The Herman Trend Alert: Hotel Of The Future Here Today

The Herman Trend Alert: Hotel Of The Future Here Today

Editor’s note: with many avid, international travelers among the aftermarket ranks, this week’s Herman Trend Alert may grab your attention as major technology changes are beginning to transform the hotel industry.

Editor’s note: with many avid, international travelers among the aftermarket ranks, this week’s Herman Trend Alert may grab your attention as major technology changes are beginning to transform the hotel industry.

 

Photo credit: iStock.com/xijian

Located in the city of Hangzhou, 170 km southwest of Shanghai, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. sited its first futuristic hotel. Called “FlyZoo,” the leading-edge property is within walking distance of Alibaba’s headquarters. The name derives from a pun in Chinese for “it’s a must to stay here.” The 290-room FlyZoo, which formally opened to the public last month, is an incubator for technology, including artificial intelligence, which Alibaba wants to sell to the hotel industry.

Check-in at kiosks

The lobby has softly-lit white paneled walls reminiscent of spaceships in films. Guests may check in and choose their own rooms at kiosks that can scan their faces, passports or other ID. Visitors with Chinese national IDs may scan their faces using their smartphones to check in ahead of time, like the apps for Marriott and Hilton.

Using facial recognition to keep guests safe

To reach their floor, elevators scan guests’ faces to verify their appropriate access, and hotel room doors are opened with another facial scan. Not only can guests check in and get into their rooms in record time, they also feel safer knowing that no one else is able to enter their rooms.

Technology in the rooms

Once in the rooms, guests use Alibaba’s voice command technology, called “Kimo Geni,” to change the temperature, close the curtains, adjust the lighting, operate the television and even order room service. For the time being, the Echo-like device only recognizes Chinese, however.

Robots deliver towels and mix cocktails

Furnished in a minimalist style, rooms have hardwood floors. Gliding silently throughout the property, eight black disc-shaped robots about a meter in height deliver food or drop off slippers or fresh towels. Alibaba says their robots significantly reduce labor costs and eliminate the need for guests to interact with other people. At the hotel’s bar, guests who order one of 20 different cocktails may watch a large robotic arm mix their cocktails. The robots’ facial recognition cameras add charges to the room rate automatically.

Digital checkout 

Ready to check out? Simply press a button on the app after which the room locks and through Alibaba’s online wallet, you are automatically charged. Once checked out, the guests’ facial scan data are immediately erased from Alibaba’s systems. Moreover, data are saved in the cloud, not on local servers.

Privacy issues not a big deal to the Chinese

The hotel also is an experiment to test consumer comfort levels with digital commerce in China – a country where intrusive data-sharing technology is already accepted – often enthusiastically. There seems to be a greater attraction to advanced technologies involving personal data, like facial recognition, in China where regulation is minimal, and “the government has rolled out public surveillance projects that use biometric data.”

One answer to the shortage of hospitality professionals

For guests unwilling to have their faces scanned, the lobby does feature a human “service ambassador” to assist with conventional check-in procedures and issue electronic key cards. The property does employ humans, as chefs and cleaners, though Alibaba declined to say exactly how many.

Normal for a high-end hotel room in China

Room costs start at 1,390 yuan ($205 USD) per night – not expensive for Shanghai, but probably on the high end for Hangzhou. In spite of the “wow factor” of the hotel, guests are clearly paying a premium to interface with this leading-edge technology. We suspect that Generations Y and Z will happily pay the difference.

The shape of things to come?

Alibaba is still working on advancing its capabilities, however there is no doubt that those of us who love embracing the future will be drawn to properties with these kinds of technologies. And the good news for hoteliers is that they will be able to function with fewer human employees while delighting the younger generations who enjoy interacting with machines.

To watch a two-minute video on this futuristic hotel, click here.

© Copyright 1998-2019 by The Herman Group, Inc.

 

 

You May Also Like

Continental, Synopsys Team Up on Automotive Software Development

The collaboration aims to accelerate the development and validation of software features and applications for the Software-Defined Vehicle.

Continental announced a collaboration with Synopsys to accelerate the development and validation of software features and applications for the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV).

"This new collaboration integrates Synopsys’ industry-leading virtual prototyping solutions for virtual Electronic Control Units (vECU) within Continental’s Automotive Edge (CAEdge) cloud-based development framework. The results are digital twin capabilities for software development that help automakers accelerate software development and speed up their time to market," Continental said.

Epicor Unveils Digital Cataloging, Future Plans

The new catalogs use Epicor-validated, ACES-compliant data and an “Intelligent Search” feature to find the right part quickly.

Epicor digital catalog
Epicor Launches Automotive B2B eCommerce Platform

The Epicor Commerce for Automotive platform features multi-seller support and parts lookups for distributors and their customers.

Epicor commerce for Automotive
Marelli Launches Fuel System for Hydrogen Propulsion Systems

Marelli will present a variety of new technology at the CTI Symposium in Germany, Dec. 5-6.

The Automotive Aftermarket’s Role in a Circular Economy 

Take a deep dive into the factors driving the automotive aftermarket toward a more circular economy.

Circular economy

Other Posts

AI in the Aftermarket: Endless Applications Yet Hurdles Remain

The automotive aftermarket is delving into AI and ways it can help businesses be more productive and effective.

Intellias to Showcase HMI, ADAS and More at CES 2024

The company also will unveil the next generation of its IntelliKit, a portable fully-integrated digital cockpit.

Anyline Partners with Treads to Simplify Car Ownership

Anyline has partnered with Treads, an AI-driven car management subscription service, to enhance analytics for car owners.

Anyline Trends partnership
Unifying Your Parts Technology to Eliminate Channel Conflict

Harmonizing various channels in your eCommerce strategy through unified technology helps build an agile business model.

ecommerce channel conflict auto parts suppliers