Wearable Technology Is Bringing the Hospitality Industry Into A New Era
When a guest steps on a resort site or cruise ship these days, he or she is likely to notice that fellow travelers are sporting a new wrist accessory—a wearable smart bracelet that enables lodgers to unlock their doors and other access-controlled spaces like pools or fitness areas, pay for hotel services such as spa treatments, and even shop at onsite retailers.
Through wireless RFID and NFC technology, these wearable tech bracelets eliminate the need for guests to carry room keys, credit cards, or cash as all purchases are charged to their rooms, while providing hotels, resorts and cruise ships an effective way to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
It is not just the guests that are wearing these smart bracelets though. InfoValue Computing Inc. recently unwrapped IPTV technology features created specifically with the hospitality industry in mind. This includes smart wearables that enable staff to respond to guest requests minus the traditional minute workflow processes while providing management with the ability to access real-time IPTV data analytics, facilitating both rapid decision-making and improved services.
Many hoteliers and cruise ships are distinguishing themselves from the competition with wearables, offering the truly seamless payment and personalized service experience travelers are seeking in today’s modern world.
Disney was among the first to add MagicBand wearables to their services. Cruise line company Carnival also added wearables to the guest experience with the Medallion, which allows cruisers to communicate with the ship’s staff and payment systems. The Medallion does not need to be charged, cannot be powered off, and can also be worn as a necklace or pendant.
Today, hospitality businesses across the globe are adding wearables to their services. In fact, Spanish hotel chain Meliá is expanding upon the product’s experience-enhancing potential by enabling guests to make purchases not only onsite, but at participating offsite retailers as well. And with features that allow guests to control settings such as a child’s spending limit, the wearable trend is delighting guests as it takes the hospitality industry further into the 21st century.
Wearables are also making their way into offices, not only providing building and workspace access, but an additional measurement to ensure employee safety. Watches embedded with sensors can alert employees to hazards and can even connect and transmit wirelessly to supervisors for reporting or communications purposes. Additionally, these smart wearables can monitor an employee’s heart rate, respiration, and stress levels in challenging work environments, providing a means to keep people in better health and possibly save lives.
Wearables are convenient, sleek and functional, offering guests, staff, and management an easy-to-wear, easy-to-forget-you’re-wearing option to quickly communicate with and between resort, hotel, and office hotel staff, access rooms, buildings, and offices, retrieve vital site information and even health data without the need for bulky computers or tablets, inconvenient wires, keys or keycards, etc. The future is now, and the hotel industry is jettisoning guests into a new era of hospitality experiences with wearable smart bracelets.
