None of us want to leave the comfort of our homes and downgrade our lives. We live in a world of smart technology, and we fully expect to holiday in a smart hotel technology world too. We can expect our hotels to lift our experiences from our everyday lives. The hotels should and could be shining examples of everything right with a smart hotel room. Here, we’ll look at seven of the most innovative and productive uses of smart technologies that you would wish to find in your hotel.

Table of Contents:

What Does a Smart Room Contain?

Our smart hotel room will be more than just a TV and a stereo. It will house devices connected to ‘The Internet of Things’. All this means is that the TV, radio, fridge, and coffee machine are all connected to the Internet, and they can interact with it. The messages they receive and send out allow us to control them without ever touching them.

The term ‘Smart’ comes from the machines’ ability to work with us to create a better experience. We no longer have to leave the comfort of our beds just to turn the kettle on. Instead, we can access the coffee machine from our smartphones and control everything.

Why Do We Demand Smart Hotel Rooms?

Very simply, why would we not? If we walk into our hotel room, tell the lights to dim to our preferred levels, ask the speakers to play our favorite radio station, and have the coffee already waiting for us. The benefits to us, the customers, are huge. We get all the perks of smart devices, none of the hassle of setting them up, and none of the expense.

The speaker’s voice control will not be limited to the simple choice of music. The speaker becomes a personal assistant, a holiday planner, and a friendly guide through an unexplored city. Then there is the WOW factor that you will find in the best hotels. The latest and the greatest smart hotel solutions. Room service could become a thing of the past and smart the success of right now. According to the Smart Hospitality Market Report by Markets and Markets, the global smart hospitality market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 29.8% until 2027.

Table: Features & Benefits of Smart Hotel Technology

Aspect Features of Smart Rooms Benefits to Guests Operational Advantages for Hotels
Control Systems Automated lighting, climate control, and curtain operations. Enhanced comfort and convenience; personalized room settings. Energy efficiency; reduced manual intervention for basic services.
Entertainment and Connectivity Integration of streaming services, smart TVs, and high-speed Wi-Fi. Access to a wide range of entertainment options and seamless connectivity for personal devices. Improved guest satisfaction; potential for additional revenue through paid services.
Security and Privacy Advanced digital locks, in-room safes, and privacy settings for smart devices. Increased sense of security and privacy protection. Enhanced security; streamlined access management.
Communication and Services Voice-activated devices or apps for room service, concierge, and housekeeping requests. Convenient and efficient service requests; personalized assistance. Optimized service delivery; better guest data for personalized services.
Environmental Impact Smart energy management systems, water-saving technology. Participation in eco-friendly practices; comfort with reduced environmental impact. Sustainability and cost savings in utilities.
Data Collection and Analysis Use of IoT devices to collect data on guest preferences and room usage patterns. Services and offerings tailored to individual preferences. Valuable insights for targeted marketing and service improvement.

Smart Hotel Technology; 7 Technologies to Smart Up Your Hotel

Below are some of the examples of technologies that can create a smart hotel environment.

1. The Smartest of Room Controls

The most commonly found smart technology in any hotel room centers around air conditioning and room temperature. Recently, major chains, like Hilton Hotels, have launched apps and digital devices that allow customers to control their rooms remotely.

The IoT-connected conditioning ensures that a room will always be at the perfect temperature, and you never return to an ice-cold room. Still, your smart room is prepared for your return and knows what settings you want to experience.

2. The Voice Is the Master

We have long waited for the day that we can ask a computer to do anything, and it will be able to understand everything we are asking. According to the Voice And Speech Recognition Market Report by Grand View Research, the global voice and speech recognition market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.9% until 2030. With Siri, Alexa, and Google Home becoming the benchmarks in audio controls, the hotel industry has seized its chance.

Walking into our room and seeing that it has been furnished with the latest smart hotel technology means we can order room service by asking for it. We can play the TV channels at the volume we want and even dim the lights to create that cinema effect. All of this without having to lift a finger or even think about figuring out the random buttons on a hotel TV remote control.

3. Bringing Guest Services up to Speed

Making the most of our hotel room is more than just room service and getting pizza delivered at our whim. The smart room lets us book spa sessions, recommends excursions, and lets us know what is on at the nearest theatre that week.

Smart technology is more than just turning down a set of lights; it steps up and becomes our own personal concierge. It suggests what we should do, it lets us know the availability and the price, then it seamlessly books the whole event. There’s no waiting on the end of a phone for someone to check what they can find out. No need for anyone to get back to us as soon as possible. The answers are all right at our fingertips.

Smart Hotel Technology - Bringing Guest Services up to Speed

4. Saving the Planet, Whilst on Holiday

It might seem that all new smart hotel technology is aimed at the customer and their ease of use. Using any IoT device will undoubtedly increase our enjoyment, yet it’s not all about us. The very same devices are great at reducing a hotel’s energy usage; they can reduce the carbon footprint and make our holidays more environmentally friendly.

Before, we would leave our air conditioning on all day to ensure that we returned to a cool room. We can turn it on from an app just as we leave the beach and know that our room is cooling down to our exact requirements in the ten-minute walk back through the bar. The new devices are great at saving power and ensuring that we only use electricity when we need it.

5. Getting Interactive with the Locals

Why would we look at a map and decide where to go for dinner? What would we be able to see from a piece of paper that would interest us in a restaurant? What if we could step inside that restaurant and see the views? What if we could see the menu and enjoy a flavor of the ambiance?

This isn’t a thing of the future; this smart hotel technology is currently used to select Holiday Inn hotels. Guests can point their phones at a wall-mounted map using the hotel’s specifically created app and see their options. They get to almost experience their dining before they even leave the hotel.

6. Walking into Your Own Apartment

The perfect hotel room feels like home. We walk in, and it doesn’t feel strange. We don’t need to adjust anything. It just seems to fit.

Smart hotel technology has a huge benefit when it comes to returning guests. Without collecting any private data, communal devices allow hotels to tailor our experience before we even get to the hotel. Our radios can be set to our favorite stations. The TV can be left on our favorite news channel. We could even set the alarm clock to when we needed to get up for breakfast the next morning.

Smart Hotel Technology - Walking into Your Own Apartment

7. Then We Get To Share

As we move further into smart hotel technology and guests grow accustomed to using it, we can start sharing our personal choices. We can walk into a smart hotel room and know that it has synced our phones to the speaker. We can play our Spotify through the hotel room’s Alexa, and when we turn on the TV, it has our NetFlix account ready to let us resume watching Always Sunny.

Smart Hotel Room; What Are the Benefits for Hotel Owners and Guests

In the article “Smart Hotel Room; What Are the Benefits for Hotel Owners and Guests,” you will learn more about how smart hotel systems can benefit hotel owners and guests alike.

Video: Example of a smart hotel room

Video: Smart Hotel Technology- Las Vegas Hotels Go High Tech

Hotel Automation: Benefits, Tools, and Trends

Are you curious about hotel automation? Maybe you’re planning to upgrade your basic PMS to a more advanced solution, and you want to understand how automated systems can be integrated into modern packages. Perhaps you’re curious about digital check-ins or keyless entry for your guests. Maybe you’re struggling in the hospitality staffing crunch and looking for ways to automate some of your hotel operations.

If so, you’ll want to read “Hotel Automation: Benefits, Tools, and Trends” right now. You’ll learn everything you need about hotel automation and how it can help you.

Smart Hotel Technology Trends FAQs

In the future, smart hotels are likely to benefit from more advanced AI technology, helping to tailor services and hotel conditions to specific guest needs and preferences. It is also likely that smart hotels will be powered using more sustainable energy sources, helping to appeal to eco-conscious travelers.

Through IoT technology, smart hotels make use of interconnected devices, which allow for personal control over room settings, often via a smartphone app. This allows customers to set their preferred temperature and light level, and the devices will automatically monitor conditions. AI chatbots are also used to provide rapid customer service 24/7.

The provision of smart hotel rooms is transforming the guest experience by allowing hotel guests to have far greater control over the conditions in their rooms. Smart technology also reduces friction, makes it easier for guests to find valuable information and helps to make stays more enjoyable and comfortable.

Some of the most important digital devices used by hotels include smart lighting systems, smart thermostats, mobile keycards, smart speakers with voice-controlled assistants and mobile tablets for accessing services.

The size of the smart hotel market is growing rapidly, driven by demand for enhanced guest experiences and operational efficiencies. While exact figures vary, a multi-billion-dollar industry is experiencing significant expansion globally, influenced by technological advancements and changing consumer expectations.

Appreciating the role of smart hotel technology is the best way to leverage the unique benefits associated with your hotel. Not only will you enhance your brand’s reputation, but you can rest assured in the knowledge that guests are being provided with a truly memorable experience.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.