Hilton's New Concierge is Interactive TV

Summary

Hilton has rolled out a new concierge service that is just beginning to make it big in the hotel industry. They are flat screen TVs! These TVs will be placed around the hotel in public places such as lobbies as well as in guest rooms. They are first being added to a hotel in Beijing for the upcoming Olympic Games. These systems allow for guests to be able to view the hotel and see the amenities being offered. It will show layouts of the rooms for those thinking of holding an event at the hotel. The concierges will be on Samsung's large-format-display 570DX video screen. They will display the hotel's services so that the guest can become more familiar with the hotel quicker. For example they will feature Hilton's Fitness room by Procur, or for business travelers the e-tools and business centers located in the hotel. Hilton wants to have this program out by the Olympics but they want to make sure it is flawless. They want guests to feel comfortable with this technology and have the majority of their possible questions answered. Hilton has said that they do not want to tie the concierge services with check-in or a reservations system just yet. The systems may also help the guest find what sights they are most interested in the nearby area. They have come up with many possible questions that a guest might ask and given informational answers. This technology is called WAVEscape technology and Hilton believes it will be the "wave" of the future.

Response
I think this is a great new system and that Hilton should be proud. I think this system won't be too intrusive for the guest like some mandatory self service check-ins are. Since it is available, but not the only game in town it should be very popular. It gives the guest a chance to see what services are available in the hotel. I know with many stays at hotels I didn't know they had a pool or fitness center until it was too late. This way guests can get the most for their stay. Especially for business travelers they will know what amenities are available and what the business center offers. It will also be great for restaurant recommendations and sights to see in the cities where the hotels are located. I'm sure a regular concierge will still be used because some people do want that human touch when asking for recommendations, but this is a great alternative. It will definitely change the face of sales because when people want to book a room for an event they can now use this touch screen to view the room and its requirements when it comes to maximum capacity and how the room can be laid out. If a potential client ends up talking to a sales or catering manager they will already have some background in a room's capabilities and maybe a probable idea of how they would like their event to take place.

Harler, C (2008, March, 18). Hilton's new concierge is interactive tv. Hospitality Technology, Retrieved April 14, 2008, from http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=FCD2F7DAADC8438E926C98968EDAE530