Mr. Hill

Technology

Technology That Creates Luxury

By Roger G. Hill , Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, The Gettys Group Inc.

Traditionally, we define luxury hotels as five-star resorts with sleek design, top-notch amenities, and expensive accommodations. At the most basic level, a hotel or resort experience is most luxurious when it offers indulgences and unexpected touches, and hotels often create lavish environments with sumptuous d'ecor and attentive service.

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, technology, if properly applied, can help a hotel owner take both d'ecor and service to the next level. Every hotel, from an exclusive beachfront resort to a country bed and breakfast can use technology to create luxury.

There are a lot of different reasons people travel; business, vacation, or family. But every traveler has the same thing in common - they all desire to be comfortable on the road. There is more competition with hotels than any other industry, so adding on a "wow factor" to your guest rooms sets you apart from the rest of the pack.

A good interior design and architecture firm knows design should appeal to the senses, while at the same time having a purpose and giving you that "wow" satisfaction. Technology gives us new tools to create sensory experiences for hotel guests. Installing a flat-screen television is a minor upgrade most hotel owners can afford. To create luxury, up the ante by embedding speakers into the wall to provide in-room surround sound. Both appliances are more aesthetically pleasing than a giant television cabinet, and they also provide the higher viewing and sound quality consumers expect from a modern entertainment system. A hotel can go even further by installing a flat-screen television in the bathroom, so guests can watch the morning news while getting ready.

To engage additional senses, add warmth to your guest rooms. We're working on a project now that installs a radiant heat to the bathroom floors, eliminating the shock of cold tile first thing in the morning. Perk up a guest's morning further by providing an iPod docking station rather than a traditional alarm clock. It looks sleek, and travelers will love waking up to the music of their choice, rather than a call from the hotel desk or the screeching of an alarm. Parents especially appreciate a docking station, as music can make a new surrounding feel more familiar. A hotel can even take a cue from Bill Gates by installing systems to automatically adjust the thermostat to a guest's pre-set preferences as they move from room-to-room in a suite-style setup.

New gadgets look good, and they create a more soothing ambience. Simply installing a bedside panel wired to control a room's drapes and lights gives guests effortless control over their surroundings - something most hotels can't offer. No one likes to stumble around a hotel room in the morning searching for light switches and thermostats.

This brings me to my next point: Technology creates luxury by offering heightened service. Think of the concierge options you offer - can any of them be incorporated into in-room services? Think of the basic needs and desires of your guests - are you taking care of all of them?

I'm often amazed by hotels that don't offer WiFi in their guest rooms. This may not seem like a designer's issue, but our role in conceptualizing a room is to anticipate guests' needs both aesthetically and functionally. Just a decade ago, it was common for a traveler to leave home without carrying much more than a wallet and change of clothes. Today's travelers are more connected - to the media, to work, and to each other - than at any other time in history. BlackBerrys, Bluetooth, and broadband keep us in touch with important aspects of our personal and professional lives; advances are making communication equipment less cumbersome, smaller, and more portable, making them hard to live without. Travelers rely and depend upon their gadgets, and they will check in to the hotel next door if it means having access to their preferred technologies.

Because we know hotel guests want to access their email, favorite Web sites, and travel itineraries on the road, we should provide for their basic needs with high-speed Internet access and data ports. Once hotel owners incorporate these essential services, they can add unexpected touches, such as two-line speaker telephones, personalized voicemail, a customized fax number, scanner, and printer, and even a GPS tracking system for those travelers not familiar with the area. Enabling voice over Internet protocol allows guests to make voice calls using a broadband connection, and it cuts down on hotel operating costs and charges back revenue. These technological amenities create luxury just as well as concierge services, spa treatments, and golf courses. A hotel room loaded with all the devices a guest may need or want delivers a higher level of service and puts the guest at ease.

Another easy upgrade is to incorporate on-screen menus into your hotel's new flat-screen televisions, which can offer guests concierge services at the touch of a button, while they scroll through international movie and television programs. In-room checkout allows travelers to skip one of the many lines inevitable in every trip. Another thing we love to do is add flat screen televisions in each of a hotel's elevators. We find that guests appreciate the weather, stock, and breaking news reports. In this way, we're using technology to bring luxury to the entire hotel, not only the guest rooms.

The level of customer service at a hotel is a key differentiator of luxury resorts, and technology can help all resorts enhance their service with a smaller investment than simply hiring additional staff.

In the lobby, hotels install concierge kiosks, where guests can check-in and download basic information. Like the in-room checkout option, the electronic concierge eliminates long waits and frees personnel to address guest issues rather than on routine tasks.

We are proponents of "smart" systems in hotels, which house a database of information on each guest. The system allows hoteliers to customize their service by guests, based on their preferences and catalog of behaviors. If luxury is ultimately about going above and beyond the call of duty to please a guest, then using a smart system to customize a guest's experience with the hotel is the ultimate in luxury. Imagine entering a hotel room, weary from a long flight. Because the hotel uses a smart system, the room has already adjusted to your preferred temperature, your favorite song is playing, a basket with your favorite snacks waits on the table, and the television displays a personal welcome. That's luxury.

Some hotels are already implementing smart systems, and we will see the trend increase in coming years. Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have made it easier for hotels to implement smart systems. Often used to auto-pay for food and beverage services, as well as help parents keep track of their children in large resorts, RFID tags can also be programmed with the guest's preferences. As a guest approaches their room, the door automatically opens and the room's temperature automatically adjusts according to pre-sent standards.

Although the steps I've outlined are easy to implement, the rapid pace of technological advances can leave a hotel developer unsure of which new systems to adopt, and, ultimately, prevent the implementation of any new, untested technology at all. But the era of waiting in the wings as new technology rolls out is over. The return-on-investment for technologically sound enhancements is boundless. Hotels have an opportunity to offer guests technology they only read about, because they can't afford to implement smart systems and other advances at home.

Nearly 25 years ago, Roger Hill co-founded Gettys, a Top 10 hospitality interior design, procurement and development firm. Under his leadership, Gettys has grown to a global team of business-minded professionals who specialize in hotels, resorts, spas, casinos and mixed-used developments the world over. A respected industry veteran, he is frequently called upon by hospitality and business media outlets to provide insight into the redevelopment, renovation, and repositioning of hotels. A graduate of Cornell University, Roger has served as an appointed delegate for the White House Conference on Small Business, and is a member of ULI, YPO and ISHC. Mr. Hill can be contacted at 312-836-1111 or info@gettys.com Extended Bio...

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