One Night In the Hotel Room of the Future

Mickeycaskill writes: Hub by Premier Inn in London is pitching itself as the hotel room of the future, using technology to make staying in a city easier and simpler. Automated kiosks, digital temperature controls, augmented reality walls and even the ability to control things using an Apple Watch or smartphone are just some of the innovations used. A custom app is used to order room service, control the television and has a number of other features. TechWeekEurope spent a night in the hotel to see if technology could make a hotel stay any better.

Comments

TL;DR

[bluegutang]

There will be more ads.

Not a custom app

[Anonymous Coward]

That's a horrible idea. Why not a web app?
I don't want to have to install some crappy app just to order room service.

Re:Not a custom app

[jonnyj]

Totally agree. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that most mobile apps are unnecessary and evil.

I've just extended the battery life on my Nexus phone by at least 30% by deleting a bunch of scarcely used mobile apps that insisted on running background processes (turning off push synchronization on Exchange added another 50%, btw). I'm now back to the once-per-day charge that I remember enjoying when the phone was new.

My phone is now faster, cooler, quieter, less cluttered and gives me fewer irritating notifications. Die, apps, die!

Let me just translate this...

[bistromath007]

Hub by Premier Inn in London is pitching itself as the stolen identity store of the future, using technology to make losing your savings in a city easier and simpler. Security holes, security holes, ad-supported security holes and even the ability to bring your own security holes are just some of the innovations used. A custom app is used to waste some of your money on purpose, waste the rest of it by mistake, and can even waste a significant portion of it for no perceived benefit.

Digital temperature controls!

[Rick in China]

The future is....digital temperature controls?

"Augmented reality wall" - um, so, it looks like a panel that displays local information, it's hardly Minority Report style interactivity. Just marketing bullshit, tons of hotels, in Asia at least, have these features without advertising them as 'futuristic'. Most botique hotels in Hong Kong have all the digital room control functions on panels similarly designed, even, and have for years. I don't get how this is anything regarding 'future tech'.

Basics first

[jones_supa]

Automated kiosks, digital temperature controls, augmented reality walls and even the ability to control things using an Apple Watch or smartphone are just some of the innovations used.

Cool story. Now, do basic ventilation, heating, mold prevention and soundproofing work properly?

Then you don't really travel

[argStyopa]

If those things appeal to you, you don't/haven't traveled much.

I want:
- to get to my room
- sleep in a clean bed with minimal thoughts about the copious amounts of jizz on everything that's not regularly soaked in causting cleansing chemistry
- a bathroom with decent light & a shower with decent water pressure that sprays me somewhere above the sternum
- a reasonable compromise between price and location.

Is there tech that can deliver these things? Already the web basically has 1 and 4 covered, I don't think the others are 'reachable' by a smartwatch or whatever magic tech bullet they're deploying today.

Make a stay in the hotel any better

[Quirkz]

It's not the devices. It's not the interfaces. It's soundproofing the darn room, hallways, and elevators. Most especially this means designing hotel doors that will close/lock without banging. And maybe setting up a late-night, noise-detecting flamethrower for all those people who desperately need to have conversations at top volume between their room and the elevator. I'd like to see more of that, and forget about gadgets in my room.