Conducted by ‘futurologist’ Ian Pearson, the six-month ‘Travelodge Future of Sleep’ study looked at how technology will impact a night’s sleep in 2030, and how the hotel room of the future can respond to these changes.
Pearson paints a picture of a personalised hotel room, using ‘virtually invisible’ technology to personalise a guest’s experience. This would include transforming the room into a venue of their choice – such as their home or a local tourist attraction – while also benefiting from ‘virtual’ services such as a fitness trainer, lifestyle coach, psychologist or doctor.
Personalised hotel rooms
Everything in the hotel room will be designed to contribute to this sensory transportation, from bed linen to interactive wall panels, predicts Pearson.
“Hotels in 2030 will offer customers a bespoke room and experience on every visit. Lonely business travellers will be able to turn their hotel room into their bedroom at home and with augmented and virtual reality, they can even share the experience with their partner anywhere in the world,” he said.
“Leisure travellers will be able to bring their favourite sights, sounds and smells into their hotel room for the ultimate stay.”
Shakila Ahmed, spokesperson for Travelodge, said: “Technology affects our lives in so many ways it is only a question of time before it impacts on the experience of sleep.
“As part of our commitment to ensuring our guests get a good night’s sleep, we are always looking to the future and at new and different ways of improving our guests’ stay, whether it is by offering dream menus or home-from-home 3D uploads.”
Hotel room of the future
Key features of a hotel room in 2030, as envisioned by Pearson, include:
- Fabric capable of ‘electronic enhancement’, such as scent production, acting as a visual display or speaker, or as a source of ambient sound. Guests will also be able to alter the colour, patterns, or texture of their furnishings
- Walls and furniture to be used for ‘augmented reality’ effects, transforming into a display of choice, such as a painting, a computer or TV screen, photographs, virtual games, or a fantasy location, such as a tropical beach or a favourite city
- Atmospheric temperature control will allow guests to alter their room climate to match that of a fantasy location, such as the seaside or forest
- Audio enhancement will be incorporated into a range of surfaces in the room, such as windows, linen and fabrics, to recreate sounds that match a guest’s fantasy room creation
- Virtual tourism will be possible from a hotel room, with guests attending a theatre production, wondering through the local town or exploring local tourist attractions from their rooms
- Virtual shopping will also be possible from a room, with the walls replicating the interior of a shop