Coming soon to a hotel near you. NFC, iPhones and some very cool ideas.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 3:39PM 
Why we are on the brink of some revolutionary ideas that use technology to change our lives….
One of the reasons I like Apple so much is that they get it. They did not invent the MP3 player, or the cell phone but they implemented versions of them that were ultimately better and changed entire industries in their wake. I believe we are going to see some pretty cool marriages of technology and ideas relatively soon inspired by that thought process, and destined to change the way we travel.
Case in point: OpenWays
OpenWays is a technology company using cell phones (something everyone one in the world has) and a combination of other emerging technologies to change the way we access hotel rooms, as well as how we access the amenities within them.
Picture this: you have a business trip out of town and book a room at a hotel online. As is usually the case you give them an email address to send you a confirmation as well as your cell number as part of the reservation. When the day of the trip arrives, you fly the the city and grab a rental car. As you approach the hotel, your cell phones location awareness and proximity to the hotel triggers a text message to your phone, assigning your room number to you. When you hit the lobby, no need to go to the desk, just head strait for your room, where the NFC chip in your phone provides you access into the door. You are prompted to download and launch an app that gives you access to the rooms amenities, for example, you can open and close the blinds, control the TV and it will even switch the sign on the door to 'do not disturb'. Not to mention order room service, request your car from the valet or find other services typically provided by a concierge. On check out, your complete folio is on your phone, just push one button and confirm your charges to check out.
Future science fiction? - No, test trials are being run now in Chicago and several other cities around the world.
Not unlike with Apple - there are several pieces of this technology already in place in many shapes and forms, ways to check out on your TV, NFC payment systems for soda machines, etc. All disparate systems that are poorly implemented. Watch OpenWays… they will take the ordinary and do something extraordinary with it. You heard it here first.
Reader Comments (1)
Very excited after reading this post. I am looking forward to your cool ideas :)