Late last year I was asked the question “where do we see tourism in 50 years time?” – this week a tourism member asked me the question “what did think would be the role of hotels in the future”.

So thank you all for these very easy questions. Firstly, these questions cannot be answered with in-depth research and opinions garnered elsewhere within the trade, so any feedback from the trade would be nice.   

I believe that the business traveller in the future will still demand a “hotel room” and the associated services that we have been accustomed to, however need and satisfaction levels may change dramatically.

The industry is extremely cyclical and often lags a number of years behind tourist boom years. The opposite however is also true when major sporting events are granted to venues with little hotel infrastructure and these under developed venues act as a stimulus of growth prior to the rise in tourism numbers.  

I do believe that we will still be using hotels decades into the future – whether we will book a vacation to the Moon be staying at the Holiday Inn – I have no idea; but Sir Richard Branson will surely be at the front of the queue in developing the transportation links.  

I was watching television the other morning and caught an interesting interview with Mr. Clifford Ross the CEO of the City Lodge Hotels Group who stated they were planning to invest R1,5bn over the next few years to develop a  presence outside SA.  My first thought was why way from South Africa; and why not on the South Coast.

After future research I can across an article from Mr. De Wet Schutte (with Avior Research) who stated “Weak economic conditions and a surplus of hotel stock in parts of SA are forcing stressed developers and operators to exit the industry. If they can’t find opportunities, investors will want cash back but as long as they find the opportunities and go for it they generate value for shareholders in the longer term”.

Growth can be skewed by local economic conditions; and therefore savvy investors will seek rewards elsewhere.

It’s evident that the future financing of hotels will be focused on long-term rewards, perhaps with the use of pension funds after the disasters experienced during and immediately after the FIFA World Cup.

The days of weary traveller’s cueing to check in and out will be thankfully a distant memory. Researchers tell us that we will witness “Zero gravity beds, self-darkening windows and mobile phone applications to open your room door”.

We already have prototype touchscreen coffee tables allowing guests to play music, videos and check out “fast facts” about their location; from the comfort of their sofa.

Three new applications have been recently released, enabling holidaymakers to order room service and make requests from the front desk using their mobile phones. Guests at several hotel chains around the world can use apps on their mobile phones to check in and open their room doors, meaning they don't have to carry a key and can avoid lengthy queues at reception.

The best idea must be “self-cleaning tiles for bathrooms” with a special anti-bacterial layer for extra hygiene.

Add this to automated toilets which are already installed in several countries; where guests are detect by sensors and automatically flush and close when the person leaves. Maybe the self-cleaning tiles are idea is already  production!  

An interestingly development will be improved “privacy”. This seems certain to be a major consideration for hotels of the future, with iGlass windows allowing guests to change the look from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. One of the most exciting developments on the cards is the zero gravity bed, which is said move you into a position so that you feel weightless while also giving you a massage.

So it seems that new hotel technology will not just be about improving the customer experience, but also better monitoring what people do in their rooms. Food for thought – have a great week in the Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom.