Tablet technology for hotels (A view from India)

Josiah’s note: I finally bought myself an iPad this morning, after mixed feelings on how it would benefit me. It may be the first step in a new direction for how we consume media, and have a few posts planned for us to explore this concept. But because I think this trend could be bigger than just one device – the iPad – I’d like to give you another perspective. Here, Mihir Nayak discusses a new device he’s looking at, and how he may use it at his Mitaroy Goa Hotel.

It was after a gap of 5 long years that I met Sharat, my old friend from London. When I first came to London, it was Sharat who showed me London’s nightclub scene and took me to see the shimmering blue waters of Brighton.

So it was with great anticipation that I walked up the stairs to see my old friend at his new place of work.

Over some delicious and a bhurjee (egg fry) and tandoori rotis at the nearby Punjabi Rasoi Indian restaurant, Sharat told me about the Magnum – Sharat’s new iPad killer!

Being the geek that I am, I was all ears as Sharat told me about their concept of the fourth screen. Through life, we generally use 3 screens: the television screen, the computer screen and the mobile phone screen. Sharat plans to make the Lacs Magnum the fourth screen in our lives, thereby taking care of all our data, gaming and communication needs.

Back at his office, Sharat showed me some of the things that you can do with this little Touch Screen Device. For example, you can hook up the Lacs Magnum to both your mobile phone and your car stereo system (or any fm receiving device) and drive hands free while listening to what the other person has to say through the stereo speakers. I mean, how cool is that? Sharat tells me he uses it everyday while driving back from work, to the envy of the other motorists

If you link your smart phone to the Lacs Magnum device via Bluetooth, then you can use the wider touch screen of the Lacs Magnum instead of the smaller screen on your smartphone. Sharat feels however, that the Lacs Magnum will be used mostly for touch gaming and watching movies on the go, what with the 3G auction just complete in India.

How I could use tablet computing for my guests

As soon as guests to my Mitaroy Goa Hotel exit the Arrivals lounge at Goa’s Dabolim International Airport, they are received by our hotel chauffeur. With the Lacs Magnum (embedded in the back of the headrests, for example), my guests can now see a video of my Goa Hotel and the services we offer before they arrive at the Mitaroy.

However, as a techo-hotelier (boy, I love that term), what interested me the most was the location-based services that Sharat’s touch screen device offers.

For example, as our chauffeur drives my guests from Goa’s Dabolim International Airport to the Mitaroy Goa Hotel, they can receive location based information as they pass by the important sights of Goa. They can also choose to see a video that starts and stops as we pass by the important sights and sounds of Goa.

Tablets as a virtual tour guide

Last week, I also bounced off a few ideas with my good friend Vinay from Royal Mysore Walks about the concept of a virtual tour guide, a concept that could fit in perfectly with Lacs Magnum touch screen device.

Instead of a personal tour of the Unesco Heritage Zone of Fontainhas, Asia’s only Latin quarter and the location of my Mitaroy Goa Hotel, guests could be offered a technological alternative. Using the Lacs Magnum touch screen device, they can replay videos, search for more information on the internet or simply receive location based information on Fontainhas as they stroll its quaint bylanes without the need for an intrusive, personal guide.

Technology has been improving guest experiences for a long time now what with check in kiosks in major American hotels, check out via the Television, sensor based minibars that automatically record consumption, key cards etc.

But the future certainly lies in location based services that could offer personalised holiday experiences through technology.

With touch screen devices such as the Lacs Magnum, the future is already here. All we hoteliers need to do is reach out an touch it!