The results were unveiled at the Global Exposition and Conference for
Hospitality Design in Miami this past September. There's an article on it,
complete with renderings, in the current Business 2.0 print issue, but there's
a text story online at Crain's Chicago Business. Here are the buzzwords:
Nanotechnology -- lots of materials that are anti-bacterial and
lightweight
Robotics -- a creepy "botler" (robot butler)that never needs a tip, but
never leaves either
Recycling -- better use of water and sheets that don't need as much
washing (oh great...)
Multi-tasking -- Your bed is also a table. Your armchair gives you the
control of Captain Kirk.
We can't help noticing that most of this benefits the hotel companies rather
than being something guests are clamoring for. We don't hear many guests
complain, "I wish I could have less personal service." But full automation
seems to be the holy grail here, which is where it all will seem eerily
familiar to the Japanese.
Picking out a room from a screen on the wall and swiping a credit card to get
the key, then lights and arrows in the hall leading us along to our room? Not
needing to talk to another human during the whole stay? Been there, done that,
over a decade ago.
Maybe next year the design heads should cross the Pacific to Tokyo for the conference, then half the work will already be done.
