Integrating Augmented Reality into the Hospitality Industry

Technology has become such an integrated part of our lives that it’s hard to think of an area untouched by innovation and enhancement. Everything from eating out to finding a hotel has been pioneered to become more efficient in our daily routines — the hospitality sector in particular has been subject to this digital improvement. Ranging from speedier check in procedures to guests being able to modify their room’s ambience, here, we’ll explore how technology is making the industry more enjoyable.

New Dimensions

A particularly impressive technology is augmented reality (AR), which alters a person’s perception of their surroundings. It offers a simulated virtual environment for a person to interact with. It can be applied to a range of purposes, from entertainment to training facilities, and it can be accessed through devices such as smartphones, headsets, or tablets. With AR, the existing surroundings are still there, but the digital elements it creates add a layer over reality — hence the name! Through AR, environments can become more interactive, providing the user with a new perspective. So, how can this be adapted for the hospitality sector?

Modify Your Room

Becoming the norm for many hotel rooms, AR serves guests by enhancing their stay and giving them an element of personalisation. Nowadays, customers are attracted to the concept of an experience, and the idea of any kind of unique element contributes to this. In this way, AR can be used to make rooms more interactive, which will add value to the guest’s stay. Providing maps which facilitate AR technologies is a popular approach, and when a smartphone is pointed at areas on the map AR generates a range of helpful visual content. This added convenience is what distinguishes a stay as an ‘experience’, by providing customers with a handy solution making their stay better overall.

Entertainment

Introducing gamification in the hospitality sector has become a phenomena of sorts in the wider world, with successes such as GeoCaching and Pokémon Go sweeping across the nation sending participants on augmented missions and treasure hunts. AR has become one of the most accessible, portable applications for gamification, and all a user needs to get started is a smartphone.

The beauty of AR is that it can be used anywhere with an enabled device. There’s no end to the visual creations which can be generated — from creating simulations of global landmarks to depictions of celebrities, the possibilities are endless! AR based apps could even allow guests to redecorate rooms, allowing you to tailor your stay to your décor preferences, demonstrating how effective the technology could become for allowing guests to have more say over their stay.

Touring Smart

It’s expected that the hospitality industry will progress from online booking to AR based booking systems. While 360 degree tours such as the Kingslodge Inn virtual tour are already popular with guests, this service could become even more thorough. The technology can add real time dates and information to provide guests with a better idea of room availability, the facilities available, and any events happening in the location of the hotel. By providing these extra details, guests can book a trip that suits their requirements. Information such as transport links could also feature on these AR tours, giving guests a genuine perspective of how they’ll get around the area during their stay. Whether you’re visiting the hustle and bustle of London, or if you’re simply looking for some traditional pubs in Durham, an AR tour could give you a first-hand perspective through some creative digital elements.

It’s certainly important to retain customer attention and interest by keeping up with the ever-modernising digital world!