Gazing Into The Crystal Ball

Prashant Govindan, senior director, India & SAARC, Harman Professional Solutions reveals how audio, video and lighting technologies are redefining the world of ‘experience’ for a traveller.

It is said that a hotel is a home away from home, yet is a space for new experiences, indulgence and luxury. For business travellers, it is the place to return to after a tiring day. For leisure travellers, it is the perfect opportunity to indulge in some luxury, to pamper the senses, to tingle their taste buds and to carry back an unforgettable experience.

Technology as an enabler of experience in the guest room is often overlooked in favour of comfort and familiarity. What if we could provide that outstanding experience in an unobtrusive way? This is where experts at leading technology companies like Harman are finding newer ways to engage, entertain and enthrall in hospitality.

Let us look at the aspiring traveller. They are millennials – smart, technology savvy – with a short attention span. Their lives begin and end with technology. However, hotel rooms often look dated with virtually non-existent technology and entertainment limited to the TV. Armed with the latest iPhone, box sets of every conceivable movie in their hard drives, television series collection and with a game console in tow, it is not uncommon to find millennials seeking technology and often choosing hotels based on the gadgets available in the room.