As the travel industry continues to grow and evolve, hospitality companies from airlines to hotels are trying to stay a step ahead to stand out. That’s included everything from changing the design to updating the technology to meet consumer demands. And while engineers have released drawings over the years showing potential new airplane layouts, there’s not as much out there about the future of hotel design. That is until Hilton’s latest report.
The luxury hotel chain just released their “Checking Into 2119” report revealing what accommodations could look like for travelers in 100 years. To do this, they hired futurologist Gerd Leonhard to speculate.
“In 2119 we will still be searching for unique experiences, but they will be more personalized than ever,” Leonhard said. “As technology shapes our lives, we will seek out moments of offline connection with others, including hotel team members who will help us truly get what we need from our stays.”
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What does that mean exactly? Well, hotel structures will “adapt, evolve and mirror their surroundings” and rooms will start as blank slates before morphing into a hyper-personalized space. Wellness will still be a focus, but personal trainers will be able to “beam into a location on demand.” Oh, and guests will have microchips embedded under their skin, which will control the settings of their surroundings.
Also, saving the environment will be top of mind. That’s why Leonhard believes 3-D printed decadent dinners would be on the menu and hotels would be perched on other planets and tops of mountains due to climate change.
“Global awareness of environmental issues will mean only brands that are net-positive will succeed. There will be a shift in the way that our entire economies operate globally,” said Daniella Foster, Senior Director, Corporate Responsibility, Hilton. “The world will move away from the make-use-dispose model and towards one that ensures resource efficiency and circular thinking is baked in from the very beginning.”
While we may not see these hypotheses come to fruition, it’s interesting to see how far the hotel industry has come in the past 100 years. Hilton released the report to celebrate their 100th birthday and point out that they were the first to provide air conditioning, in-room televisions, and even the Piña Colada. So, anything is possible, right?
