Hotel group Hilton has unveiled a new Connected Room concept, which will allow guests to control in-room services via their mobile devices.
The initiative is currently beta testing at one hotel, but the group says it will “deploy in coming weeks in several more, and will begin to scale rapidly to hotels across the United States in 2018”.
Hilton says the service – which will work via its Hilton Honors mobile app – will enable guests “to personalise and control every aspect of their stay from one central point”, from controlling the temperature, lighting, TV and window coverings, to personalising their room with technology “that loads the most popular streaming media and other accounts to in-room TVs”.
Further down the line the group sees the technology being able to support voice commands, as well as enabling guests to upload artwork and photos to display in their room (presumably on the TV screen).
The beta version of the technology is ironically using a physical remote control to manage the experience, but Hilton says the goal is to supplement it, and all traditional remote controls with the Hilton Honors app, before deployment across the portfolio.
Commenting on the service Joshua Sloser, senior vice president of Digital Product, Hilton said:
“At Hilton, almost all digital products are born out of necessity and shortcomings in the marketplace – and Connected Room is no exception.
“The technology we put in hotel rooms has to be intuitive, simple and quick to pick up because guests typically spend a limited amount of time in their rooms and we want them to spend that time enjoying the experience instead of adapting to new technology.”
The Connected Room concept builds on Hilton Honors app technology including the ability to choose rooms, and to open room doors with a digital key.
Rival hotel group Marriott recently unveiled its own plans for new ‘smart rooms’, including a smart shower door enabling guests to record thoughts and ideas while taking a shower.