Robobutlers, morphing hotels, choosing dreams and longevity spas
When travelers check into a hotel in 2060 they can expect it to feature augmented reality, artificial intelligence, morphing beds, robotics, touchscreen everything, hyper connectivity and much more, as revealed by the Hotels.com® Hotels of the Future study.
Hotels.com celebrates 25 years of accommodation expertise this year and is looking to the future by partnering with renowned futurist Dr. James Canton of the Institute for Global Futures on the Hotels.com Hotels of the Future study. It uncovers how the travel and hotel experience will be different in a year, 25 years and as far ahead as 2060.
The way travelers choose a destination, book a trip, travel to the location and enjoy the in-stay experience will be dramatically different in the future. Hotels.com is already one of the technology leaders in the travel industry but these new forecasts see super-tech meet super-science.
Dr. James Canton from The Institute for Global Futures, a leading think tank that identifies emerging consumer trends, explains, “Trends in technology, science, energy and entertainment will vastly change the hotel experience for travelers. The emergence of a new travel design science, which is a combination of using big data, artificial intelligence and predicting travelers’ dreams, will mean the whole travel experience will change.”
“The future of travel is really exciting, as we’ll see predictive travel analytics anticipating what consumers want from their experience before booking. The hotel booking itself will be helped along by artificial intelligence software agents, using data mining and intuitive computing. The new travel design science will help create highly personalized in-stay experiences. And it doesn’t end when you check out, because new analytics will also ensure lifelong travel fulfillment.”
The Smart Hotel Room Unveiled: 3D printers, smart toilets, morphing beds and face recognition entry. Image: 3D Makers in every hotel room. Courtesy of Hotels.com
Hotels.com has worked with Dr. James Canton to identify the top trends for what hotels of the future will be like by 2060:
- RoboButlers
These autonomous robots can be designed online before arrival and can be programmed with special talents, skills, languages and information to help make the hotel stay exceptional. They will do everything from greeting guests at the airport, to offering gourmet food service, room makeup, companionship, education, entertainment, business advice and concierge services. - Morphing hotels made to order
This is the next generation of made to order. Hotels which self-assemble and morph from one design to another based on consumer’s votes. These crowdsourced hotels will use nanotechnology and machines that can self-assemble environments, buildings or even entire physical worlds (the Real Jurassic Park?). This could all be possible in the next 20 years. - 3D Makers in every hotel room
Taking luggage on holiday will be a thing of the past. 3D Printers will transform the travel experience and specifically the in room experience. 3D Makers will generate in real time items guests desire, such as a new pair of shoes, clothes, pharmaceuticals, even computers or wearable phones. 3D shopping will be available, where consumers can download retail goods from the cloud that they want to design on demand. This will become the standard in every hotel room.
Inside the smart hotel room
By 2060 the standard hotel room you know today will be almost unrecognizable. The room of the future will be so personalized, so smart and techy down to the last detail. It will include:
- Entering your room via face recognition
- Multiple sensors attuned to you
- Talk-back TV
- Every surface will be touchscreen, reactive and interactive
- Bathrooms will have smart toilets and mirrors streaming real-time news
- Neuro-enhanced aromas will sprout from interactive spa walls that sense stress and auto-generate a relaxing sleep experience
- Special towels with pollution wipe nano coatings
- Wireless temperature controls that adjusts automatically
- Self-assembling and personalized bed and pillows based on neuro-feedback
- In room-personalized experiences like watching a holographic music concert
Take a tour of the hotel room of the future here.
Check out a list of 10 future hotel trends below and see here for additional details:
- RoboButlers
- Morphing hotels made to order
- 3D makers in every hotel room
- Neuro-dreaming – choose your own dream
- Pop-up hotels based on crowdsourcing
- Wellness & longevity hotel spas
- Airport transfer of the future
- DNA mobile payments
- My travel avatar
- EcoHotels on the next level
If you can’t wait until 2060 to book a hotel with all these features, Hotels.com has hundreds of thousands of properties available to book right now. Check out the very best Loved by Guests hotels around the world, as inspiration for your next trip. Click here.
About Hotels.com
Hotels.com L.P. operates Hotels.com, a leading online accommodation booking website with properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.
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About Institute of Global Futures
The Institute for Global Futures is a leading think tank that advises Global Fortune 500 companies on emerging trends in innovation and technology that impact consumers, markets and society. Futureguru.com
