TECHNOLOGY, TANTRUMS AND TINDER TO SHAPE FUTURE TRAVEL
The Australian-based hotel group hosted a workshop during the one-day ideas festival at Sydney Opera House on 25 May to harness the genius minds of the TEDxSydney audience and two of
its most engaging and inspiring speakers, Dr Jordan Nguyen and Karen Palmer, to help design the hotel of the future.
TFE Hotels CEO Rachel Argaman said the responses would help the company create intelligent and ground breaking travel experiences for its guests.
The hotel of the year 2020 will be one where connectivity, social interaction, comfort, wellbeing and safety are taken to the next level.
TFE Hotels has since surveyed more than 2000 of its guests using the TEDxSydney findings. It will use the results to drill down into what it is that people want from their travel experiences and create travel and hotel experiences that really inspire and engage.
The key themes that emerged from the workshop were that people want travel experiences that allow them more time – time to themselves and time with their loved ones or business contacts – and they want more meaningful connections. This came up around five key themes: authentic experiences, personalisation, family, technology and connection.
Goodbye to generic
There was a resounding call for hotels all around the world to "know" their guests better, particularly when a repeat guest comes back weekly or monthly for years on end, and they have to reintroduce themselves, their preferences, their travel habits every time. This was the greatest cause of frustration across the board.
Personalisation
Personalisation is a key trend and it’s not going to go out of fashion. Australia’s sophisticated traveller wants to move away from generic travel experiences and to have everything from their booking confirmation and itinerary, to their room and hotel amenities to be tailored to their specific tastes. They also want to get to know the local area and they want the hotel to help them connect with the destination.
Travel without tantrums
How hotels can do more to help families travelling with children was a hot topic. From helping parents with packing their ‘digital suitcase’ to on-premise child-friendly facilities that go beyond what’s offered today and ease parents’ anxieties will all play a part in the hotel of the future.
Technology
There was also an overwhelming call for better technology. This came in two respects: firstly technology that allows more ease of the hotel experience, from booking to check-in and check-out, and secondly technology that allows guests a better ability to use their devices from the moment they arrive and in all areas of the hotel and outside of the hotel.
This is not about replacing human connection, it is about making the hotel experience much more seamless so that hotel teams are better able to interact with them in meaningful ways and act on their needs.
TFE meets Tinder
Tinder was recently cited as the only App you need to download before a trip abroad. Interestingly, whether it be to network, date or just share a drink and discussion, many asked the question as to what hotels can do to encourage interaction with other guests, as well as the local community, if single or travelling solo.
While many hotel brands, such as Vibe Hotels and Adina Apartment Hotels, offer communal areas in which to work and relax, it appears that people want more in terms of making introductions.
SPEAKERS AT TFE HOTELS’ INNOVATION SESSION
Dr Jordan Nguyen
Dr Jordan Nguyen is an Australian biomedical engineer creating sci-fi technologies with the purpose of improving lives, most notably a mind-controlled wheelchair. This extroverted change-maker is a deeply compassionate individual, a tournament tennis player and a technologist who is always working out where the future is headed and helping create it with purpose.
Here is Jordan had to say about the TFE Hotels project at TEDxSydney:
https://www.facebook.com/tfehotels/videos/939226296194815/
Karen Palmer
Karen Palmer is a documentary filmmaker who creates “neurogames”. Her first was a computer game that uses EEG to monitor brainwaves to allow users to play virtual parkour, or freerunning. Her work has been screened at Institute of Contemporary Arts and BAFTA in London and exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Design Weekend.
Join the conversation via #TEDxSydney and #TFEHotels and visit TEDxsydney.com
ABOUT TFE HOTELS
TFE Hotels is the only company headquartered in Australia to design and manage hotels end to end, from concept to successful operation.
It has 70 hotels in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe and has 10 more in the design or construction phase, to open the next two years.
TFE Hotels was established in 2013 as a joint venture between Australia’s long-established apartment and hotel development and management company, Toga Group (1963), and Singapore’s Far East Hospitality Holdings.
Its six hotel brands include: Adina Apartment Hotels, Medina Serviced Apartments, Rendezvous Hotels, Vibe Hotels, Travelodge Hotels and the new TFE Hotels Collection.
www.TFEhotels.com
Social Media: @tfehotels
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PRESS CONTACTS
Frank PR
tfehotels@frankpr.com.au
+61 2 82020555
Natasha Granath
TFE Hotels
Marketing Communications Manager
ngranath@tfehotels.com
+61 2 93561048