This article is part two of three-part series on guestroom telephones. Find part one here.
The newly opened Moxy Phoenix Tempe Hotel in Arizona has a guestroom phone which includes a unique option if you dial 68. The hotel will offer a bedtime story to guests.
“The Moxy is ahead of its time — the story they are trying to tell is totally unique in the guest experience,” said Chad Collins, senior sales director, Americas for VTech Telecommunications Ltd. “The guest experience can’t be overlooked — it can be a benefit to the hotels and operators.”
Keith Konicki, PhoneSuite Direct VP, believes the format of the guestroom phone is going to change to perfect that guest experience. “Four- and five-star hotels, resorts and boutique hotels are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves,” he said. “Room controllers and bedside tablet solution integrators are considering providing embedded WebRTC applications, which allow the guest to directly interact with spa, room service, front desk, and concierge. These solutions will need to integrate with the hotel communication system.
Konicki believes the ways in which the guest communicates while at home or in your car should be the same in the hotel room.
“Smartbot devices like Siri, Echo and Google Home currently provide music, speech to text via voice commands,” he said. “Why couldn’t hotels provide their own in-room guest experience leveraging a similar device to provide movie and TV selection, music and make calls to the front desk, spa, hotel security, housekeeping, bell stand, valet and 911, all through voice-activated commands?”