A new digital frontier? The promise of augmented reality in hotels

On the face of it, the hospitality industry and AR make for natural bedfellows for several reasons. Given that hotel groups are in the business of selling a physical environment to customers – both the hotel and its rooms – augmented reality represents an important marketing tool.

How? Well, AR can make said physical environment much more interactive, using either a smartphone, tablet device or headset. A number of hotel groups, such as Premier Inn, have already introduced such technology into their properties, whereby guests are able to point their smart phone at a map in their room and receive information on local points of interest.

The world’s first AR hotel is believed to be the Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum, whose foray into deploying such technology even predates the Pokémon Go craze. Coinciding with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the operator launched a campaign in which guests – with the aid of a smartphone or tablet – were able to see an array of the competing athletes in action across various parts of the hotel, from ping pong players at reception to rowers gliding down the corridors.

More recently, other groups have sought to use augmented reality for the purposes of more colourful and inventive marketing campaigns, including Best Western, which partnered with the Disney Channel to virtually depict well-known Disney stars in various guises across its property.

One might be forgiven for dismissing the above as mere novelty peddling, but that would be to dismiss what today’s hotel guests want from their stay: immersive personalisation.

As Scott Brothers, Group COO of ONVU Technologies, explains: “Personalisation in the hospitality industry is not a new notion. However, it can be drastically improved by technology, as there is a huge untapped resource.”

Most hotel operators have smart phone-wielding millennials in their sights when it comes to digital strategy. In its ability to make reams of information readily available to such guests – even before they have checked in – AR makes for an especially attractive option.

As evidenced by Pokémon Go, AR also taps into guests’ increasing proclivity towards immersive entertainment. For instance, guests staying at Residence Inn by Marriott’s properties are able to access a “Blippar” app, which enables them access to an assortment of games – as well as customisable selfies – simply by pointing their phone at drinks coasters.

Elsewhere, AR virtual room keys also seem set to take off. Using beacon technology – augmented reality tech that deploys low-energy Bluetooth connections to communicate with smartphones and tablets – Starwood Hotels has run pilot programs to send virtual keys to guests, allowing them to open their door via their phone. Guests staying at Disney Resorts in Orlando, Florida can also do the same via the group’s My Disney Experience app.

According to a recent report by market research group Zion Market Research, the global augmented and virtual reality market is set to hit $814.7bn by 2025; last year the market was valued at $26.7bn.

That’s a considerable market growth spurt, and one which the hospitality industry would be wise to exploit. As the Pokémon Go trend taught us, consumers are more than willing to be taken to new places with the helping hand of an app and a smartphone. That means hotels are ripe for the take-off of augmented reality.