Imagine waking up to softly swaying palm trees and gently rippling waves — the sand of the beach reaches right up to the edge of your cabana, where you recline peacefully in your chair. This dream is rapidly becoming a reality with the Hotel of Tomorrow (H.O.T.) project, where heads come together to research, envision and create technological innovations for future hotels.

Gettys, a Chicago-based interior architecture and design firm, along with the Hospitality Design Group, is working to break down trends and accommodate for the future — one such idea is the "personalized environment" wherein one or more walls of a hotel room transform into the scenery of the guest's choice, like a rain forest or a Hawaiian beach. Aloha, hotel of the future!

Thought-Out Inspiration: How New Inventions Stay on Top
Although many of these innovations seem surreal, rest assured that every idea is grounded in reality and based on carefully conducted research, MSNBC reports. To target future customers' expectations and desires, the H.O.T. Project relies on global trends and perspectives — by carefully examining the current industry, the think-tank is able to cultivate a better sense of what keeps customers coming back to a hotel, what turns them off and what they've never dreamed they'd have.

The project's participants consider six different target groups, or "lenses," when designing innovations. Each group represents a significant portion of the hotel-guest population that H.O.T. aims to cater to. These categories include:

• Aging Populations;
• Environmentalists;
• Escapists/Leisure Guests;
• Wellness Seekers;
• Corporate/Business Guests; and
• Generation Y.

The opinions, buying trends and developments among these demographics heavily influence how H.O.T. develops the next technological innovation that it hopes could directly fill an industry niche. To fill a specific industry gap, H.O.T. also focuses on several larger areas that act as an added parameter in the shaping of new ideas.

The following are a few such areas.

Robotics: Using a customer-to-computer relationship to carry out everything from cleanliness to customer services, it could efficiently serve the hotel industry, the Associated Press reports.

Experience Economy: This entails providing customers with a unique and customized experience by offering them everything from themed rooms to personalized, virtual and real preferences. Co-branding a hotel with a corporation is also a possibility.

Total Connectivity: Imagine technology at its best — nearly invisible and easily accessible computers, hand-held Wi-Max devices and high-resolution 3D screens — all available with the swipe of a card.

Nanotechnology: Although still in its early stages of out-and-out mainstream acceptance, nanotechnology can be used to create incredibly lightweight, incredibly strong, building materials.

Biotechnology: Bioengineered products, such as soap and bottles, can reduce maintenance costs and waste. By making products from renewable resources, the overall waste and cost of a hotel-stay is drastically cut.

Modularity: Interchanging a part of a whole without compromising the quality of the whole is the idea here. This may mean hotels that can physically expand to accommodate an increase in guests, or contract to save space when the numbers are lower. Hotels may be able to literally "pop-up" and later disappear depending on construction materials and location.

Renewable Resources: By using sustainable design and renewable resources, future hotels will be greener and environmentally conscious. Devices that monitor a guest's water and electricity usage and offer reduced pricing may be the next logical step.

A Dream Hotel: H.O.T. Innovations

Kinetic Corridor
Take a look at the corridor, Insta Travel suggests. Motion and CO₂ detectors activate the hall's many features, illuminating the number above your room as you approach. Bioengineered plants offer a refreshing touch while also filtering air, and even the floors are "nano-coated for durability and cleanliness." To top it off, elegant recessed lighting subtly emerges as you walk along, lighting your way.

The H.O.T. Seat
This snazzy chair offers a lot more than your typical office chair — fully equipped with integrated speakers, a fold up tablet and armrests that include viewing screens for touch-screen communication, this chair is the ultimate relaxation station that's also always ready to do business. An attached antennae even includes a video camera. They didn't forget the cup-holder, either.

Personalized Environment
No matter where you are, you choose your own destination with this "personalized window to the world." Backdrops range from soothing beachscapes to lush rainforests to a majestic New York City skyline.

Hotel Core
We've talked about a few of the inside features, but what about the building itself? Imagine a hotel built kind of like an accordion, to expand to meet increased numbers of guests. The external material of the building employs "transparent flexible photovoltaics and mini-turbines" harnessing energy from wind and sun alike. In order to condition and oxygenate the hotel's water system, a pool at the base of the building acts as a hydro-thermal cooler.

Resources

Hotel of Tomorrow Project

An Early Look at the Hotel of Tomorrow
by Rob Lovitt
MSNBC, Nov. 28, 2006

Companies Envision Hotels of the Future
The Associated Press, Sept. 18, 2006

Hi-Tech Hotels of the Future
Insta Travel, Nov. 29, 2006