Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 28 | Page 93

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// INTELLIGENT VERTICAL: HOSPITALITY THE SMART HOTEL OF THE FUTURE: TRANSFORMING THE GUEST EXPERIENCE Graeme Kane, Hospitality Business Development Manager, Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, tells us how technology will transform the guest experience at the hotels of the future. R egardless of the size or type of property, every hotel operator that wants to remain competitive and relevant will have to embrace IoT devices and related wireless innovations over the next year to enable next-generation guest experiences. Rapid advances and disruptive technology are a constant challenge, where artificial intelligence (AI), wearable technology and virtual reality (VR) will become the norm when it comes to how potential guests search for and experience a trip. Technology and the Millennials The smart ‘hotel of the future’ will have access to these technologies, which have the ability to accelerate service, personalise the guest experience, build resource allocations to support guest requests, enable preventative maintenance and improve employee productivity. The problem with technology as a term in the hospitality industry is that it’s so ubiquitous that it becomes difficult to single out what developments are the most important for the next five years. Hoteliers have been cautious of technology taking away the human effect from the guest service and experience. www.intelligentcio.com Mobile and keyless check-in options, mobile key access, digital in-room controls, virtual “ THE QUESTION HERE IS THAT SHOULD TECHNOLOGY TOTALLY REPLACE PERSONAL INTERACTIONS OR SHOULD THE TWO CO-EXIST? INTELLIGENTCIO 93