By Alfred Borcover, Special to Tribune Newspapers
aborcover@aol.com
December 19, 2010
One of these years, you may well walk into a hotel lobby and find it devoid of a human at the front desk. Technology in the pipeline promises that and a slew of other changes for travelers.
Consider this: You go to the front desk to check in, your image is captured on computer, you’re given your room number but no key card. You get to your room and a facial-recognition reader opens the door for you. Or maybe you just check in at a lobby kiosk and bypass the front desk altogether. Or you use your credit card to enter your room.
In your room, a motion detector senses your presence and turns on the air conditioning or heat. You leave your room, and sensors automatically turn it off to save energy.
These are just two of the innovations coming to hotels in the years ahead. For guests, it adds convenience. For hotels, it cuts costs.
The hotel industry sees it as a win-win. Traditional travelers, however, might find it a tad impersonal.
But technology and convenience are what guests want, said Joe McInerney, a 40-year hotel veteran and president and CEO of Washington-based American Hotel & Lodging Association. All the hotel chains, he added, are trying to accommodate them.
Among the other techy advances beyond flat-screen TVs and iPod docking stations:
Applications that give smart-phone users direct access to hotel reservations systems. The Sheraton Dallas, a Starwood property, has taken an app a step further, allowing the smart-phone users to order its most popular room service items via an e-dining Web site.
IPTV, or Internet protocol television, allows guests to connect with an almost unlimited number of stations through the Internet. If you were in Chicago and wanted to watch the news on your hometown station, you could do that. IPTV is appearing at some Wyndham hotels.
Wyndham also will deploy an innovative and interactive guest Web experience that allows them to find nearby restaurants, local maps and directions, airline information and discount coupons.
RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology on food trays or room service carts left in hallways will notify housekeeping that the tray or cart is ready to be picked up.
A tabletop digital assistant will control all the electrical devices and lighting in a guest room, including temperature, blinds, drapes, alarm clock, radio, television and telephones.
Of all the groups, the high-end Peninsula Hotels, based in Hong Kong, leads the pack in technology, employing a full-time team of more than 20 inventors. For proprietary reasons, Peninsula won’t divulge what’s in its pipeline, but its latest innovations wow guests in the recently opened Peninsula Shanghai.
Among the bells and whistles: international Internet radio (with more than 3,000 stations) tuned to the guest’s home country; complimentary long-distance telephone service through VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol); automatic muting of the radio or TV when the phone rings; programmed digital filter for the bathroom phone to screen out any telltale echoes; and a weather panel that provides real-time weather updates. This in addition to a bedside panel that guests use to control their room’s environment, including lighting.
Also engaged in applying technology to hotel rooms are schools such as the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management and the University of Delaware’s Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. Each has a hotel attached to the school and one room for experimentation.
John Bowen, dean of the Hilton college, said he is working with an architectural group to incorporate a prototype of a fabriclike video screen being developed by Sony for hotel rooms. Citing face recognition and energy-savings advancements, Bowen said, technology can help keep hotel costs down and provide a convenience for guests.
William Sullivan, general manager of a Courtyard by Marriott affiliated with the University of Delaware, maintains an X-Room, where guests can experience and comment on the latest room technology. “What we’re seeing (besides the new technology) is real growth in self-service options — more kiosks in lobbies where people can check in, check out, get menus and print directions. Guests can bypass traditional lines,” he said. “It keeps guests happy and reduces labor.”
My wife experienced self-service to the nth degree when she checked into CitizenM, a supermodern hotel at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
She checked herself in at a bank of computers, then chose her dinner of salmon with pesto pasta from an array of options, heated it in a microwave, carried it to a long communal table and bused the used plate and utensils. It seemed futuristic at first, she said, but the style and convenience of the place won her over.
Link to article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-trav-1219-hotel-tech-20101219,0,4785159.story
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Happy Holidays!
It hardly seems possible that the holiday season is upon us. As I reflect on our activities over the past year, our team at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel has accomplished so much and I am truly proud of the many ways we have been able to give back to the City of Dallas and to our Downtown neighbors. Based on the many comments that we have received from the various business and leisure travelers that have passed through our doors, it is rewarding to know that we are not only providing superior service and a comfortable atmosphere, but a place that offers the most state-of-the-art technology to make our guests feel right at home and stay connected when they are away.
2011 most definitely will bring a lot of excitement to the Sheraton Dallas. You can’t live in Texas, especially Dallas, and not know that one of the country’s biggest sporting events – the Super Bowl – is coming to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex on February 6, 2011. What an exciting event for our great city and the region!
For the Sheraton Dallas, as the official media hotel for the Super Bowl, we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of such a global event and we are proud to have been invited to serve in this role. With February just around a corner, preparations are in full swing and our staff is energized as we get ready to support the needs of the thousands of media from all over the world that will be staying with us during this exciting week of events. Not only will we be providing them with the best of accommodations and superior service, but they will also have access to the most state-of-the-art technology that will make reporting back to their various markets and countries on what’s happening throughout the Metroplex a simple task.
Through your business or leisure travels through Dallas, you too can experience first-hand the advanced technology we have to offer to keep you connected during your stay. Visit here to see what we have to offer.
Before I close, I want to invite you to check back next month for more information about what happening with our efforts to support the Super Bowl, as well as upcoming events we will be participating in. You can also keep up with the latest news and packages we are offering from the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, as well as the various community-related activities we are involved with, such as with Children’s Medical Center and The Bridge, Dallas’ Homeless Assistance Center, by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
On behalf of the team at the Sheraton Dallas, we wish each of you a holiday season filled with the warmth of family and friends and look forward to a bright and prosperous year in 2011.
Warmest Regards,
Ray Hammer
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Michelle Newman, a freelance writer for AAA Oklahoma Home & Away recently paid a visit to the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Take a look at what she had to say by visiting the following link.
The Sheraton is Texas big at its best, boasting 1,840 rooms, 22 presidential suites, 224 junior suites and more than 50 elevators and escalators. (It’s the biggest hotel in Texas.) After undergoing a $90 million dollar facelift, the Sheraton Dallas is primed to serve as the media center/ hotel for Super Bowl XLV in 2011. The lobby’s sleek contemporary decor features sophisticated autumn colors, and there is an inviting outdoor sitting area with several fire pits for relaxing at the end of the day. Those who do not need relaxation can head for the Draft Media Sports Lounge. This sports bar on steroids reeks of testosterone—4,000 square feet of flat-screen HDTVs, Wii stations, private karaoke chambers and macho food offerings. The hotel’s food and beverage team takes their food quite seriously at the Sheraton, which has three executive chefs on staff. In addition to the sports bar, there is Dinner at the Kitchen Table, a feast with unusual offerings, and Chill, the hotel’s minidesert bar. The day ends at the Sheraton in spacious smoke-free rooms with a large flat-panel HDTV, high-speed Internet, electronic connectivity, hypoallergenic pillows and great views.
The Sheraton Dallas is in the downtown commercial center within easy walking distance to the bustling Arts District, the Sixth Floor Museum, Dallas Holocaust Museum, Kennedy Memorial, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Center for Performing Arts and Dallas World Aquarium.
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From Hotel Business Magazine
It is widely accepted that as travelers get more sophisticated in their personal lives, they expect the hotels they patronize to do the same. Things like Internet access and Wi-Fi are increasingly becoming something savvy travelers insist on. But as smart phones and connectivity flourish, those same travelers are beginning to expect properties not just to offer access, but to find innovative ways to take advantage of it, as well.
The Sheraton Dallas Hotel is one of two Starwood properties to roll out a new option for guests to order room service, among other technology-related amenities. “Our focus is to provide ‘best in class’ technology solutions in all areas of the hotel,” said Ray Hammer, general manager for the hotel.
The new offering is an e-dining website that allows guests to place orders via the Internet access in their room or anywhere on the property including meeting rooms, the Link@Sheraton service offered throughout the property, or via a mobile device such as an iPhone. The other location offering the service, the Sheraton Denver, currently only offers access via the Link@Sheraton service.
At the moment, Hammer noted that about 75 percent of the food menu is available to order via the online system. “These are the most popular items, and enable us to offer our guests a quick and easy ordering experience without overwhelming them with choices,” he noted.
For now, the service is limited to those items from the room service menu. However, Hammer said, there are plans to extend it in the future. “Phase One, is only food requests. For Phase Two, we will be implementing the ability to order amenities to be delivered to a guest. For example, a friend, family member, business associate or co-worker will be able to use the website to order an amenity for a guest and purchase it with their credit card.” He also noted that future versions could include allowing guests to schedule wake-up calls, or request other hotel amenities, such as extra pillows, via the site.
Part of the appeal of the online system, Hammer noted, is that guests have more convenient options. They can, he said, order from a taxi on their way back from a meeting. Another way it can be used is to pre-order items to be delivered at a later time, such as after a conference is over. Guests can also choose to have the items delivered not only to their room, but to any location in the hotel, making it a very flexible offering.
Guest feedback, Hammer said, has been very positive so far. The hotel is offering a 10 percent discount on items ordered via the new system to encourage its use.Taking tech further
However, the online eMenu system isn’t the only piece of technology the Sheraton Dallas has implemented. “Our robust technology features address the needs of our guests who are accustomed to these options in their home office environment,” Hammer said. “Our focus is to establish a community within our hotel that speaks to our brand values, providing a warm, connected, community.”
Some of the projects the hotel is working on include a Cisco Telepresence, life-size video conferencing center, which will be one of only 30 worldwide. Guestrooms have HD televisions with a Connectivity Pack, which allows a guest to easily connect their computer, iPod, DVD Player or game system. “We’ve [also] installed an extensive electronic reader board system to assist guests with finding their way about the property and to their meeting rooms,” noted Hammer. “In Draft, our sports and media lounge, we feature two private karaoke rooms and four Wii stations, complimentary to customers.”
And the Sheraton Dallas is using technology to help the environment, as well as make guests’ stays more enjoyable. “Technology has been the cornerstone of our hotel’s green initiatives,” said Hammer. “For example, our laundry plant, through its technology support, has reduced our water consumption in this area by close to 70 percent. Also, our guestroom energy management system has infrared detection, is interfaced with our property management system and finally the system self-updates close to 100 times per day to accommodate for climate changes, reducing our power consumption significantly. VFD technology, along with infrared technology, now controls everything from our escalator systems, fresh air returns and kitchen ventilation operations.”
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Fitness and travel go hand-in-hand, whether you’re the German World Cup soccer team traveling to South Africa, one of the last five #1 NFL draft picks going to an away game or a frequent business traveler jetting coast-to-coast. The Sheraton Dallas Hotel can help you use strategies developed by the leading experts in pro-athlete training to become the ultimate road warrior. As part of the Sheraton brand’s $6 billion global revitalization, 60 hotels, including the Sheraton Dallas, feature the new fitness offering with an additional 40 coming on board before the end of 2010. By the end of 2011, all Sheraton Hotels around the world will feature Sheraton Fitness, and Sheraton Dallas is one of only nine properties piloting the new “Fit Meeting” concept.
Core Performance, developed by Athletes’ Performance, the global leader in performance training, nutrition, and physical therapy– and Sheraton are proud to announce the global roll-out of “Sheraton Fitness Programmed by Core Performance.” This alliance marks the first time that Core Performance is partnering with a hotel company to create customized training and nutrition programs for travelers.
The statistics are conclusive. Travelers require programs specifically designed for their health and fitness needs on the road:
- 25 percent of business travelers experience physical stress while flying
- 40 percent of business travelers skip breakfast
- Lack of sleep has led 23 percent of travelers to fall asleep in a meeting and 14% to miss a meeting or a flight
- Travelers who exercise are more alert and perform at a higher level
With these stats in mind, Mark Verstegen, Founder of Core Performance and Athletes’ Performance, designed a holistic program exclusively for Sheraton guests, which is derived from the same training methodology used by professional athletes. The program helps travelers train and eat healthy on the road, as well as refresh, recharge and refocus their minds and bodies. So whether you work out every day or just want to take advantage of the nutrition programs and health tips, “Sheraton Fitness Programmed by Core Performance” will help Sheraton Dallas guests feel and perform better.
“Mark Verstegen’s Athletes’ Performance methodology has been used to train many of the world’s top athletes and the Sheraton Dallas Hotel is proud to partner with an organization that can bring this level of world-class fitness and nutrition expertise to our guests,” said Ray Hammer, general manager. “Fitness and travel go hand in hand and we have heard from our guests that working out is a priority when they are on the road.”
At the Sheraton Dallas’ new, state-of-the-art fitness center, guests will find high-powered LifeFitness® by Bally cardio equipment—including several treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bicycles—alongside professional-grade free weights, a dedicated stretching area, and the most current fitness accessories. Located on the fourth floor, the 5,884-square-foot fitness center is accessible by room key 24 hours a day and is complimentary to in-house guests.
New Fitness Program Goes Beyond the Gym
Sheraton Dallas Hotel guests will experience the holistic Sheraton Fitness program through multiple touch-points during their stay that incorporates four fundamentals of optimal performance: mindset, nutrition, movement and recovery:
- First Class Gyms Designed for the Top Performers in Life: Core Performance has developed a state-of-the-art gym experience tailored specifically to the needs of frequent travelers. Since travelers have different needs when they are on the road, the new fitness centers feature time-efficient training programs – 20 to 30 minute “themed” workouts – designed by Core Performance to work with busy travel schedules.
- Healthy Dining: Core Performance nutritionists worked with the Sheraton Dallas to create healthier dining options for both in-room dining menus and hotel restaurants.
- Guest Room Workouts: Guests can also train like a pro in the privacy of their room. Guests can access four 30-minute Video On Demand workouts at no charge and get nutritional or wellness tips through Starwood’s internal channel, Starwood Preferred Guest TV. Guests can also order a complimentary “workout in a bag” — including workout cards, workout mat, foam rolls, resistance band and massage stick — to be delivered to their room.
- Online Training, After Check-Out: Guests can access Sheraton Fitness online at Sheratonfitness.com, which features online training programs created by Core Performance and health/nutrition tips. This allows guests to download workouts and follow the Core Performance programs both at home and on the road – eliminating any disruption to their fitness regimen. Core Performance is also offering guests a free three-week trial to the online training at CorePerformance.com, which provides customized training regimes based on guests’ goals.
Make Your Meeting a “Fit Meeting” at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel
As part of “Sheraton Fitness Programmed by Core Performance,” the global powerhouse is also unveiling a unique Fit Meetings component that allows corporate businesses to enhance performance at meetings. This Fit Meetings concept includes healthy breaks, techniques to keep the mind and body sharp, and customizable group workout options. Fit Meetings is being piloted at nine hotels including Sheraton Dallas, Sheraton Seattle, Sheraton Waikiki, Sheraton Phoenix Convention Center, Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, and Sheraton Denver, and is expected to roll-out brand wide in early 2011.
“We’re excited to partner with Sheraton Hotels to unveil this unique, co-branded program that touches multiple elements of a guest’s lifestyle, both in and out of the hotel, and helps them compete in the game of life,” said Mark Verstegen, Founder and Chairman of Core Performance and Athletes’ Performance. “Travel takes its toll on all of us and we are dedicated to working with Sheraton to offer innovative solutions that will enhance the overall health of guests.”
To celebrate the roll-out of this global brand standard, Verstegen will lead the “World’s Largest Resistance Band Strength Training Class” as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in the heart of midtown Manhattan in front of Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on September 30.
About Mark Verstegen and Core Performance
Mark Verstegen is the Founder of Core Performance and Athletes’ Performance, the global leader in performance training, nutrition, and physical therapy for elite athletes and teams. In addition to his roles at Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance, Mark is the Director of Performance for the NFL Players’ Association and the author of five Core Performance books, including Core Performance Essentials and Core Performance Golf. Mark is featured regularly in Men’s Health and Outside Magazine, and speaks regularly internationally about helping executives, athletes, and consumers alike achieve their performance goals.
Under Mark’s leadership, Athletes’ Performance has trained some to today’s top athletes including major champions in basketball, hockey, tennis, and golf. Core Performance has become the industry leader in proactive wellness, delivering comprehensive, measurable solutions to consumers, corporations, and executives alike.
For more information please visit www.sheratonfitness.com.
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