. Artificial Intelligence: Businesses are using Anybots and Roboceptionist to replace receptionists. (http://www.otrams.com/blog/innovations/artificial-intelligence-in-hospitality-industry/).

This article written by Sharma, is providing a brief explanation of how new technology is taking over the hotel industry. From Apple watch room entry, to robots now taking over luggage and receptionist duties, technology is quickly becoming the essence of the hotel industry. Having a successful hotel is now measured by the level of technology associated with that hotel.

This was a very interesting article about how Salvatore's Grand Hotel will be the first to benefit from the integration of Zeno Control, LLC and Verve Living Systems. The hotel will immediately begin installing Verve Keycard Switch, which is controlled wirelessly and uses sensors and control products to control HVAC, lighting, and other electric loads in guestrooms. Verve Keycard Switch doesn't require batteries. When a guest enters their room, they place the card into the Keycard Switch and then have complete control over all the electric devises in the room. Once the card is removed, the electronic devices in the room turn off or go into eco set back mode. The system can not only turn things on and off, but can defect problems in the room and track energy usage. The hotel expects to see a return on investment within two years. I thought this article was right on target with this week's module, and it seems this system would definitely help facilities be more energy efficient. I think it also supports preventative maintenance. Since it tracks problem areas, the facility manager should be able to address them before guests have to point them out. One possible problem I see is if guests forget to remove the card when they leave the room.

Verve Living System by ZENO Controls LLC has a new guest room energy control system. The system concludes guestroom swithches, sensors, thermostats, and lighting control. The system will turn off all electronic facilities when the room is un-occupied. So the system can get immediately financial benefits to hotel from the saving on energy expense, which is a big spender of entire expense.

This article discusses the benefits to using new technologies to manage kitchens in hotels and/or restaurants. By using digital softwares, processes can be streamlined as information is shared more quickly across different departments and staff versus paper reports being misfiled or lost. This also ties into food sensors to better determine and manage food output and ensure not only a better quality being served to the public but less waste overall. Especially in the current climate, less food waste would not only help the bottom line but would be an added marketing tool to more eco-conscious patrons.

There are so many systems for revenue management and labor control for the F&B industry, but certainly based on my personal experience, the use technology for food temperature and cost control is an area that is still lagging behind. In most the hotels I have worked at, we still rely on monitoring the temperature of the fridges from the sensors and alarms installed in the fridges and although we use the Birchstreet system to order food and cost the recipes, the inventory and quality assurance of food once received is still done visually and with the "clipboard and paper" method which takes a lot of labor and inaccuracies. Very interesting article and reminder of where technology can come in handy. Thanks for sharing!

This article details some of the ways Property Management Systems are expected to grow in the next decade through CRM solutions, analytics, automation, & IoT sensors. These measures will reduce time, increase productivity, increase customer satisfaction, and most importantly generate more revenue.

More and more retail stores are converting to iPad tablets as their POS software. Some stores are using them only for customer internet searches and product display capabilities but many are starting to use them for bigger tasks such as checking inventory and entering product orders. This takes away the need to run back and forth between the stock room and sales floor with pen and paper. As a result, customer service is increased because sales floor presence is greater. Some benefits of order management using the tablets as their POS software are increased employee productivity, reduced out-of-stocks, and more payment flexibility. Now you can use tablets as payment devices with credit cards.  DecisionPoint Systems, a leading provider of mobile and wireless systems for retailers, is now offering an application to help retailers personalize their customers' shopping experience. Aruba Networks has recently presented a new tablet-based software that allows customers to check out from anywhere in the store. Having worked in the retail industry for many years, I think this technology for back-office purposes is very useful. One of my employers had started using tablet technology during my time there and I can attest that it does increase employee productivity. It makes doing inventories, size checks, and ordering management so much easier and faster. Employees are able to stay on the sales floor longer which is especially beneficial in the case of being short-staffed or during shift changes. However, I am a bit skeptical about using these tablets as a form of check out from anywhere in the store. Unless the store has security measures in place for this, it does not seem very theft resistant. Especially in a clothing retailer in which sensors need to be removed. The cashier would have to be carrying around a sensor remover at the time of check-out to make this system really time-saving. 

Security is obviously very important in hospitality and technological advancements are helping to make hotel stays easier and more secure. The hotel industry is exploring options to that replaces the standard plastic keycards with new entry methods. One example is using smartcards or RFIDs, which stands for radio frequency identification. Smartcards and RFIDs work like a fast-pass at a gas station when quickly paying at the pump. The guest simply waves the card/key in front of a sensor granting entry. The guest doesn't have to worry about the card being deactivated by his or her cell phone and the hotel doesn't have to constantly spend on replacements. Another example is technology that allows us to enter our hotel rooms using our using our phones. Guests would download an app, receive a text message with an encrypted sound code and play it by the door to be granted entry. Using biometrics for entry is likely the ultimate level of technological security. Like in the movies, guests would have their physical attributes scanned including eyes, and/or thumbprint to identify a guest. Video cameras will always be a great form of security. Now that they're getting smaller and more vivid, surveillance makes the phrase "Big Brother is watching" all the more relevant by being a huge crime and incident deterrent. Technology is advancing rapidly and I can see some of these methods hitting mass markets sooner than we think.

This article talks about the new technologies applied in the hotel to keep safety. The first one is Smart cards/RFID that helps to open the door via sensor receiving. The next one is smartphone, personal belongings that help to open the door with encrypted sound code. Biometrics also can help by identifying personal physical traits. For hotels, security cameras is necessity. 

More and more, hotels are using IoT (the Internet of Things) strategies. Just like we can use our phones to lock/unlock our house's front door, hotels can use different devices in their properties to boost a guest's satisfaction. Currently, some of the top IoT trends are: Guest-room automation, where a guest's room can change the temperature, switch on/off the lights, and do a few more personalizations around the room depending on whether or not a guest is currently in there; Predictive maintenance, where sensor data is used to prevent issues by recognizing dangerous trends and notifying maintenance before it gets worse; Mobile engagement, where guests can use their phones as room keys among other things; and Hyper-personalization, where rooms could remember a guest's room preferences (temp, lighting, tv channels, etc.) and then set up the room the same way the next time they stayed. However, the fact that all of this is internet-enabled means that there is also a significant risk of information being hacked into and stolen.

ISS facility management company is partnering with IBM's Watson to increase the service aspect of different places. ISS is a group that focuses on different services that include cleaning, catering, property services, etc. IBM is a technological company that has its own form of artificial intelligence called Watson. ISS has a plan to place a multitude of sensors all over the interior of a building. This can mean doors, chairs, desks, etc. These sensors are going to monitor everything in the area around them, and report all of the data it obtains using ambient intelligence, or technology that is able to learn from its surroundings. This data will be logged on a blockchain ledger, and analyzed by Watson. With this data, Watson can text guests about the things they need in a room, turn off unused equipment, and calculate how many utensils or plates that guests in a room may need. The focus is not to only lower costs, but improve service as a whole. ISS has already implemented this into their Copenhagen headquarters, and they plan to spread it to over 20,000 more locations.

This article includes ten ways smart technology is reshaping the hotel industry. Smart energy management, predictive maintenance, smart guest experience, big data protection, smart reserved parking, remote check in and check out, mobile room keys, smart room service, smart marketing practices, and online reputation management technology are all highlighted in this article.

This article is about 10 ways that smart technology can help and reshape the hotel industry that would be beneficial in the long run.

This article explains 10 ways of smart technology in the hospitality industry. 1- Smart Energy 2- Predictive Maintenance 3 - Smart Guest Experiences 4 - Big Data and Big Data Protection 5 - Smart Reserved Parking 6 - Remote Check-in/Check-out 7 - Mobile Room Keys 8 - Smart RoomService 9 - Smart Marketing Practices 10 - Online Reputation Management Technology We all know most of these, but Smart reserved parking caught my attention because I've only seen this once where hotels now have smart sensors and hotel apps that allow to reserve parking spots in advance and it reduces labor since there's not really a valet person assigned. It proves guests a smoother experience from the moment they pull in.

They can work together. Based on this article, this can be beneficial for all industries.

Robotics, virtual reality, and augmented reality can work together to create cutting-edge solutions for diverse businesses. Businesses use robots to increase efficiency while also ensuring employee safety in potentially dangerous situations. Virtual reality and augmented reality, two contemporary technologies, have provided an immersive platform for media and gaming. People can explore strange environments both indoors and outdoors with the aid of AR and VR. The "Three Amigos" can be augmented reality, robotics, and virtual reality when they work together. Robot control using immersive technologies like VR and AR is possible. Business executives need to be aware of the potential benefits of combining virtual reality, robots, and augmented reality. Robots can be programmed to do a variety of jobs using virtual reality and augmented reality. There are two different kinds of neural networks: imitation networks, which attempt to comprehend demonstrations and examine how actions are executed, and visual networks, which use images taken by the robot's camera to understand the current state of an object. Dual neural networks can be used by organizations to enable robots to learn new tasks by monitoring and dissecting several behaviors. Robots that use artificial intelligence (AI) are exposed to a wide variety of data, which helps them learn how to distinguish between distinct objects, group related objects together, and recognize new objects that resemble what they have already seen. The expense and effort needed to gather data and real-world items can be reduced by trainers and developers. Robots can also be taught to recognize certain biological structures in the human body using 3D models. Virtual reality can be utilized to construct teleoperating robots that can function with the help of many sensor displays by employing hand controllers. The homunculus concept of the human brain, which postulates that there is a miniature human inside the brain that controls movement

This article is about the different keys available for hotels to use for their rooms. Metal keys which are like what we use everyday for our homes is an outdated form of security key in the world of technology. The key card system is a plastic card with electronic access. Hole cards seen rarely today is a plastic card with a series of holes to correspond to a specific door in the hotel. Bar code cards is exactly that a card with a bar code, like you see at the supermarket, which is placed under an electronic reader. This type of key has been fazed out due to easily being fooled. The magnetic strip key card are widely used in the hotel industry. They look like a credit card with a metallic strip on the back. It has extra protection unlike other types of keys. The newest system is the RFID key card system, which has a radio sensor chip embedded inside. It works with a programmed reader and when the key is brought in close range the door unlocks and opens. This article was about the security keys being used in hotels.

Marilyn, This is an interesting article because I never knew the progression of hotel key cards. I do not think anyone did and we just assume they started somewhere simple and got to where they are at now. Key Cards with RFID seem as though they are the best type of key but also very expensive for the hotels, especially if it is a large property. We only see the one kind of key card now in hotels and to me it seems secure but who knows what information is actually stored on that card. Great article !

This article is about the different keys available for hotels to use for their rooms. Metal keys which are like what we use everyday for our homes is an outdated form of security key in the world of technology. The key card system is a plastic card with electronic access. Hole cards seen rarely today is a plastic card with a series of holes to correspond to a specific door in the hotel. Bar code cards is exactly that a card with a bar code, like you see at the supermarket, which is placed under an electronic reader. This type of key has been fazed out due to easily being fooled. The magnetic strip key card are widely used in the hotel industry. They look like a credit card with a metallic strip on the back. It has extra protection unlike other types of keys. The newest system is the RFID key card system, which has a radio sensor chip embedded inside. It works with a programmed reader and when the key is brought in close range the door unlocks and opens. This article was about the security keys being used in hotels.

Facilities management is an area of a hotel, restaurant, or cruise ship guests do not often think about, but they play a huge role in the hospitality experience. Lately facilities management has a huge influence on making hotels energy efficient and greener. The Hyatt Hotel Corporation is working on creating greener properties like the Indian Wells' Hyatt Regency Spa and Resort. The property and Hyatt recently hired Sixto Ramirez a mechanical engineer to become a force behind making the property greener. The focus has been on new dishwashers that will turn off when no trays are being pushed through the system; guest rooms now have sensors to raise the A/C temperature when no one is inside to save energy; soon the property's stoves will have new exhaust hoods that will turn off when it senses no cooking smoke. The property is also updating cooling towers to energy efficient models to eliminate discharge into the sewer system. Facilities management is working on improving the property and becoming energy efficient. Sustainability is an important aspect to facilities management. Improving green technology in facilities management will help the hospitality industry to become sustainable and energy efficient. Large properties like the Hyatt will help improve energy efficiency by bringing in engineers to work on improving facilities on resort and hotel properties. This is an area that can help bring down costs in the future and improve properties. Facilities management plays a huge role in running a hospitality business and without this department a hospitality experience would never be the same. Sustainability is the future of facilities management. I found the article to be interesting with how the Hyatt has chosen to improve the property for the future.

""We have recycling bins throughout the hotel in every guest room," said Barnard. In the newer remodeled rooms they've installed heat and motion sensors. Once you leave or enter the room, it activates the heat and AC system, which makes it energy efficient. In addition to the in-room management system, a monitored hot water system automatically shuts off when not in use."

"Going Green" is no longer the standard, it is now how to greener than your last innovated green project. Why is the guest/ consumer not made more aware of these green accomplishment? They may notice the ones that directly effect their stay, however the indirect ones i.e, cloud computing to monitor solar power panels, removal of big box TV's and computer monitors are having a greener impact on technology in the hospitality. The energy savings are impressive, the continued effort made by these companies has a huge on the environment. "It is the collective consciousness of the whole human race that has to make people aware that this is important."

I am all about going green...hotels are adding sensors for when guests leave slidding door open to shot down A/C units as well as when the room is not occupied, the A/C with a sensor will rise the temperature. The technology is so amazing, that engineering staff can simply reset temperatures with a handle from outside the room. Beside A/C temperature control, hotels continue improve electricity savings by utilizing new light bulb and re-designing lighting around the hotel. At the company that I work at, we have light sensors in the offices, if you are not in your office after a certain amount of time the light goes off.

This article discusses Marriott's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment) Certified hotel which is opening up in Scottsdale Arizona. In an effort to reduce energy and utility costs this new property boasts a variety of features such as Energy Star certified appliances, water- efficient toilets, and specialize lighting controls and sensors that reduce the consumption of electrical lighting in the presence of natural sun light. In addition changes made to the roofing, such as the installation of light colored panels that reflect heat and the use of recycled building materials will help keep costs down and use less energy. Marriott's effort to take measures in being more environmentally conscious should serve as an example to other hotel chains and properties to be socially responsible as well.

Marriott Corporation set up an eco friendly program, which is called LEED volume program. Towneplace Suites is the main leader of this program and they created it because of they would like to teach and tell about what it really means to be social responsible. The goal of the program is to provide a pre-certified hotel design as green hotels. More than $100,000 can be saved per project and company will do all the work with owners pre-opening and post-opening. They usually focus on lighting and towel. They prefer to use motion sensors rather than regular light bulb and try not to change sheets and towels too often. They are some hotels trying to be green hotels but it is very rare that big corporation hotels try to be the one and lead industry. I believe it will bring positive effects to whole tourism and hospitality industry.