THE NEXT GENERATION OF MIDDLE EAST HOTELSWith so many events of international importance occurring within the next five years (Expo 2020, the FIFA 2022 World Cup and so on) there’s no doubt that the Middle East will be at the forefront of improving hotel design practices in order to provide guests with optimal levels of comfort, convenience and satisfaction.

We’ve looked around the world for examples of ambitious new trends that are coming to define the next generation of hotels. With the Middle East always vying to be Number 1, there’s no doubt that you’ll see some of the following appear across hotels in the Middle East in the near future.

DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL TRENDS

PERSONALISATION SERVICESPersonalisation is quickly becoming a key watchword in the Middle Eastern hospitality sector, as it can improve guest satisfaction and loyalty, leading to repeat visits and brand advocacy.

More ME hotels are implementing a wide array of hi-tech personalised services in their rooms, including voice greetings that welcome the guest by name, customised mood settings, and even hi-tech toilets with a motion activated lid, seat heater, and deodoriser.

HI-TECH MULTI-USE LOBBIESForward-thinking hotels no longer see the lobby and front desk area simply as functional spaces for the guest to check in before being conveyed to their room. Design trends now favour the approach of having the lobby as a multi-use space that can include restaurants, lounges and business centres all rolled into one.

UNDERWATER HOTELSPioneering “underwater” hotels or suites are the new trend that tourists are looking for these days. For example, the underwater suites at Atlantis at the Palm Dubai demonstrate that travellers are excited at the prospect of enjoying a comfortable stay with underwater views.

The Floating Seahorse is a residential development that will feature three levels including an underwater master bedroom and bathroom. The exclusive floating retreat is expecting to offer a lucrative ROI through holiday rentals in Dubai.

Bigger, better, safer and more versatile underwater hotel designs are now emerging, including modular, movable hotels that feature separate pods to maximise the best of the undersea view from each room.

ECO-FRIENDLY ROOMS AND OPTIONSSustainability is another key concern of major hotel operators in the Middle East as they strive to reduce their carbon footprint and combat the strain of rising water and energy utility costs.

As such, more hotels will be introducing a wider range of eco-friendly options for their rooms and services. This will go beyond giving guests the choice of how frequently their towels and linens are washed; with green technologies such as occupancy sensors for lighting solutions, low flow showerheads, LED, energy efficient light bulbs and televisions.

FOOD & BEVERAGE TRENDSMORE DIVERSE AND EXCITING SNACKING OPTIONSHotels are quickly responding to consumers’ needs around the convenience of food. The traditional overview of the dining experience in hotels is that it centres around menus and room service. Now, snacking, grazing, and sampling options are in – social dining that caters to specific diets is the order of the day.

In 2016, there will be more unexpected flavour combinations as in-room snacks move beyond traditional options to encompass more diverse and discerning consumer tastes and expectations.

DINING PREFERENCES DETERMINED VIA FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWAREBiometric technology is developing expansively and its applications in the world of hotel dining are manifold. Imagine walking into the hotel’s bar or restaurant and being greeted by the front of house staff by name, then shown to the table of your preference, with the staff having knowledge of your previous orders and even dietary requirements ahead of time.

QUALITY CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES Diners are becoming ever more discerning in their tastes, requiring their food to be fresh as well as ethically and sustainably produced. Ambitious plans for demonstrating the quality and origin of food in hotel restaurants include QR codes that guests can scan for detailed information on the dish. More ambitious tech designs include “electronic tongues”, which use sensors to measure taste and smell – an ideal way of trying before you buy.

ROBOT CHEFS: FOOD PREPARATION WITH MECHANICAL PRECISION AND EFFICIENCYGranted, current robotics technology hasn’t produced anything that can create meals with the flair, skill and expertise of a master chef. However, progress is steadily increasing and over the course of the next decade it ’s not inconceivable to imagine a robotic chef that is capable of delivering gourmet dining experiences. With such a development, restaurant operators could guarantee diners that the food will be prepared to their specifications as well as guaranteeing the time it will take to prepare it.

AUTOMATED LUGGAGE HANDLERSSorting and transporting guests’ luggage quickly and efficiently is a key concern for maintaining guest satisfaction. While professional porters can perform the task admirably, a busy hotel often creates demanding circumstances and items can become misplaced or incorrectly delivered in the confusion.

With this in mind, Yotel in New York City has taken the approach of using a Yobot, a 15-foot automated luggage handler. Yobot can receive all incoming luggage and organise it into separate racks delivery to the guests’ rooms.

FINGERPRINT LOCKS (FPL)Today, quality hotels are expected to have in place high security standards, policies and procedures. Increasing concern over guest safety has led to the development of more advanced and integrated security features being implemented in prominent hotels. One advanced technology is FPL, fingerprint locks, which allow for complete access control to hotel rooms and staff areas.

SECURITY AND CONVENIENCE TRENDS

INFRARED BODY SCANNERSSeattle-based Hotel 1000 has come up with an innovative way to solve the perennial guest complaint of being interrupted by housekeeping staff. While knock and wait procedures and “do not disturb” notices work well enough, this hotel has installed infrared body scanners that detect when guests are in the room by sensing their body heat. This means that guests will never be unwittingly disturbed again.

KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEMSIn order to improve security and convenience, more hotels are now experimenting with offering their guests RFID-enabled key fobs or wrist bands as a replacement for traditional keys or key cards.

A simple touch of wrist band to the door’s sensor allows access to the room, reducing the risk of the guest losing their key.

BIOMETRIC FINGER SCAN PAYMENT SYSTEMSBiometric technologies utilise unique elements of a person’s biology, such as fingerprints or retina scans, as authorisation for desired actions. We’ve already mentioned FPL technology for allowing access to rooms, but biometric fingerprint scans are also being utilised in ME hotels to allow guests to pay for services and products. This allows for complete convenience and security as they no longer have to carry money with them and are protected against fraudulent activities.

ENTERTAINMENT AND NOVELTY TRENDS MARRIOTT’S VIRTUAL REALITY TELEPORTER PHONE BOOTHThe Marriott Marquis hotel in New York City now offers guests an enthralling 4D sensory experience using an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset (designed by Microsoft). The headset allows the wearer to experience different locations around the world without actually going there. The VR headset provides a fully rendered environment for the wearer to explore; currently the Marquis’ “Transporter” experience includes London and Hawaii. No doubt there will be plenty more destinations added to the roster in the near future.

ROBOTIC BUTLERSA long-standing fantasy of science-fiction admirers and technology fanatics alike is to have their own robot butler to fetch them food, drinks and sundries with mechanical efficiency matched with a unique kind of charm. The concept has been translated from sci-fi fantasy into a reality as Starwood has introduced two “Botlrs” at their Cupertino Aloft Hotel.

The two robotic butlers are capable of navigating their way throughout the hotel, utilising elevators and avoiding guests and staff members via WiFi/4G connectivity to communicate with the hotel. This adds a charming personalised touch to the guests’ stay while freeing up hotel staff for other duties.

COMPLETE IN-ROOM CONDITIONS CONTROLGreater levels of control over the hotel room’s conditions allow guests to feel empowered and at ease during their stay. More hotels are aiming to give their guests as much control as possible with holistic, easily operable touch screen consoles that control every applicable service and convenience.

ENABLEMENT THROUGH SEAMLESS ONLINE ACCESSEnablement is fast becoming a top priority as hotels seek to provide their guests with the means to use their personal tech devices for their own purposes and to interact with the hotel in as convenient a manner as possible. This requires fast, seamless and secure Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel and more ambitious hotels are developing versatile apps to enhance their guests’ stay in innovative ways.

781 HOTELS TOTALLING 195,705 ROOMS AT VARIOUS POINTS OF CONSTRUCTION ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA REGION

Join us at the Hotel 360 - The Hotel Business Conference from 28-29 March 2016 in Dubai, UAE, and learn how to make your hotel stand out in a crowded market.

Hear from the General Managers and Directors of Burj Al Arab, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, The Address Hotel, Holiday Inn, Dusit Thani, Palazzo Versace, Jeddah Hilton, Marriott, The Ritz-

Carlton Hotel Company, Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, Hilton World Wide, The H Hotel, Jawad Business Group, Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Millennium Plaza Hotel, Crowne Plaza Duqm,

Radisson Blu Resort, Emirates Culinary Guild, Premier Inn Hotels, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Sofitel Hotels and more and learn how to differentiate yourself and achieve maximum profit.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER: Email: enquiry@iqpc.ae • Tel: +971 4 364 2975

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UAE TO ATTRACT 20 MILLION TOURISTS ANNUALLY BY 2020 LEADING UP TO THE WORLD EXPO

GLOBAL HOTEL TRANSACTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE 55% YEAR-ON-YEAR TO US$42 BILLION, UP 55% TO US$15 BILLION IN EMEA