Technology Innovation and Hotel Rooms

My former colleague at Gartner, Jeff Comport could get connected from any hotel room in the world. He had kits and couplers for various countries and if they did not work, the screwdriver went to work and a few wires later he was on-line.  I swear he wrote this post here. Needless to say he also racked up large telephone bills, at the rates hotels show in really small type.

Boy, have things evolved in last few years when it comes to technology and connectivity in hotel rooms as this USA Today story on Marriott's planned high-tech room describes. WI-FI, MP3 players, VoIP calls, wireless keyboards, satellite radio and electronics for kids.

Other chains are not slouching - look at Hilton's planned "Technology Room" with its Sleep system and advanced hair dryers. Starwood  innovated with its W chain a few years ago, and as its site says " W...for warm, wonderful, witty, wired" . Of course, I like the gyms and spas and the pillow mints that most hotels offer, but the wired part is especially important on a business trip.

Hotels have also used technology to make web reservations easier - and match rates with those from independent sites like Travelocity (though as a small businessman, I resent the fact that big corporations still get much better rates than groups like AAA which overall bring them more business) . Hyatt has check-in/check-out kiosks to streamline those often tedious processes. From electronic room keys to point of sale terminals in restaurants to computerized energy management systems to enhanced security, technology is making  hotels much more efficient and enjoyable.

In the USA Today article, Marriott's CTO Barry Shuler points to a future where road warriors won't even have to bring their laptops.  But knowing Jeff Comport, he will still unravel the connectivity board. And hotels will find creative new ways to "recoup" their investment in the technology.