7 Ways Your Hotel Stay Is Changing

From robots to rooms by the hour, what you should check out before checking in.

- Sara Clemence, Melanie Lieberman, Jennifer Murphy, and Eric Rosen

NO .1 CONCIERGES ARE GETTING A REBOOT

A number of upscale brands are taking their concierge services digital, using texting, social media, and custom apps to help guests connect with the hotel. In some cases, they’re replacing people with technology altogether.

It’s quite a change for this very traditional hotel role. And while it may dismay travellers who rely on concierges for assistance and advice, there are definite upsides for guests.

Many of the new apps provide a central place to make various kinds of requests. At Conrad Hotels & Resorts, for instance, you can book a spa treatment and ask for restaurant recommendations with a few taps instead of multiple phone calls. You can even select your room and order a room- service meal before check-in, tasks that were challenging—if not impossible—at the hotel previously.

Useful for those times when you’re away from the hotel but want a concierge’s local insights, Porter & Sail is a city-guide app used at independent hotels. It offers picks curated by distinguished locals (musician Moby, chef Alan Stewart), and is available at more than three dozen properties worldwide, including Soho Beach House, in Miami, and London’s Zetter hotels.

Social-media addicts might appreciate that Hyatt has taken to Twitter—direct-message or tweet at the @HyattConcierge handle, and the 24/7 guest-service team will usually respond within 15 minutes. (It’s handy for quick requests, like extra pillows or a restaurant suggestion.) Guests of most Commune Hotels & Resorts don’t have to speak to anyone in person, either—they can use e-mail or SMS to communicate with the hotel, whether they want to inquire about a car service or complain about noise. And a new function in the Marriott Rewards app lets guests chat with a concierge before they arrive at the hotel.