Hotel Tech Takes Center Stage at Madrid's FITUR 2018 Tourism Fair

According to a Jan. 21st article from TheLocal.es, Madrid's FITUR 2018 tourism fair showcased hotel technologies that could soon be making their way to a guestroom near you. Personalization was key, with rooms automatically adapting to a guest's preferences, including temperature, lighting and even artwork displayed on the room's walls. Also on display was technology such as door locks that open via the What'sApp mobile app and mattresses with sensors to record the movements of those sleeping. If the sensors "notice" that a person had a restless night, the hotel will be prompted to offer them a coffee upon their awakening.

Artificial Intelligence was also showcased throughout the show. For instance, hotels will use the technology not only to ascertain when a guest is alone, on holiday with a spouse, or has the whole family with him, but also how the guest's dining preferences change based on these factors. For instance, alone the guest may prefer to dine in the restaurant, with his spouse the guest may prefer to order room service, and with children, the guest may prefer to see the kid's menus first. AI will then present these options in such a way to be most appealing to the guest.

And virtual reality was also a major influence at FITUR. Hotels such as Palladium no longer give its sales personnel paper brochures to present to travel agents. Instead they carry VR headsets. Travel agents can use the headsets to visit rooms, pools or restaurants and have a much better idea of what the hotel is actually like.