Innovative, Eco-Friendly Gadgets

In honor of Earth Day, let’s take a look at a few tech items designed to save energy.

The Hue Lighting System revolutionizes lighting in your home. The light bulbs connect to a wireless network that with a smart phone app allows users to adjust the brightness, remotely control the lighting, and it even lets you change the color of the lighting. You can also use the app to set a timer so instead of using an alarm clock the lights will turn on when it’s time for you to wake up. Hue uses 80% less energy than standard light bulbs while providing a new, innovative lighting system.

The Conserve Switch AV does more than your average surge protector. It comes with a remote that wirelessly lets you turn off any devices that are plugged in. It also has two outlets that always stay on for devices that need continuous power.

The AM05 Hot + Cool fan is bladeless, but instead uses Air Multiplier technology that amplifies surrounding air to completely cool or heat a room. This fan uses 30% less energy than traditional ones and when combined with central air conditioning, it can lower energy bills by 20%. It is energy efficient because the fan automatically turns itself off once the room has reached the selected temperature.

This Earth Day celebrate by checking out one of these eco-friendly technologies!

Tablets: A Must for Hotels

When tablets made their debut a few years ago it seemed that their primary use would be for surfing the web, reading books, watching movies, and playing games. However, now that they have more advanced features and capabilities, hotels are utilizing tablets to revolutionize the modern hotel guest experience.

Traditionally, Concierges stored information regarding nearby entertainment and restaurants in manuals or binders. Through the use of tablets such as iPads, hotels have begun to store this information as well as restaurant menus and local events electronically. 

Aside from informational storage hotels are also utilizing tablets in ways that enhance a guest’s hotel experience. For example, InterContinental Hotels use the YouTube app on iPads as a way of providing guests with a step by step video on how to use the tablets to access information. The hotel brand also provides Skype and Face Time as a way that guests can communicate directly with hotel staff should they have any questions.

Sheraton Hotels is another brand jumping on the tablet bandwagon. They have partnered with Microsoft to bring PixelSense to hotel lobbies. PixelSense resembles a normal coffee table, but has a large touch screen display resembling a large tablet type screen. Through PixelSense guests can find area attractions, interact with other hotel guests, or play games.

And just when you thought tablets could only be used by hotels as informational tools, Citizen M Hotels in New York and London are currently testing MoodPad controllers as a way for guests to personalize their hotel rooms. The MoodPad is a small device that allows guests to change the room lighting, play music, control the temperature, open the blinds, control the TV and the list goes on.

Well there you have it – it seems to us that tablets are on the verge of being a standard amenity in properties worldwide. Which of these uses for tablets would you find most innovative and useful during your next hotel stay?

Top Tech Hotels

In the increasingly competitive hotel market, hotels need to have the latest and greatest technology in order to stand out. Let’s take a look at some of the most technologically advanced hotels.

Citizen M, New York: Here guests can check themselves in with touch screen computers. Once they enter their rooms,guests can customize their stay with an electronic mood pad that allows them to change the color of the lighting, music, digital art on the TV, and even select mood enhanced wake up calls. 

Kimpton’s EPIC Hotel, Miami: In addition to standard technology features, all guestrooms are equipped with desktop PCs that include Microsoft office and printer connectivity. Hanging privacy signs on guestroom doors are a thing of the past through the use of notification devices, allowing guests to simply press a “do not disturb” button or by calling housekeeping.

Aria Resort and Casino, Las Vegas: This hotel has Control 4 technology, which can detect when a guest walks in the door and addresses them by their name. The room itself can also turn on the lights, change the temperature, and open the curtains. And instead of having to swipe a traditional keycard to access your room, this hotel has radio frequency identification data cards which sense when you’re near your room and will unlock the door for you. Talk about hands free!

The Wit Hotel, Chicago: An IP infrastructure system throughout the hotel allows for better service - requests from guests are sent to staff members’ mobile devices. Guest rooms have sensor activated climate controls that can detect guests’ location within the room and adjust it to their body heat. Rooms also have VoIP touch screen phones (a little Percipia Networks shout out), which enhance guests’ stays by allowing them to easily request room service or access their flight information.

Many hotels are now looking for more innovative amenities and services to offer their guests. All of these hotels have cutting edge technologies, but which one appeals to you the most?

For more information on tech savvy hotels please visit http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/11/travel/high-tech-hotels/index.html?hpt=tr_t2

Could your next office be in a hotel?

With apps, smart phones, and tablets making it easier for people to work on the go, the amount of people working outside of traditional office spaces seems to be on the incline. As part of this trend, hotels are recognizing the demand for a temporary work space - wherever it may be needed, whether it be for a group meeting or personal use – and have begun to partner with a company called LiquidSpace. Liquidspace allows anyone to reserve meeting rooms online or through a mobile app at various spaces and hotels.

Marriott hotels is the first chain to begin utilizing this type of service through the provider Workspace on Demand. Through this service customers can pay per hour to use a conference room and Wi-Fi whether they are a hotel guest or simply need to conduct a business call. Currently, this amenity is only available in San Francisco, Washington D.C, Atlanta, and Houston as Marriott is testing out how many people will actually take advantage of the service.

Westin Hotels and Resorts is also doing this with Tangent. Over forty of its properties are expected to provide this service by the end of this year. These hotels offer meeting rooms designed for small groups as well as for individual work. They also conveniently offer office supplies, floor-to-ceiling whiteboards, printers, and televisions.

Do you think workers will make use of these new, innovative hotel offices or continue to do business in the traditional way? 

Attracting Millennials: The Hotel Industry in 2013

What is one aspect all successful hotels have in common? Good design, regardless of price. Guests are attracted to a stylish yet functional design. In recent years, the demand for stylish hotels at lower prices is increasing mostly due to the wants of millennials. Many hotels are focusing on redesigning their properties to attract more style oriented guests.

Marriott is one hotel chain that is completely redesigning their Courtyard properties to meet this need. They have already redesigned 650 of their Courtyard hotels, and expect to have this change applied to the rest of their hotels by the end of 2013.

Travelers want new, progressive designs while still being functional in order to accommodate all their tech devices. Travelling for work can be very stressful and guests want their hotel room to be a break from stress. Marriott has an ongoing process of researching what their guests want to get out of their stays. It wasn't room service, many restaurants, or a spa; they just want a pool, great design, and great customer service.

As the need to appeal to millennials continues to grow, will hotels find more creative ways to make themselves stand out?

Exciting New Hotel Openings

With so many hotel options to choose from, new hotels are becoming more aware that creativity and unique offerings are a must in an effort to set them apart within the market. Here’s a brief look at a few hotels set to open this year that are doing just that…

  

The Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia was designed in 1817 and used to be a palace. Beginning in May, guests can get the experience of living like Russian Royalty, something you definitely can’t get from an average hotel. Rooms on the 5^th floor have personal terraces providing breathtaking views. The hotel will also feature two signature restaurants and a spa, and with it’s close proximity to the Hermitage Museum this may be just the place for tourists to stay!

The Shangri-La hotel in London, opening this May, is in the 95 story Glass Shard Skyscraper, which stands 1,016 feet high making it one of the tallest buildings in Europe. The property will have a fitness center and an indoor infinity pool that looks out onto the city. The individual rooms will have all of the latest technologies, including a bed that molds to your body with contouring technology. The property will also feature a café with an extensive menu with food from around the world – so guests may just be able to be in Europe while eating as if they are staying in the Caribbean.

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort and Spa in Hawaii by Hyatt is set to open this summer and will include a Japanese - Hawaiian fusion restaurant by Iron Chef star Masaharu Morimoto. Visiting Andez Maui might be worth it just for the food alone, but the grounds are also spectacular. Outdoor infinity pools cascade into the ocean, and there will be a 15,000 square foot spa and seven luxury villas.

 Are you planning your vacation after reading this? Which would be on the top of your “Places To Visit” list?

A New Way to Access Facebook

While rumors of Facebook creating a smart phone have been denied, the company does plan to release a new interface for Android smart phones. When users unlock their phone, the first thing they will see on their home screen is what will be called Coverfeed, which works in a similar way to the Newsfeed feature on the actual site. This can prove to be useful and innovative for the many people who check their Facebook accounts first thing in the morning.

Users will be able to access Facebook from anywhere on phones while still having access to all the other apps they may have. Another feature of Facebook Home is the ability to respond to Facebook messages while not interrupting the use of other applications at the same time. Facebook Home will also integrate all Facebook messages and text messages from the same friends onto one screen.

Facebook Home will be available for users to download beginning April 12^th 2013, but only on select devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Note II, and the HTC One X. Facebook has also partnered with HTC to create the HTC First smart phone that will be less expensive than top selling smart phones and include standard features, but will be optimized for Facebook Home. The goal of this new interface is to have smart phones be centered on people instead of apps. Will smart phone users find Facebook Home more innovative and easier to use or will they prefer to stick to the traditional way of accessing their Facebook accounts?