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posted by martyb on Sunday November 18 2018, @02:50AM   Printer-friendly
from the automate-the-world dept.

The rise and rise of cheap hotels has bred a new variant of smart hotel where the door and the room can be controlled by a mobile phone application. With no room service, selectable coloured interior lighting, no fridge, and no door key Mi-Pad in New Zealand may be an indication of what hotels will be like in the future. With a smartphone app to control the front door, lighting, order room service, room temperature, and message other guests the hotel truly offers self service. If this catches on, how many other hotels will switch to automated service to save money on staff wages?


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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:10AM (22 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:10AM (#763326) Journal

    They could put this app on a cheap tablet in the hotel room.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:21AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:21AM (#763330)

    Sure, that would be fine, if it actually works (my success with cheap tablets has not been good). But my guess is that the tablet would walk or be dropped, unless it was locked down to a table.

    On the other hand, maybe this could be better than a phone on the side table that is answered by someone that can barely understand English? Lest you think I'm showing my Ugly American side, this is often the case in motels in the USA. I expect to have language problems when traveling to non-English speaking countries like Quebec...(grin).

    • (Score: 2) by captain normal on Sunday November 18 2018, @05:49AM (4 children)

      by captain normal (2205) on Sunday November 18 2018, @05:49AM (#763373)

      Well they do speak English on South Island. You just might have a bit of a problem with dialect.

      --
      When life isn't going right, go left.
      • (Score: 4, Funny) by deimtee on Sunday November 18 2018, @06:24AM (3 children)

        by deimtee (3272) on Sunday November 18 2018, @06:24AM (#763381) Journal

        The differences are trivial.

        --
        If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @11:40AM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @11:40AM (#763439)

          Are what? English, please!

  • (Score: 2) by Hartree on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:21AM (5 children)

    by Hartree (195) on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:21AM (#763331)

    If the door is controlled only by the app, I see a possible problem with this plan. ;)

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:26AM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:26AM (#763333)
      On the other hand, sex workers, teenagers and escaped criminals would greatly appreciate the service - everything is automated, nobody is going to ask questions.
      • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Sunday November 18 2018, @04:23AM (2 children)

        by MostCynical (2589) on Sunday November 18 2018, @04:23AM (#763350) Journal

        ... except for the tracking, and the fact that the apps require an account with an app store, and the payment for the room is also likely to be via a credit card...
        Did I mention the tracking?

        --
        "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
        • (Score: 2) by RS3 on Sunday November 18 2018, @06:23AM (1 child)

          by RS3 (6367) on Sunday November 18 2018, @06:23AM (#763379)

          It seems like we're being tracked anyway. I'm against it. I don't acquiesce, nor do I suggest anyone should, but most do (acquiesce). I resist as much as possible, but now the cops are scanning everyone's license plates all the time... https://www.eff.org/pages/automated-license-plate-reader-dataset [eff.org]

          • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Sunday November 18 2018, @08:10AM

            by MostCynical (2589) on Sunday November 18 2018, @08:10AM (#763413) Journal

            And it is getting harder to get a drink without scanned ID [nsw.gov.au].
            Not everyone thinks this is a good thing [findlaw.com.au], but it is happening all over the place.

            --
            "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
      • (Score: 2) by legont on Sunday November 18 2018, @06:43AM

        by legont (4179) on Sunday November 18 2018, @06:43AM (#763387)

        It has internal social network; possibly for this purpose.

        --
        "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
  • (Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:41AM (3 children)

    by SomeGuy (5632) on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:41AM (#763335)

    How would vision impaired people use this shit? Or are they supposed to just kill themselves? Oh, right spying microphone to the rescue!

    "save money on staff wages?" All that cost and then some will go to maintenance and upgrading their equipment every year.

    All because a $2 light switch from Home Depot that lasts for 30 years just to turn on a damn light is something only a Luddite caveman would use.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @04:19AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @04:19AM (#763349)

      Voice activated commands.
      Sightless people would be most welcome in this kind of hotel as they use less electricity for lights.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @04:31AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @04:31AM (#763352)

        They would also be more comfortable as they would not have to see all the blue LEDs.

    • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 18 2018, @09:43PM

      by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Sunday November 18 2018, @09:43PM (#763616)

      This is Queenstown, one of the most expensive towns in the country.

      The people who do the actual hospitality work cannot afford to live there, or anywhere close, and because the employers won't pay them what the market dictates they are worth, there is a massive worker shortage.

      Queenstown is the perfect place to try this out. Assuming they can get anyone to clean it, which is not a sure bet.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by looorg on Sunday November 18 2018, @05:06AM (5 children)

    by looorg (578) on Sunday November 18 2018, @05:06AM (#763368)

    Wouldn't that go against the whole idea of cutting staff? They would have to have support staff around then to maintain the tablets. Might as well have a perky blond handing out keys in the reception then. That will probably be cheaper all around.

    • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Sunday November 18 2018, @08:16AM (4 children)

      by MostCynical (2589) on Sunday November 18 2018, @08:16AM (#763415) Journal

      $15 per hour, 16, if not 24 hours a day. Very good chance her periness doesn't show up every so often..

      Tablet and IT support contract $x dollars per year
      Also' x is less than it might be owing to data collection.

      Gaurantee $x is less than $15 x 24 x 7 x 52.

      --
      "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
      • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 18 2018, @09:46PM (3 children)

        by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Sunday November 18 2018, @09:46PM (#763618)

        I commented above about Queenstown, but if you missed it, Queenstown is one of the most expensive places in New Zealand to live, and wages have not even nearly kept up with housing cost.

        If they're paying the perky blonde $15 per hour, she is living under a bridge.

        • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday November 19 2018, @12:34AM (2 children)

          by MostCynical (2589) on Monday November 19 2018, @12:34AM (#763690) Journal

          If I'd given and Aus or NZ average hotel employee wage, the US readers would have expressed disbelief or accused me of lying.

          --
          "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
          • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Monday November 19 2018, @01:32AM (1 child)

            by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Monday November 19 2018, @01:32AM (#763714)

            Oh? Wow. I had not thought of that.

            You might be right.

            • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday November 19 2018, @02:09AM

              by MostCynical (2589) on Monday November 19 2018, @02:09AM (#763726) Journal

              New Zealand rates [employment.govt.nz]

              randomly picking San Diego, where $32,000pa [glassdoor.com] is "noErmal".

              Loos like $16 would have covered both..!

              --
              "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex