Picture this: a guest checks in and is greeted at reception by staff wearing a one gigabyte computer, and with one eye covered by a monitor (great for maintaining eye contact while going through check-in formalities). 

Other staff instantly greet the guest by name � thanks to the digital jewelry they are wearing, with earrings containing speakers and a ring with a hidden microphone. 

The guest looks around his room � and sees  pictures of his family displayed on the wall in a digital picture frame. 

Far fetched? Not at all � all of these gadgets and gizmos were on display at the recent HITEC 2001 exhibition in Orlando, which was jammed with companies showcasing the latest trends in hospitality technology � from enterprise - wide solutions designed for organisations with thousands of properties to web-based virtual - reality property tours.
 

DVOD provides true VOD, allowing the guest to pause, fast forward, rewind, stop and resume a video to suit their schedule, rather than that of the service provider or hotel. The quality is perfect, and the choice extensive. All of the movies are held on a video server located on-property, and can be quickly downloaded to the guest�s set-top box located near the TV.

They are updated remotely, with content being pushed down a broadband line to the hotel in off-peak hours, which means that hotels no longer need to wait for the service provider to courier new tapes or discs.

Systems are easily configurable and may contain other services, such as  music on demand, bill checking, check-out, room-service ordering, inroom gaming, questionnaire, fault reporting and tours of the property � even connections  to a property�s CRS for onward or  return bookings.
                    
These systems provide simultaneous high speed internet access, either on-screen or by allowing guests to hook in laptops without fuss or configuration changes. One vendor told me that, while it�s preferable to install these over a CAT5 Ethernet LAN, certain available technologies will allow them to run over existing CAT3 copper telephone wires.
                    
That is very interesting because, not only can you add a new range of services to the guestroom, but you can also reduce installation costs. I overheard a CIO from one of the 5 star US brands telling a vendor that his company  planned to upgrade to this type of system soon, and that it would also replace the TVs in the rooms with flat panels.

The advantages include a better picture and a smaller footprint, which means hotels no longer need to place an expensive armoire in each guestroom, thereby saving money and space while improving service. 

On this trip, I stayed at four hotels which provided such services. Although I found them very useful, I�m not a great fan of email on the TV, so I opted  for the laptop link while enjoying the functionality of the systems which � unlike the human service in some of  these establishments � all worked. 

I also saw a prototype of an inroom jukebox system that has access to 5,000 CDs held on a server within the hotel. This very neat, well-engineered and high-quality stereo unit sits on a table and allows guests to select their favourite music.
                   
Future developments could see hotels burning and selling CDs to guests on-property, which could be a neat way to both service the guest and generate incremental revenues.

I also liked a couple of 3D mapping systems that allow customers to virtually walk round a property on the internet. One company walked me through a  hotel from the entrance doors via the lobby up to my floor in the elevator and into my room. 

They also walked me through function rooms and public areas � this is very useful for the MICE market and can save travel costs when researching destinations for conventions.

The individual traveller can also benefit from this look-see, and hotel staff can even talk them through the  tour online. (Imagine a virtual walk-through of the first hotel on the moon which, in a poll conducted at HITEC, is expected to happen sometime between 2025 and 2050.)
                    
During the breakout sessions, a number of new trends emerged. First, we all know that the take up rate of in room broadband is very low � in most cases 3 to 5% � so hotels are holding off from installing it. But, when hotels have offered these on a free-to-guest basis by bundling it into the room rate, usage has been around 20%. 

Why not higher? Well, not all guests carry a network-ready PC, some cannot connect back to their corporate systems due to firewalls or corporate policies � and some are just afraid to try it out. (I expect this will change over the next 12 months and we will see this figure go to 50% or even higher.)

When it comes to wiring up these systems, DSL is the hands down winner over COAX and Ethernet, mainly due to cost, time to install and operational disruption. Wireless based on the 802.11b protocol is coming, but right now has physical limitations whereby the signal can be seriously attenuated by concrete and steel.

CRM (customer relation/retention management) � and the need for it to be at the centre of the hospitality universe � was another hot topic. Hotels need the ability to store profile information about guests and to effectively use it to target markets and shape their business � in other words, capture information, add value and turn it into knowledge.

One big US chain demonstrated this concept through a video in which the room maid hung frames containing gold LPs, placed a leopard-skin bedspread on the bed and a teddy bear on the pillow � all because Elvis was checking in [Editor�s note: perhaps someone should tell them ...].

Other market-driven trends include hotels bundling business-centre services � such as printing, photocopying, free local calls and, perhaps, inroom movies � into the room rate.

They have come to realise that road warriors look for these services, but hate to be nickel and dimed and are loathe to pay for these extras � in fact, many companies don�t allow such charges to be billed back. 

Instead of losing out while, at the same time, providing a service, there is a trend towards increasing the room rate by a few dollars (which adds up to significant income over a year) and bundling in these services.

Not surprisingly, guest satisfaction increases, as well as customer retention and word-of-mouth advertising. 

Cordless and two-line phones are also high on the list of facilities that guests look for in the room, along with ample and reachable power sockets, e-folios, a good desk and chair with proper lighting and electronic door locks, together with a small supply of stationery items.

Inroom fax/printers, on the other hand, have disappeared from the radar screen.

Terence Ronson [email protected]

Terence started his career as a Chef, and acquired his wealth of practical experience and knowledge whilst holding various management positions with Hilton International in Asia and at several prestigious establishments in the U.K. After developing a personal interest in computers and technology some twenty years ago, Terence has turned his attention on to this exciting and rapidly evolving aspect of the business, working with several  prominent IT related companies in the hospitality industry, applying their products and services so as to streamline businesses, improve profitability, and the guest experience.