It is fair to say that a lot of things have changed over the last ten years or so. Indeed, it seems hard to believe now but at the very end of the 20th century laptop computers were the sole preserve of corporate bigwigs, flat screen TVs were only seen in science fiction films and people booked holidays over the phone. Moreover, photographs still had to be developed from negatives, driving directions had to be sought from map books and poor quality hotels managed to remain under the radar of the masses.
And that was only in the late 1990s!
Of course, the advent of digital technology has been the driving force behind the way in which the world has changed. Today, digital IT and communications technology ensures the human race is better connected and more conveniently disposed than ever before.
Whilst the transition from the pre-digital age to the world we know today is evident in almost all fields of everyday life, it is perhaps the travel sector where it can be observed most clearly. Certainly, anyone who travels a lot will have seen just how much this particular sector has changed over the past decade or so.
As well as the obvious examples of being able to book hotels, choose aircraft seats and pay for transportation options in far off lands via the Internet, there are a myriad other ways in which the average travel experience has transformed since the 1990s.
For instance, hotels themselves – not just the way they are booked and reviewed – have changed quite dramatically over the last 10-15 years. Whereas most hotels at the end of the twentieth century offered very little in the way of technology to their guests (a TV and a phone in the room was normally the limit), modern hotels now go out of their way to ensure their guests have access to all manner of in-room gadgets and decadent technological treats. To be sure, travellers can expect practically everything in their hotel room – including the key/doorknob – to be markedly different to what they would have expected a decade or so ago.
The introduction of new technologies and gadgets in hotel rooms is indicative of the general desire (necessity) amongst companies operating in the hospitality sector to accommodate consumers who are used to interacting with the latest technologies on a daily basis.
This, along with the fact today’s traveller appreciates a bright airy room, is arguably the main reason why switchable windows have become such an increasingly common sight in leading hotels nowadays.
Switchable glass windows can be turned from clear to opaque – and vice versa – simply by pushing a button so they are seen to be far more stylish (and indeed practical) than ‘old-fashioned’ light control measures like blinds and curtains.
Without doubt, investing in smart glass is something which any hotelier or franchise owner should look into; after all, this cutting edge technology may well be the norm in 10-15 years time…
About the author – Bo Heamyan is obsessed with cutting edge technology and loves nothing more than writing about innovative, futuristic products for leading industry websites like DreamGlassGroup.co.uk.
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