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Even today, the internet remains mostly a 2D world. Delivering a great user experience still relies on full-screen, high-quality images, as well as videos and animations that create an illusion of depth. The unstoppable adoption of 3D technology is set to transform how users navigate the web. With Mirai, you can rest assured, we’re ready.
3D becomes mainstream: Google, Apple, Uber and Ticketmaster are already on board
Google and Apple are among the few companies capable of rendering the entire world in “real” 3D. Their map applications already offer destinations in 3D, allowing you to navigate natively in this incredible and groundbreaking third dimension (depth).
More and more platforms are integrating 3D functionality, setting their direct channels apart and offering unique experiences to their customers. Real Madrid, Dallas Cowboys, Uber, Amazon and Ticketmaster are just a few examples.
Mirai’s engine includes native 3D view as part of the booking process
Seeing the rise of 3D, at Mirai we couldn’t stay behind, so we’ve chosen to evolve and integrate our Mirai Twin solution into the new booking engine, making it the world’s first native 3D booking engine. The booking process is no longer just a simple transaction—it becomes an immersive experience that emotionally connects the customer with the hotel. In a world saturated with flat and similar images, standing out isn’t an option, it’s a necessity.
What does 3D bring to the hotel booking experience? It answers many questions guests wouldn’t otherwise be able to solve: How close is the hotel really to the beach or city center? Can you actually see the cathedral from the rooms? When choosing between room types, any additional context helps justify paying more for upgraded rooms. Do Premium rooms have ocean or city views? Are the Junior Suites located on upper floors, like I prefer? How far are the family rooms from the pool?
3D brings transparency and confidence to guests as they make decisions, and helps put the pricing of each room type into context.
Some example properties using it:
With the 3D functionality embedded in our booking engine, your guests can freely explore the hotel’s exterior in three dimensions and easily answer all these questions. Some of the standout features of our 3D booking engine include:
- Room type selection, not room number. No worries for operations teams! This is not a system for selecting specific room numbers (like room 517), but rather a new way to choose one room type over another (e.g., Superior instead of Standard).
- 100% native. Not a third-party add-on. Our 3D functionality is fully developed in-house and is already integrated into your booking engine alongside many other features.
- Seamless experience. Because it’s our own tech, we’ve maintained consistent usability patterns, fonts, content (photos, text, pricing, currency, taxes), and overall experience, just like the classic booking engine view.
- Google Maps-style navigation. We use the same interaction model as Google and Apple Maps. Users who are familiar with navigating those tools will be right at home exploring your hotel in 3D.
- Dual navigation in 3D. Just like Airbnb, we’ve added a side navigation panel to switch between rooms, making it easier for new users to explore the 3D environment.
- Dynamic filters. We’ve preserved this innovative feature from the Mirai engine, allowing guests to filter for desired amenities or features and helping them choose more confidently.
Google Maps 3D or drone 3D? The choice is yours
Much of our R&D team’s work in recent years has focused on efficiently loading and navigating 3D environments in a way that’s fast, user-friendly, and fully integrated with the hotel’s real-time inventory and pricing. It’s a high level of innovation put at our clients’ service and easily embedded into the booking engine.
When we began, the only option was to create our own 3D environments with our team of drone pilots and digital architects. This option is still available for most hotels.
However, in early 2024, Google Maps introduced 3D in its API and we quickly took advantage of it at Mirai. This gave us access to many high-quality 3D-mapped destinations. If your property is located in one of these areas and the quality of the 3D imagery is high, you’re in luck! After a quick setup on our side to map rooms within the 3D model, we can enable 3D navigation in your booking engine making it quickly available to all your guests.
3D is just getting started; the best is yet to come
We’re in the early stages of mass 3D adoption by users. It’s only a matter of time. Once Google or Apple begin showing their maps in 3D by default and users get used to it, a whole new world of opportunity opens up. And we’re not talking about VR headsets, we’re talking about immersive experiences where future guests can tour your hotel from the comfort of home. Expect major improvements in 3D capabilities as user adoption grows.
3D unlocks a world of opportunities. Having a native 3D solution gives you a competitive edge over both your direct competitors and OTAs.
Mirai Twin on your website and now in your booking engine
Mirai Twin was originally created as an app or widget that integrates with your website and allows guests to explore your hotel in 3D. Some examples include:
Twin on the website
- It’s designed for guests who are still in the exploratory or early decision-making stage (upper funnel), and not yet sure if they’ll book.
- It displays not only rooms, but also hotel facilities and nearby points of interest.
- It also includes a wide range of visual elements such as videos, virtual tours, Matterport animations, and 360º room photos.
- It allows your guests to preview the views they’ll enjoy from each room.
- They can check availability and pricing, move forward with their booking decision, and be redirected to the booking engine with their selected room type already filtered—offering a more natural experience.
Twin, in its booking engine version, takes all these features one step further down the funnel -into the actual booking process- providing guests with unique context to help them make the best decision about which room to stay in.
I want to integrate 3D into my hotel—what do I need to do?
Reach out to your account manager, who will give you all the information and next steps you need.
