Aiden by Best Western plans to open 30 boutique hotels in Scandinavia. At the reception, however, no flesh-and-blood employee awaits guests, but rather a hologram. The first hologram system from startup Holoconnects was installed last month in the new Aiden Hotel in Herning, Denmark. Could we one day see a hologram in a travel agency?
Here’s how it works:
After stepping through the front door and passing through a motion detector, the guest is greeted by a pre-recorded hologram video projected. The customer is then presented with options on a touch screen, such as pre-recorded hotel information. The customer can also indicate if the assistance of a living person is necessary. If so, an employee can log in remotely and appear as a hologram in the box.
No more administrative chores for staff
The technology underscores the operator’s long-term strategy to increase efficiency while maintaining a personal touch, says Thomas Furulund, COO at Oslo-based CIC Hospitality. “Our main objective is to have no administrative tasks in the hotels. For customer satisfaction, but also to run our hotel more profitably. Our on-site staff should be playing cards and having coffee with our guests rather than doing the traditional chores.
Eight hotels are concerned from 2023
CIC plans to install the boxes in eight Aiden hotels this year. Others will follow. The plan is for one employee to take emails and calls from five hotels from a central location and connect to hologram boxes when needed.
Make up for the lack of staff or save money
One can wonder about the real objective of the hoteliers. Is it really an advantage to be greeted by a hologram? It was science fiction just 20 years ago. This is to save personnel, if everything works as planned.
