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"I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.

Yet more card-free security systems are on the way.

Many industry watchers are keeping an eye on Houston's largest hotel, the vast 1,200-room Hilton Americas–Houston. The hotel has a facial recognition system that can identify and track guests, employees, and even suitcases. With 700 employees and an annual $16 million payroll, the system offers benefits such as employee time-theft monitoring and prevention for the hotel. But travelers aren't that concerned about employees taking an extra cigarette break. What it means for you is that the system includes alerts if unwanted people are on the property and a response time of mere seconds if there's an incident. Customer service is heightened as well: Returning guests will be recognized and greeted by name. And with 1,200 rooms worth of luggage in transit, the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags.

not everyone wants to be on-camera, all the time. With concerns about "snooping" and a Truman Show-like lack of privacy, might guests feel that systems such as this are too intrusive in our hotels? "

Technology is opening new doors to hotel safety, and the way we navigate hotels is set to change in the blink of an eye. Or the swipe of a cellphone. Or the print of a finger. With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;} Those plastic key cards that once seemed so innovative will soon go the way of the actual key. The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access. Much like the cruise world's one card system, these cards may soon make hotel stays easier by allowing guests to pay for services, as well as to check-in and check-out, through a single device. Travelers may even be able to save preferences on the cards, from pillow type to floor choice. RFID cards are already in use at New York's Plaza Hotel, and Starwood Hotels are considering introducing them into their hip Aloft and Element properties. But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether. "In addition to Radio Frequency Identification, there are also systems that use a smartphone, such as an iPhone," says Frank Wolfe, CEO of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. "When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message." You can then play back the code to unlock your room door.

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well. Movement-activated video-capture systems were showcased in New Zealand in September 2010. Researchers are at work on devices capable of recognizing an individual's gait or walk and even their DNA. Frank Wolfe says, "If you want to go 'way out there', there are some systems being explored that can allegedly sniff someone, and also systems that can recognize the pattern of blood veins on a human being which are apparently unique to the individual," says Wolfe. Quite common in Japan, vascular-recognition systems such as this are still "several years off," according to Wolfe. "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

Diamond plus service provides on-demand ‘anywhere—anytime’ online webinars, free version upgrades and eLearning to help Maestro users develop skills and confidence in their system.

Caesars isn’t neglecting room service, though. Later this year, it intends to roll out at selected properties a new “food order tracker,” which will let guests see the progress on their order.

Caesars has taken a hybrid approach with Ivy, its virtual concierge text-messaging service, which is powered by vendor Go Moment.

Ivy users gave the properties approximately 10 points higher satisfaction scores.

Caesars is taking steps to build a data repository. It hired consulting agency Bluewolf, an IBM company, and Salesforce, which offers marketing platform services over the cloud, for one slice of the data centralization effort.

The company responded by changing its approach. The focus shifted from trying to generate revenue to trying to boost customer service.

(18%) said their companies are not investing fast enough in technology to take advantage of what’s available

their labor costs have been reduced by guest-facing mobile tech,

(86%) attest that the digital devices have cut service times and boosted throughput. 

(93%) said they’re convinced the capabilities have favorably affected guests

Only 48% percent said they’re confident they can capitalize on tomorrow’s advancemen

an save them time and money. 

9% said they believe add-on suggestions delivered to consumers using an ordering app will boost check averages in the future, and 95% said they expect mobile tech to improve guests’ experience and strengthen brand loyalty.

The research was based on interviews last summer with 279 executives of food and beverage sellers that were using mobile technology. 

Besides the Yobot, Yotel features automated check-ins and check-outs (similar to airport kiosks), adjustable smart beds from Serta, and a “Technowall” with a flat-screen TV and streaming audio.

Hotels have gone mobile, giving you the ability to check-in and request services via a smartphone app. The James hotels in Chicago and New York have gone a step further by outfitting their properties with iBeacon sensors. With the app, James Pocket Assistant, installed, guests automatically receive notifications once they step onto the property, which could be anything from hotel information to special discounts. The app functions as a virtual concierge, too, allowing you to communicate with staff or find nearby attractions.

If there’s one country that isn’t afraid of robot domination, it’s Japan. Huis Ten Bosch, a European-styled theme park, is planning a hotel that’s not only high-tech, but staffed by robots. The Henn-na Hotel (translation: Strange Hotel) will feature human-like robot receptionists that converse in natural language; robots even handle bellhop and custodial duties. There will be human employees, but the company’s president told CNN that he hopes robots will eventually operate 90 percent of the property.

“Cutting down waste, using smart technology to manage buildings and possibly generating their own power are all options for hotels to consider, and E.ON can help throughout the whole process, from concept to management.”

is now ready to invest significantly in energy solutions across other hotels in the Thwaites chain.

Getting to grips with energy costs is important for all businesses, and minimising the impact that rising energy prices will have is important for every organisation’s long-term security.

I think the pandemic has accelerated the acknowledgment of serviced apartments and next-generation hospitality space. As people discover the service, they will continue to adopt it more and more.

Pedan feels that the world is moving in a direction where a product that caters to planned-for nomadism is needed, and Kasa is also working to partner with hotels to offer their tech on-site (they are currently working to launch their first hotel in New York).

Fifty percent of full-service restaurant operators said they have added digital menu access via QR codes since March 2020, according to NRA’s 2021 State of the Industry Report. But it hasn’t become a point of differentiation in the mind of the consumer — only 1 in 5 diners said the option of accessing a restaurant’s menu through their phone or a QR code would make them more likely to choose one restaurant over another in the next few months. 

"People were less inclined to look up drinks, cocktails and wine through the QR code, so more often than not we would drop the beverage menu with each guest [that featured] a QR code for the food menu, and if they wanted a [physical] food menu it was available upon request."

The functionality of an NFC tag or a QR code on a table brings so much digital transformation opportunity that maybe the aesthetic that used to be a primary concern is now a secondary concern."

One-hundred percent of foodservice operators reported in a December Panasonic survey that the pandemic has intensified their sense of urgency to adopt transformational technology, and respondents are implementing tech that prioritizes safety and self-service in response.

Allowing diners to order and pay at their tables without a waiter, however, could have a material impact on sales and diner satisfaction, he said, because it takes pressure off restaurant employees and diners when the dining room is very busy.

There was a stat we were able to generate that paying on your own device rather than waiting for a server to drop off the check actually saves 21 minutes of table time on average across our network… and that’s great for a restaurant because they have the ability to increase their revenue per hour per seat,

Digital integration at the table also primes diners to become more loyal customers and gives restaurants greater customer ownership in and outside of the restaurant

I can automatically redeem my offers and my coupons from a loyalty program. And from a digital transformation transformation perspective, I'm now a user within that restaurant's ecosystem," May said. "So that means online I can be provided offers that are tailored and personalized to what I had [during] the meal at the restaurant."

Some experts believe that air technology within restaurants could eventually become featured design elements as well.

According to NRA data, 85% of adults believe going out to a restaurant with family or friends is a better use for down time than cooking at home, and 67% of consumers surveyed between Dec. 4-6 reported they aren’t using restaurants as much as they’d like. 

Royal Caribbean’s WOWbands ($4.99/£3.70 or free depending on ship and class of travel) look like watch straps, but use radio frequency technology to open your cabin door. You can use Carnival Corporation’s wearable Ocean Medallion (free to all guests) with the Ocean Compass app to order food, drink and retail items on demand. It also unlocks your cabin door as you approach

Interactive maps are becoming far easier to use than expected thanks to the digital way-finder on the MSC for Me app. Just indicate where you want to go, and a map will demonstrate how to get there from your current location.

A rather futuristic option is available on some AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises ships in the form of a robot called Pepper, which provides guests with information, including how to ge

t from A to B

on board.

MSC Meraviglia has 114 interactive screens that allow you to book dinner as well as other activities, such as the theatre or spa, with few clicks and a swipe of your wearable bracelet

Carnival is launching MedallionNet soon (prices currently unavailable), which it says will be the fastest internet connection at sea and will provide pervasive cabin coverage. 

With MSC Cruises’ wearable bracelet, however, you can monitor your children in real-time and know where they are at any moment. T

With MSC’s interactive bracelet (or the Cruise Card) you can pay for everything, from your shopping session at the 100-metre high street to your evening meals. The wearable technology means staff quickly know who you are and your first language, which adds a sparkle to the customer service.

Personalised recommendations (such as which bottle of wine to try) will be offered on MSC Meraviglia in the not-too-distant future as part of the digital concierge service.

A modern take on arts and crafts can be enjoyed with the HP Sprout, scanner and 3D printer. Here children (around 7-12 years old) can design their own creations in the computer and then print 3D versions to take home

The days of cruise passengers feeling disconnected from the rest of the world while at sea are gone, which is good news for first-timers who may not have got their sea legs yet. 

There is a danger that while these processes save time and reduce long lines, they can simultaneously sacrifice customer service.

Voice assistants are becoming and will ultimately be ubiquitous.

real innovation is about so much more than the terms that identify the technologies transforming the hospitality industry.

This is particularly important and timely as the hospitality industry has been forced to quickly adopt and embrace technology to survive the "new normal". The global pandemic has only increased the significance and importance of hospitality-centric technology companies for the industry and has put a spotlight on Branded's investment thesis that the hospitality industry must embrace

Branded believes that continuing to identify, vet and make new investments as well as deploy additional capital to several of its current Partner Companies is the right course of action for this investment and advisory platform

When the restaurant shutdown was embraced by most states, Branded's off-premise and mobile/touchless HI-Tech Partner Companies immediately demonstrated an ability and desire to be allies to the industry.

Branded team is in a unique position to "test before they invest" and deploy capital in companies after successful in-store trials. The team is able to offer real insights to on the most pressing and important problems, challenges and opportunities that restaurant owners face

We've found that our boots on the ground experience and our ability to use our network of restaurants to test and vet emerging technology has proven to be beneficial in not only accelerating the growth of our partner companies, but also making smarter strategic capital introductions,

In terms of the Coronavirus crisis, it has challenged the industry in ways that we have never seen before, and technology is more important than ever. The adoption of HI-tech will be crucial for restaurants to continue to earn revenue in a socially distancing society."

By implementing the ZTNA model for secure network access, IT teams can have full control over who is granted access, enters, and leaves the network at all times. This model has gained much more recognition since being mandated in President Biden’s executive order.”

The entire world is starting to shift its attention to Kubernetes and the orchestration of containers,” Cusimano said. “It’s the next iterative shift — we went from physical to virtual to cloud, and now we’re going to microservices and containers. 

Although few cloud vendors have adopted the circular model, most are changing their business models to emphasize more renewable energy use, carbon offsets, and data center efficiency boosts.

cloud is typically more energy efficient than on-premises infrastructure, the growth of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) is causing cloud technology to work harder than ever.

“Sustainability is a massive trend in IT – from enterprises seeking to ensure cloud providers leverage renewable energy in data centers to enterprises increasingly seeking to minimize their own supply carbon footprint via sustainably sourced, circular IT solutions,” Fenn said.

“Cloud-native technologies will also lead and help companies to build, migrate, and modernize customer-facing and analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) apps more easily and at scale.”

Using AI over API, a Smart product will map every detail and show a clean dashboard to the account time while beeping off those entries which are overdue and needs to be followed up.

an IT audit and evaluation.  This is designed to detail an organization’s current technology landscape, how it performs and what additional needs exist.

Additionally, as portfolios become larger through acquisition across the globe, being able to limit disruption and deploy the best technology becomes even more important.

Hoteliers need to be able to make the best decisions for their operations and guests which are based on real-time insights and data. When it comes to groups and multiple property hotels, hoteliers want to ensure consistency of brand across departments and properties, something that guests are expecting more than ever during COVID-19.

Housekeeping teams and those working in hotel operations have faced one of the most challenging times in their industry and have adapted at incredible speed, so it is important to take note of this and celebrate your team. That way hotels can help create a new generation of loyal and motivated hotel staff.