Editorial Board   Guest Author

Mr. Uhrin

Rob Uhrin

Principal, Cooper Carry

Rob Uhrin is a leader in the thriving Hospitality Studio in Cooper Carry's Washington, DC office, where he combines resources from the firm's national practice to complete projects nationwide. During a decade in Atlanta working on multiple building types, Mr. Uhrin settled on hospitality. This varied architectural experience gives him the particular ability to integrate hospitality projects into the mixed-use environments that are fundamental to Cooper Carry's design philosophy. Mr. Uhrin's favorite projects include urban infill that revitalize an existing urban area and represent investment in the surrounding neighborhoods. He leads the design of projects ranging from massive urban scale developments to small boutique hotels, while also acting as a thought leader as the hospitality industry continually redefines itself. He is currently leading the design of diverse hospitality projects including the Notre Dame Embassy Suites hotel in South Bend, IN, the NC State Centennial Campus Conference Center & Hotel, in Raleigh, NC and a Hyatt Centric hotel located in the shopping district of historic Alexandria, Virginia. Beyond his hospitality and conference center expertise, Uhrin leverages Cooper Carry's emphasis on mixed-use design to create truly livable, authentic places. He is regularly on the road, pitching a greater vision of the 21st-century hotel as a gathering place surrounded by restaurants, shops, offices and townhouses, wrapped into a truly spectacular place. Mr. Uhrin has held a leadership design position on nearly 30 hotels and 6,000 keys, more than half of which have been in an urban setting, where the building is expected to catalyze its urban environment.

Please visit http://www.coopercarry.com for more information.

Mr. Uhrin can be contacted at 703-519-6152 or robuhrin@coopercarry.com

Coming up in January 2020...

Mobile Technology: Meeting Tech Expectations

What once seemed futuristic is now the norm, owing to the escalating developments in mobile technology, and hotels must continue to innovate in order to meet guest expectations. In a recent study from Mower, 65 percent of guests said they would gladly pay more for a hotel that provides the mobile technology they deem essential. The same study shows that 44 percent of travelers are more likely to book a smart hotel, and nearly 7 in 10 want to use smart devices provided by the hotel. And how do guests wish to use all this technology? A majority expressed a desire for mobile check-in and check-out, and mobile payment options. They also want to be able to stream content from their phone to the TV; to make service requests of the hotel staff; to control in-room lighting, temperature and sound; to order food and beverages; and to request a wake-up call - all from their mobile device. Guests also expressed preferences for robust wi-fi and convenient device charging ports throughout the hotel. They also appreciate the use of hotel branded apps which allow a guest to book a room, access loyalty programs, receive discounts and rewards, and even use the app to choose the room, floor and view they prefer. Some hotel apps also allow a customer to track their charges throughout their stay, rather than waiting to receive a bill at the end. Finally, mobile tech lounges are popping up more frequently in some hotels. These lounges offer guests the opportunity to perform tasks like airline check-ins or access to local info guides, but they also provide a place where guests can comfortably get some work done outside their room. The January Hotel Business Review will report on what some hotels are doing to meet their customers' expectations in the mobile technology space.

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