Are “Smart Hotel Rooms” the Future of Hospitality?

Imagine this: After a long day of traveling and business meetings, you finally check into your hotel room, stressed and exhausted. The room greets you by adjusting the temperature to your preferred 72 degrees, dims the lights (since it’s already 10 p.m. and it knows you like to be between the sheets by 9:45), and queues up your favorite Spotify bedtime playlist. You relax, feeling like you’re at home.

Sound like the future? The future is nearer than you think.

With smart home technology on the rise, hotel powerhouses like Hilton and Marriott are experimenting with IoT to take guests’ hotel experiences to the next level. Both brands aspire to deliver more personalized hospitality that’s smarter about anticipating guests’ needs.

Hilton is currently testing a smartphone app that would allow guests to control lighting, air conditioning/heat, and streaming entertainment options, all in the palm of their hand. Marriott, on the other hand, has partnered with Legrand and Samsung to build prototypes of guest rooms enhanced with IoT tech, like smart mirrors and showers.

These are promising developments, but, despite the “cool factor,” implementing smart home tech in hotels presents a number of challenges.

First, how will hotels integrate the numerous ecosystems within each room and get them to talk to each other? Each hotel room contains dozens of products from many different manufacturers, from thermostats and light switches to TVs and sound systems. How do you find a way to easily trigger an action? How can you ensure that guests can seamlessly connect to the smart home system, whether they have an iPhone or Google Pixel?

Security is another major concern. Marriott’s IoT system would require you to create a guest profile to store your smart home preferences, granting them access to some of your most personal details. While Marriott promises not to sell your data, many guests will understandably be uncomfortable.

LINK, the ultra-portable computer, would solve both of these challenges while working as a central hub to control all your smart home devices. LINK’s platform-agnostic connectivity also means that it’s easier to connect with varying ecosystems and devices. Users can rest assured that their smart home data lives safely within the ultra-secure LINK with military-grade encryption, not in a hotel’s files or a distant datacenter.

By syncing up with your smart home apps and remembering your favorite settings, LINK can connect with smart home technology in hotels and vacation rentals to create a true home away from home. Bring your personal settings and content with you wherever you go – from temperature to lighting to entertainment.

LINK will be a game-changer in smart home technology, especially for travelers who want to take “home” wherever they go.

Learn more about how LINK connects with any smart home technology, making any hotel room feel like home.