Hotel Room Technology? Yes or No

There is no simple answer to this one.  In a New York Times article it describes the ‘labs’ being set up to test new types of technology and services in hotel rooms.

One of the major issues to arise with the added technology is the added complexity.  Lots of bells and whistles requires lots of remotes and are often complex to master.  At the end of a day on the road, few travellers fancy sitting down to a pile of manuals to figure out how to programme the alarm, switch TV channels or order room service.

The important aspect to note is the amount of effort being expended in trying to provide the ultimate service to a guest.  If technology is  an enabler of this service, it is well worth the investment. 

Simple changes however, are often the most powerful …  a larger desk which can accomodate a few papers , a bit of food and a laptop came up as an important requirement, and from experience I agree completely.