The Guestroom of the Future

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The Guestroom of the Future
MODERATOR Ted Horner Managing Director E. Horner
Associates, Pty Ltd.
Fraser HICKOX Managing Director, Hospitality
Laboratories, and former General Manager,
Research Development, Peninsula Hotel Group
Tony YEOH Vice President, Information
Technology InterContinental Hotels Group
Geoff McCLELLAND Vice President, Technology-Hotel
Development Asia, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
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The Guestroom of the Future

• Fraser HICKOX
• Managing Director,
• Hospitality Laboratories,
• and former General Manager, Research
  Development,
• Peninsula Hotel Group

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The Guestroom of the Future
HTNG 2008 Asia-Pacific Members Meeting
Conference
Geoff McClelland VP Technology Hotel
Development Asia Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
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Discussion Questions

• How will tomorrows guest room differ from
  todays?
• What can hoteliers do to future-proof their
  investments in guest-facing technologies?

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Key Customer Trends

• More mobile and more versatile working harder
  and longer
• Communicate broadly (work, family, friends) using
  a variety of methods (cell-phone, email, IM,
  blogs, Facebook, YouTube)
• Carry PDAs, laptops, iPod/MP3s, digital cameras,
  HD camcorders etc. which they expect to connect
  up in the guest room quickly and easily
• Stays are short with little time for rest and
  relaxation so personal time is precious
• Want to stay informed and entertained
  content is king and it may be their own content
  on their home DVR
• Spend on consumer electronics in the home has
  increased and guest expectations have risen
  accordingly
• Rise of environmentally conscious consumers who
  travel

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Key Technology Trends

• Consumer electronics RD rather than Telco or
  military RD now drives most innovation that
  impacts us day to day in hospitality
• Personal consumer electronics are becoming
  wireless, spatially aware, heavily customizable,
  self learning, highly personal e.g. health
  monitoring mobile phones with Near Field
  Communications (NFC)
• Embedded intelligence becoming pervasive and
  promiscuous e.g. intelligent ZigBee thermostats,
  lightning, safes, mini bars, door locks, blinds
  control, air quality, electricity and water usage
  monitoring
• Analytical analysis being applied to complex
  data, voice and video e.g. CCTV based
  demographics, unattended bags etc.
• Green RD has become a major focus and marketing
  tool
• Moores law and Gates law still holding.

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So how will tomorrows guest room differ from
todays?

• Still a sanctuary even more so
• Unobtrusive guest services
• Ubiquitous very high speed wired and wireless
  Internet access
• Integrated public cell and hotel Wi-Fi
• So we may be able to know who you are as you
  enter the hotel
• Seamless, adaptable, self learning
• The guest room will adapt to your preferences
  both in the PMS and in your personal electronics
• Environmentally aware
• So an evolution rather than a revolution
• Many of these things are in luxury properties
  today.

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What can hoteliers do to future-proof their
investments in guest-facing technologies?

• Move to IP, if you havent already done so
• Ensure that your physical infrastructure can
  handle the load wired and wireless
• Focus on the Key Customer Trends as they pertain
  to your guests
• Recognize that equal attention needs to be paid
  to the content, software and services not just
  the hardware
• Try to gain an overall perspective of long term
  technology trends these actually dont change
  rapidly
• Understand that execution is a rigorous and
  systematic process the bright idea is the easy
  part
• Use www.htng.org as source of vendor neutral,
  well architected open source advice.

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MO Hong Kong Guestrooms Suites
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The Guestroom of the Future
HTNG 2008 Asia-Pacific Members Meeting
Conference
Geoff McClelland VP Technology Hotel
Development Asia Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
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The Guestroom of the Future

• Tony YEOH
• Vice President, Information Technology
  InterContinental Hotels Group

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Who is the Guest of the Future ?
More Now
More Me
More Flexibility
More Real
More Aware
More Wow
Better connected
Better value
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What are the elements of Guestroom of the
Future ?
Connectivity
Simplicity
Wow
Communication
Systems
Content
Bath
Bed
Condition
Service
Cleanliness
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2008 Asia-Pacific Members Meeting
ConferenceSeptember 22-23, 2008
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