Are you up for a futuristic hotel experience? Then the newly-opened four-star KViHotel in Budapest might be something just for you! It’s the first hotel with services that can be controlled via a smartphone app.
These days, when traveling, many people tend to want a place to sleep and minimal human interaction. That, of course, is in opposition to the traditional hotel experience, with numerous staff waiting to cater to your every whim. The creators of KViHotel Budapest with tried to combine those approaches, by creating a luxurious, cosmopolitan hotel providing a great digital guest experience.
The system is based on the TMRW Hotels app software. The app allows you to digitalise every step of your journey, from booking your room to posting a ‘do not disturb’ sign at the door. At the hotel, there is no reception desk; two mounted tablets offer guest assistance 24/7. You can check-in anytime and from everywhere; the hotel will send you a notification as soon as your room is available. But how will you get the key to your room, if there’s no receptionist to hand it out? Not to worry! Your mobile is the only key you need. You and your travel companions can use it to open and close the door from a close range. The app also opens the main door if it closes for the night.
As if that’s not enough, there’s more! You can remotely set the perfect temperature in your room for when you arrive, or post a ‘do not disturb’ notice at the door. In the morning, you don’t have to call room service, either. Just use the app to order your breakfast. When you check out, the payment is made through the app and the bill is sent to the email you’ve provided.
And if you’re staying in a courtyard-facing room, you can see a huge smartphone mural painted on an adjoining wall. You can watch an animation explaining the TMRW Hotels concept through an additional LARA AR app you can download on your phone.
However, since the system relies heavily on mobile devices, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong. What if you lose your phone? Well, there’s a 24-hour customer-services center at the entrance, through which you can identify yourself and have your room unlocked remotely. What if your battery dies? There’re chargers in the lobby. Technical support is provided 24/7 via popular social media or via a hotline. What’s more, you can always safely upload your passport details to the app; all the personal data will be encrypted.
So you’re probably wondering how much you’d have to pay for a stay at the hotel? Surprisingly, the prices are quite reasonable, with room rates of around 50 euros per night. That’s thanks to the streamlining achieved with the app, which significantly reduces the costs; the 40-room hotel only needs to employ 15 workers. Really! Other than the necessary housekeeping staff and one or two servers in the lounge, there are no regular employees onsite.
There’s certainly a great potential in the business model KViHotel Budapest uses, moving the traditional hotel experience into the 21st century. Let’s see how it works out!
