San Francisco Hotel Uses VR to Attract Visitors, Locals
In February of 2013, the Viceroy Hotel Group opened the iconic Hotel Zetta, a boutique hotel located at the apex of downtown San Francisco amidst the city’s thriving cultural and business scene. With world class dining options, 2,760 square feet of event space and state-of-the-art amenities, the hotel has become an enclave for savvy locals and stylish travelers.
One of the hotel’s most popular areas is The Playroom, which boasts an assortment of video game consoles, a billiards table, shuffleboard and a 30-foot Plinko wall. Michael Gonsalves, Hotel Zetta’s director of sales and marketing, was determined to ensure that his hotel continues to set the standard for hospitality in San Francisco; so he endeavored to explore new and unique ways to expand upon the hotel’s offering.
“I knew I wanted something unique, something no one else was doing, something that would not only contribute to the guest experience, but would also attract locals to come enjoy all that Hotel Zetta has to offer,” Gonsalves said.
Enter Exit Reality, a San Francisco upstart that creates spaces for people to enjoy virtual reality experiences. What started as a classic food truck, converted into a mobile room-scale virtual reality space, became an idea for ways to bring virtual reality to the places people eat, drink and play. Exit Reality’s sleek virtual cube was the perfect fit for Hotel Zetta, blending seamlessly into their eclectic yet ultramodern design and was a perfect extension to the hotel’s “work hard, play hard” vibe.
The Exit Reality virtual reality cube features a cutting-edge design that is both aesthetically pleasing and equipped with the best available technology. Hotel guests can come face-to-face with an 80-foot whale, fight off space invaders or channel their inner Picasso. For Hotel Zetta, the introduction of a room-scale virtual reality space was a no-brainer. The installation was quick and simple, causing almost no interference to guests and visitors. Furthermore, Gonsalves knew that this amenity would be ever-changing. New technological advancements would allow for upgrades and the Exit Reality team is always exploring new and exciting types of content to add to their offerings.
The virtual reality cube was installed in the hotel’s lobby in March and has been popular with guests and visitors since day one.
“At any time of the day we have people walking in to inquire about the cube, which is visible from the street, and guests young and old alike have enjoyed the Exit Reality experience,” Gonsalves said.
The Hotel Zetta team hopes that the cube will not only continue to enhance its guest experience, but also that it will draw new customers into the hotel. Currently, Hotel Zetta is the only hotel that offers virtual reality to guests and visitors. While the cube was only recently installed, it appears to be satisfying the customers and attracting in new crowd of eager locals and techies.
“San Francisco is the home of the tech boom,” Gonsalves said. “So it’s only natural that we would want to be a pay homage to the innovation this city has fostered.”
One of the hotel’s most popular areas is The Playroom, which boasts an assortment of video game consoles, a billiards table, shuffleboard and a 30-foot Plinko wall. Michael Gonsalves, Hotel Zetta’s director of sales and marketing, was determined to ensure that his hotel continues to set the standard for hospitality in San Francisco; so he endeavored to explore new and unique ways to expand upon the hotel’s offering.
“I knew I wanted something unique, something no one else was doing, something that would not only contribute to the guest experience, but would also attract locals to come enjoy all that Hotel Zetta has to offer,” Gonsalves said.
Enter Exit Reality, a San Francisco upstart that creates spaces for people to enjoy virtual reality experiences. What started as a classic food truck, converted into a mobile room-scale virtual reality space, became an idea for ways to bring virtual reality to the places people eat, drink and play. Exit Reality’s sleek virtual cube was the perfect fit for Hotel Zetta, blending seamlessly into their eclectic yet ultramodern design and was a perfect extension to the hotel’s “work hard, play hard” vibe.
The Exit Reality virtual reality cube features a cutting-edge design that is both aesthetically pleasing and equipped with the best available technology. Hotel guests can come face-to-face with an 80-foot whale, fight off space invaders or channel their inner Picasso. For Hotel Zetta, the introduction of a room-scale virtual reality space was a no-brainer. The installation was quick and simple, causing almost no interference to guests and visitors. Furthermore, Gonsalves knew that this amenity would be ever-changing. New technological advancements would allow for upgrades and the Exit Reality team is always exploring new and exciting types of content to add to their offerings.
The virtual reality cube was installed in the hotel’s lobby in March and has been popular with guests and visitors since day one.
“At any time of the day we have people walking in to inquire about the cube, which is visible from the street, and guests young and old alike have enjoyed the Exit Reality experience,” Gonsalves said.
The Hotel Zetta team hopes that the cube will not only continue to enhance its guest experience, but also that it will draw new customers into the hotel. Currently, Hotel Zetta is the only hotel that offers virtual reality to guests and visitors. While the cube was only recently installed, it appears to be satisfying the customers and attracting in new crowd of eager locals and techies.
“San Francisco is the home of the tech boom,” Gonsalves said. “So it’s only natural that we would want to be a pay homage to the innovation this city has fostered.”