As technology seeps into every facet of our lives, high-tech hotels are taking the hospitality industry by storm.
When choosing where to stay, tech-savvy travellers are demanding increased convenience, accessibility, experience and personalisation.
From virtual fitness studios and robot concierges to self-cleaning rooms and holographic meeting facilities, hotels around the world are using innovative, state-of-the-art amenities to up their game.
Looking like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, these hotels are leading the way in high-tech hospitality.
Hotel Ottilia, Copenhagen
By partnering with Danish company ACT.Global in order to use its proprietary ACT CleanCoat technology, Hotel Ottilia has developed the world’s first self-cleaning hotel rooms.
With a transparent and odourless coating, the invisible insulation is activated by sunlight and can purify the air for up to a year, removing contaminants such as cigarette smoke and other odours.
While each room costs around US$2,500 to coat, the industrial-style hotel claims the new technology has reduced its water consumption and maintenance costs and has slashed its labour load by 50%.
Together with its daily wine hour, free high-speed Wi-Fi, cosy social areas and vibrant rooftop terrace, the squeaky-clean Hotel Ottilia is a lazy millennial’s dream.
Henn na Hotel, Nagasaki
Undoubtedly the quirkiest hotel in this list, Nagasaki’s Henn Na Hotel relies heavily on robotics. At the check-in desk, guests are greeted by a human-like robot and a velociraptor receptionist – both of which can maintain basic conversations in English or Japanese.
Your luggage is taken off your hands by a robot on wheels as it guides you to your room, where entry is permitted through facial and eye recognition and the hotel’s ‘Radiant Panel’ air-conditioning system adjusts the temperature according to your body heat.
In the room, you’ll find a miniature robotic personal assistant that can do everything from turning off the lights, to providing weather forecasts and suggesting local dining or entertainment recommendations.
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Eccleston Square Hotel, London
From the outside, the five-star Eccleston Square Hotel blends seamlessly into London’s historic architecture. Inside, however, it’s a whole different story.
While keypads control the music and lighting, iPads work as a full-service concierge, bathroom mirrors are embedded with flat-screen televisions and shower glass walls come with an instant frosting option.
Better yet, each room is equipped with a 3D television, and a handmade Swedish Hästens bed – referred to as the world’s best bed – which automatically adjusts to the contours of your body and provides massages at the push of a button.
W Singapore, Sentosa Cove, Singapore
Globally renowned for its stylish design, W Hotels’ Singapore location is no exception. Surrounded by lush greenery, the hotel pool is decked out with underwater speakers and each private poolside cabana comes with its own iPad.
The hotel’s interiors are brought to life by vivid LED lighting, quirky art pieces by renowned artists including Andy Warhol, and references to local elements such as the orchid flower, the peacock and lalang fields.
Each of the 240 guest rooms can be unlocked with a smartphone or Apple Watch, and the extravagant WOW Suite even comes with its own private DJ booth.
Blow Up Hall 5050, Poznań, Poland
It’s all in the name at Blow Up Hall 5050. Focused on 50% artistic expression and 50% technology, this hotel doubles as an interactive work of art and is named after the 1960s British art film, Blow-Up.
Upon arrival, guests are given an iPhone to use as both a room key and a navigation tool. Inside each of its 22 guest rooms are bathrooms hidden behind wardrobe doors, while discreet clothes racks and minibars slide out from behind beds.
Packed with modern art from its billionaire owner’s personal collection, Blow Up Hall 5050’s lobby installation incorporates the images of guests captured on arrival to create a uniquely personalised experience.
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