SUMMARY
Present-day hotel guests are demanding technologically savvy hotels. Hilton Hotels and Resorts has risen to this challenge by implementing touch-screen technology that will allow guests to have an interactive technology experience. From these screens, guests will be able to browse services offered by the hotel, look at meeting room layouts, find out about events and points of interest in the area, and take a look into the future by using this state-of-the-art device. By implementing these screens in their hotels, Hilton hopes to spark the interest of guests both by offering something new and exciting and by providing a tool that the guests can interact with.
The screens, which are a Samsung product, will be placed in areas available to all guests, such as lobby areas. Unfortunately, these areas are often flooded with sunlight, making it challenging to view normal screens. Samsung has used a specific technology that will enable the screens to be viewed in even the brightest of environments.
Hilton hopes that this technology will create a great buzz among the hospitality community, as did the introduction of remote controls and air conditioning to hotel rooms. If guests are highly intrigued by this product, they will likely return to Hilton hotels in the future to get the same experience.
Present-day hotel guests are demanding technologically savvy hotels. Hilton Hotels and Resorts has risen to this challenge by implementing touch-screen technology that will allow guests to have an interactive technology experience. From these screens, guests will be able to browse services offered by the hotel, look at meeting room layouts, find out about events and points of interest in the area, and take a look into the future by using this state-of-the-art device. By implementing these screens in their hotels, Hilton hopes to spark the interest of guests both by offering something new and exciting and by providing a tool that the guests can interact with.
The screens, which are a Samsung product, will be placed in areas available to all guests, such as lobby areas. Unfortunately, these areas are often flooded with sunlight, making it challenging to view normal screens. Samsung has used a specific technology that will enable the screens to be viewed in even the brightest of environments.
Hilton hopes that this technology will create a great buzz among the hospitality community, as did the introduction of remote controls and air conditioning to hotel rooms. If guests are highly intrigued by this product, they will likely return to Hilton hotels in the future to get the same experience.
Harler, Curt. Hilton’s New Concierge is Interactive TV. Retrieved March 26, 2008 from http://www.htmagazine.com.
URL: http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=FCD2F7DAADC8438E926C98968EDAE530
REFLECTION
I think that the interactive screens sound awesome! Hilton would not want to have me as a hotel guest. I would just stand there for hours, playing with it and being amazed by the technology. It’s hard to believe that in so little time we’ve gone from black and white TV to interactive TV.
The screens are not only fun, but they are also brilliant in a more strategic manner. Upon browsing through a topic on the screen, the guest may come across something that they wouldn’t normally learn about when visiting a Hilton hotel, such as the layouts of their various conference rooms. When later planning an event, the guest would remember the seeing the layouts and would mostly likely call for more information.
In a time when hotels are struggling to resist commoditization, Hilton is taking one step ahead of the competition by introducing this unique technology. If Hilton wishes to maintain this competitive advantage, they must continue to innovate; otherwise they will be out of luck when other hotel chains start using the interactive screens as well.
Overall, I think this is a great product and a great opportunity for Hilton. Hopefully we will see even bigger and better things in the future.
1 comment:
Touch screens are always fun to play with and they are something new and innovative that not many places have implemented yet. By Hilton being one of the first to use such screens to inform and stimulate guests they set themselves apart from other hotels. Having a competitive advantage is really important in this industry and is what sets locations apart from others. The screens could be very useful in strategic selling of the hotel’s facilities. Guests will better know the location they are staying at making them more comfortable with what the hotel has to offer and be able to fully take advantage and use the knowledge of the hotel. It’s really cool that the screens also have information about local events and points of interest. This will be helpful to customers when there are lines at the front desk so they won’t have to wait to ask an actual person. Also they can look around at what is available and not have to have something in mind already. It is difficult on the employees to suggest activities to people who don’t know what is available and what they want to do.
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