For the past several years, many major hotel brands have been focusing much of their PR efforts on showcasing the latest innovations – from smart guest rooms that leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) to robotic butlers and beyond.
Several brands have also been developing new incubator locations to help fast track the latest innovations into the marketplace. This cross-section of cutting-edge design and new technologies will certainly pave the way for the hospitality industry to be on the forefront.
However, when it comes to bringing these innovations to life, will we see this tech adoption only at key properties in major cities on the U.S. coasts? These are typically the locations that ideally serve as the test markets for the new innovations – further supported by the tech talent, companies and early adopters who tend to live and operate in these regions.
But what may occur is that only properties in these regions will have the latest innovations, with many others in the middle of the country lagging behind. This could result in a new hotel digital divide, which could rapidly widen based on how quickly new innovations are adopted.
Of course, since this is a new frontier, larger hotel brands hopefully will be developing tech expansion plans that could stretch across the entire country. Although effectively implementing this expansion could be a costly proposition for any hotelier. And once this goal is achieved, a new batch of technologies could quickly emerge, which would require even further investment for another round of expansion. And, so the cycle continues …
If hotel brands are challenged with making this investment cycle, this digital divide may continue to grow, and since this is a new frontier … nobody really knows how it will all play out.