While fluffy slippers, cosy beds and breath-taking views will all give a hotel brownie points, where our jaws really drop is when it comes to innovative, futuristic technology. From talking dinosaurs at the check-in desk to personal robotic assistants, here are some of the most advanced tech hotel features in the world…
Pengheng Space Capsules Hotel, China
For a Jetsons-like reality, book a stay at the Pengheng Space Capsules Hotel in Bao’an. Forget huge rooms or spacious bathrooms: here, it’s all about getting back to basics in a space-efficient capsule. Imagine you’re in a spaceship in your very own pod, complete with flatscreen TVs, tablets and LED lights. Throughout the hotel, the space theme continues, with food and drink requested via iPad, robots serving up your order and an abundance of futuristic furniture.
penghengspacecapsuleshotel.com
Henn Na Hotel Maihama, Japan
Having people greet you at the reception desk is so last century, if Tokyo’s quirky Henn Na Hotel is to be believed. The hotel is staffed by 140 robots, and has a dinosaur theme, with a tyrannosaurus rex welcoming you at reception, a velociraptor helping you check in and your very own personal room bot, Churi-Chan, doing everything from adjusting the lighting to setting your morning alarm.
A stay at the hotel is like a trip to the future, with robots taking care of every little need, from mechanical porters carrying your suitcase and showing you to your room, to doors that magically open with no need for a key thanks to facial recognition technology.
hennnahotelmaihamatokyobay.com
Hôtel Monville, Canada
The newly-opened Hôtel Monville, in Montreal, offers room service with a difference: via an autonomous delivery robot that carries orders directly to the hotel’s hundreds of rooms and suites. Currently the only hotel in Canada to offer such a perk, you’ll find check in is also a breeze, with self-service electronic kiosks giving guests their room keys with no fuss.
W Bali Seminyak, Indonesia
© Ralf Tooten / Starwood
If you’re seeking a relaxing beach break – and you also have a talent for music – book a trip to W Bali Seminyak. Not only is the design cool, colourful and futuristic throughout, but there’s also a private music recording studio so you can realise your Grammy dreams in beautiful surroundings. The W Sound Suite has enough space for all your entourage, with a lounge, a live room and a main mixing room, with state-of-the-art recording technology from big industry names. There’s even a private vocal booth overlooking a pretty tropical garden.
M Social Singapore, Singapore
Located on the Singapore River, M Social Singapore not only has 293 Philippe Starck-designed rooms and the country’s first hotel self-check-in desk, but it also offers guests a complimentary smartphone for every room, with unlimited data and international calls, and even a Singapore city guide to make exploring that bit easier. There’s also a room service robot delivering towels, water and toiletries to guests, and even a robotic chef preparing eggs for diners.
The Peninsula Hotel Chicago, USA
It’s hard to beat the Peninsula Hotel when it comes to innovative in-room tech. Each of the luxurious rooms comes with swish tablets, from which you can control virtually everything about your room, from obvious elements like lighting and temperature to more unusual aspects like requesting toiletries from housekeeping and changing the TV channel. There are even in-room nail dryers and buttons to turn the bathroom into a spa-like setting for the ultimate in do-not-disturb luxury.
Yotel Boston, USA
© JChristopher O’Grady
© Halo Creative Group, LLC
While the Yotels are known around the world for their space-saving, technology-driven guest experiences, the Yotel Boston might just take the biscuit when it comes to innovative tech experiences. As well as the usual self-check-in with mobile apps, capsule-like accommodation, adjustable mood lighting and smart TVs, the hotel also has a robot butler, YO2D2, that can call the lift, interact with guests via touchscreen, deliver items to rooms and even dance to music.
