Try as they might to cajole guests outside the hotel guestroom to generate ancillary revenue, where guests’ sleep remains king. These days, the products inside the room need to keep up with kingly tastes. Here are five companies and their products that make the guest experience anything but routine.
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Dometic Group
HQ: Solna, Sweden
Find them @: dometic.com
Raiding the minibar is almost a rite of passage during a hotel stay. Who among us hasn’t shelled out $10 for a Toblerone bar without batting an eye? There is a good chance that the chocolate bar or the airplane bottle of Jack Daniels or the can of Coke reside in a minibar from Dometic, the Swedish company that manufactures everything from DC motors and safes to solar panels and batteries and, yes, those contraptions to keep your snacks chilled and ready to consume. “A minibar is more than just a convenience, it’s an essential part of creating a premium guest experience,” said Fatiha Babou, global head of business development, hospitality at Dometic Group. “Guests appreciate having chilled treats ready to enjoy when they arrive from an exhausting trip or an adventure. Not many things beat a nice cold drink after a day of sightseeing.” She’s not wrong, which is why Dometic offers more than 30 models, suitable for any type of hotel. Of course, the main function of a guestroom is sleep and who among us hasn’t had it interrupted by a pesky hum? “This is where silent operation, enabled by our thermoelectric and absorption minibars, plays a pivotal role,” Babou said. Cheers to that.
2. Vingcard
HQ: Plano, Texas
Find them @: vingcard.com
A hotel experience starts at the front door. But you have to unlock it to begin. Hear door-lock technology and there’s a high likelihood that the name Vingcard springs to mind. Part of the Assa Abloy Group, Vingcard is synonymous with electronic locking systems, which have evolved from the days of the lock and key to keycards to complete digitization that allows for doors to be opened via smartphone or smartwatch. “Today’s hotel guests prioritize in-room technology that enhances convenience, simplicity and personalization,” said Nicolas Aznar, president, Americas at Vingcard. “While ease of use remains essential, there’s an increasing demand for integrated solutions.” Vingcard boasts eight distinct types of locking systems and includes such technology as digital-wallet-enabled mobile keys that allow for contactless room access without the need for app downloads. “These solutions cater to modern guest preferences for frictionless experiences while maintaining robust security measures,” said Aznar.
3. Philips Professional Display Solutions
HQ: Milpitas, Calif.
Find them @: ppds.com
First came the bed wars. And the beds got better. Makes sense: a good night’s sleep is sacrosanct. But an improved night’s rest isn’t the only thing a guestroom should provide. It turns out, good, easy-to-use media and entertainment are just as valued. And in today’s world, where linear TV is certainly not the only game in town, screen providers need to have all the technology to allow guests to stream their favorite content. Step in Philips, whose suite of products allows guests to engage all their in-room entertainment needs, from streaming to surfing. “Guests look to their room as a place to decompress and relax and expect an entertainment experience equal to or better than what they have at home,” said Scott Adams, director of hospitality at PPDS. Consider Philips’ MediaSuite, which eliminates hotel guesswork of which apps to carry because guests can cast directly from their device and there is no additional equipment needed, something owners love because, as Adams knows too well, “The most important thing a hotel can do when making a purchase is to consider the total cost of investment.”
4. SuitePad
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Find them @: suitepad.de
The hotel industry presents a bit of disjunction nowadays. Hotels have always been a people-to-people business but as the labor market tightened in the pandemic and automation became more prevalent, staff-to-guest interaction dwindled some, but only where it should. New technology is not a panacea, but it sure can help run a hotel. That’s where SuitePad comes in, a company whose in-room tablets allow guests to control their experience without placing a call to the front desk. According to SuitePad Founder and MD Moritz von Petersdorff-Campen, 70% of hotel guests say they like the idea of communicating with a hotel via an app. “This is where digital in-room solutions come in,” he said. “They allow guests to personalize their stay— whether adjusting housekeeping preferences, extending check out, ordering room service or booking services—without requiring extra staff time.” For hotels, digital efficiency translates into time savings, allowing staff to respond faster and focus on more meaningful guest interactions. “And with AI advancing, hotels will soon have even more tools to automate this level of personalization and make the in-room experience more customized and intuitive,” von Petersdorff-Campen said.
5. Hotel Technologies
HQ: Rahway, N.J.
Find them @: hoteltechnologies.com
Despite their best efforts, the hotel alarm clock is not going the way of the dodo. Today’s alarm clock is not your grandfather’s alarm clock, able to perform multiple functions beyond telling the time or as a wake-up call. In fact, those two tasks may be an alarm clock’s least responsibility. Today’s alarm clock may even be a misnomer with the versions coming from the likes of Hotel Technologies. Every traveler at some point has had to suffer the ignominy of getting on all fours in search of an outlet. Hotel Technologies obviates the need to unplug a lamp or push a nightstand aside because their alarm clock technology allows guests to charge their smartphones or listen to their favorite music right at the source. “Despite the convenience of smartphones, the hotel alarm clock has adapted to the modern technological landscape, offering additional functionality by serving as a complementary device rather than a redundant one,” said Ely Ashkenazi, president of Hotel Technologies. “It’s more than a timepiece,” he added, with features like multi-option charging stations, Bluetooth speakers and easy-to-access power outlets. Time will tell— and so much more.
