Welcome Tech
Business Traveler|May 2019

Gizmos and gadgets are making your hotel stays more amenable, but the basics are still person-to-person

Michael Allen
Welcome Tech

Around 25 years ago, while Abid Butt was staying in a hotel in Thailand, he called downstairs for an adapter. “Ten or 15 minutes later, all of a sudden there were security officers standing outside my door with a first-aid box because they thought I had asked for a doctor and were worried something was wrong,” says Dream Hotel Group’s CEO of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

Butt believes these classic cases of misunderstanding could soon be relegated to history. His company’s Dream Downtown hotel in Manhattan has introduced Google Assistant Interpreter Mode to its reception area. Guests can speak in their native language to the device and have their requests translated to hotel staff.

“People are very happy that they’re not struggling trying to express what they need, so it immediately relaxes them,” he says, adding that the most commonly translated languages are Mandarin, Spanish and French.

“In the early 90s when Japanese travelers were contributing hordes of numbers around the globe, we would look for the language proficiency in the staff,” he says. “Now, technology is facilitating that 24 hours a day, and at a much better cost efficiency.”

At the Orchard Hotel Singapore, guests at breakfast may be surprised to find a robot asking how they’d like their eggs. The “Autonomous Service Chef Associate” can cook eggs either as omelets or sunny side up. There is also a front-of-house “Autonomous Service Delivery Robot,” which can deliver room amenities such as towels and bottled water.

“It initially took a while for our guests to warm to the idea of being served by robots. But they offer our guests a nice surprise and, frankly, a great photo opportunity,” says Byron Chong, the hotel’s general manager.

Bu hikaye Business Traveler dergisinin May 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Business Traveler dergisinin May 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

BUSINESS TRAVELER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Fast Company - In a partnership with SpaceX, United is rolling out revolutionary high-speed Wi-Fi on all its flights
Business Traveler US

Fast Company - In a partnership with SpaceX, United is rolling out revolutionary high-speed Wi-Fi on all its flights

United has become the first major U.S. airline to announce a groundbreaking partnership with SpaceX to equip more than 1,000 aircraft with Starlink WiFi. Passengers will soon enjoy high-speed, lowlatency Internet service, enabling seamless gate-to-gate connectivity across domestic and international flights.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Special Sauce - Celebrated chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis shares her Italian heritage through her television shows, restaurants, cruise partnerships and an exclusive line of curated products
Business Traveler US

Special Sauce - Celebrated chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis shares her Italian heritage through her television shows, restaurants, cruise partnerships and an exclusive line of curated products

Celebrated chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis shares her Italian heritage through her television shows, restaurants, cruise partnerships and an exclusive line of curated products

time-read
6 dak  |
November 2024
The Censoring of Social Media? - Why legislatures continually try to regulate freedom of expression, and what the courts are doing about it
Business Traveler US

The Censoring of Social Media? - Why legislatures continually try to regulate freedom of expression, and what the courts are doing about it

There seems to be bipartisan agreement that everything from teen suicide rates to poor mental health and more is due to social media. The obvious solution, they believe, is to impose government oversight on how such services can be provided. Congress is considering sweeping social media legislation and a number of states have already enacted such laws.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2024
Golden Age
Business Traveler US

Golden Age

Porsche celebrates a half-century of its 911 Turbo with a limited-editon model

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
The Season's Best Underseat Carry-Ons
Business Traveler US

The Season's Best Underseat Carry-Ons

Bags that make the most of your space while providing carefree convenience

time-read
3 dak  |
November 2024
Crystal Palace
Business Traveler US

Crystal Palace

Baccarat offers sparkling cocktails in Midtown Manhattan

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
East Meets West
Business Traveler US

East Meets West

Chef Cyril Lignac fuses French and Japanese cuisine in the heart of London

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Bigger.Better.
Business Traveler US

Bigger.Better.

American Express relocated and improved its Centurion Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to address issues with overcrowding and enhance the customer experience

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2024
High Style
Business Traveler US

High Style

A nonstop journey from Singapore to Los Angeles in Business Class

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2024
Art History
Business Traveler US

Art History

A venerable Seville hotel doubles as a museum celebrating the culture of Andalusia.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2024