4 Must-haves for Smart Hotel Rooms that Guests Love

Smart devices, hubs and phone apps that guests can use for entertainment, comfort, services and more help guests feel right at home during their stay.

Today’s hotel guests are used to the convenience of “smart” devices in their homes like video doorbells, smart refrigerators, televisions and other appliances that can be controlled by a phone app or voice-activated via smart “hubs” like Amazon Echo, Google Nest or Samsung SmartThings.

So, it makes sense that hotel guests also appreciate the convenience of “smart” hotel rooms that use Wi-Fi, phone apps and other technological means to personalize their rooms, adjust lighting, open the door, adjust the temperature and more.

Guests want the convenience of smart hotel rooms

Only 8% of hotel guests surveyed said they’ve stayed in a hotel with smart features in the past 12 months, according to the latest National Technology Readiness Survey (NTRS) from Rockbridge Associates. Yet more than one-third (38%) of survey respondents who hadn’t stayed in a “smart” hotel room in the past year said they’d like to try a smart hotel room in the future.

“The smart hotel room concept is one of the most important technology trends emerging within the hospitality industry today, according to Revfine, a knowledge platform for the hospitality and travel industry. “Indeed, the idea of a smart hotel is attractive to customers for a whole variety of reasons, including greater convenience and personalization.”

Is your hotel or resort looking for ways to offer guests the convenience and comfort of smart hotel rooms? Here are four must-haves for smart hotel rooms that guests love, according to Revfine.

1. Smart room controls

With smart technology, guests can customize their room’s lighting, room temperature and even open and close their curtains, says Revfine:

“Brands like Hilton have already rolled out these smart hotel solutions, allowing their guests to control the thermostats in their rooms through their smartphones. Other hotels have gone further, allowing guests to set desired conditions within their room via their phone, with the devices automatically keeping the room regulated in that way.

Meanwhile, voice-controlled lighting is also becoming more widespread, thanks to devices like Amazon Echo.”

2. Voice-controlled and personalized entertainment

Voice-activated hubs and devices allow guests to turn the TV on and off or change channels from anywhere in the room. But voice-controlled entertainment features can also allow guests to listen to personal music playlists from smart speakers or order pay-per-view movies.

“A  hotel room can also be transformed into a smart room through the provision of more personalized entertainment options,” says Revfine. “In most cases, this will consist of ways to allow hotel guests to make use of their own accounts with third-party online services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Spotify and Apple Music.”

3. Smart access to guest services

Guests appreciate smart hotel rooms that allow them to use a phone app or voice-activated smart hub to order things like room service food and drinks, massage or spa services, fitness center exercise classes and more.

4. Guest-interactive maps

Some hotel chains transform a standard hotel room into a smart room with interactive, Wi-Fi-connected wall maps that provide real-time information such as hours and online customer reviews for local restaurants.

“The Hub Hotel from Premier Inn has taken this concept a step further, blending it with augmented reality technology,” says Revfine. “By downloading an app and pointing their smartphone at one of the wall maps, guests can see further information about some of the local tourist sites and places of interest, enhancing the map’s core function.”