Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Anton Breman on January 9, 2011 at 16:01

Thank you Mahmoud for sharing, I enjoyed your post and wayof thinking. In my diploma work I was also questioning the Hotels role and its meaningfor the guest. One of my conclusions from the initial research was that manythat travels urge for a genuine and authentic experience of their destination,including their Hotel. Nothing new, but it can be hard to know where to findthe stages that fits your desire. One of my interviewees wanted to have an old friend,a person you trust that knows you and can show you around the city. It becamethe north star goal for the Hotel experience, designing a service that knowsyou and that can provide tailored suggestions where to go and what to do. Aservice and a relationship that grows organically over time.

 

The second point I wanted to figure out was on the business side.Many hotels rely on seasonal income that should cover the expenses for theentire calendar year. Why can’t you just provide the material resources wherethe demand lies? This question triggered an avalanche ofother question.

- What is the essence of a hotel?

- What is the role for the Hotel for the visitor?

- How/why should a hotel provide an authentic local experiencefor the visitor?

- Can hotels be a supporting partner for the local community?

- How can a hotel reduce its impact on the environment?

…

 

The end result is that the Hotel become more of a facilitatorand a communication platform for the visitors and to the local community.Matching visitors desires with local supplier from restaurants, cafés, museums,bars, spas etc. Creating a network of local services for holistic and tailoredexperience for the visitor.

 

http://antonbreman.wordpress.com/portfolio/

 

Even though the work was conceptual and was made a couple ofyears ago I believe that with the empowerment of web 2.0 and the increasingnumbers of prosumers, the role of the hotels will dramatically change, wherethey become more connected to the society providing a network of services forthe customer.

I’m convinced that it could work, I just wonder if therecould be enough incentives for all stakeholders to be part in such service.

Generating enough capital to the platform provider tosustain such service.

And finally would customer trust such service.