I spent an enjoyable night last week at one of London’s newest hotels, Citizen M. The hotel chain has a number of properties across Europe and this one located just behind Tate Modern on Southwark Street is a good example of their boutique chain. I had only noticed it on one of my runs around the area, as it seems to be poorly advertised, and thought it would make a good choice for Valentine’s day.
The hotel didn’t disappoint but much to my partner’s disgust my interest suddenly became very technology focused as I found the in room tablet (Samsung Galaxy) which not only controlled the TV and music but also the lights, heating and blinds. Now I appreciate this is not new but the application, especially with the rooms being reasonably priced for London, was impeccable and it got me thinking as to how long before this not only becomes the standard in hotels but also within homes.
Without any instructions the tablet was quick to navigate giving access to a wide range of free films, the ability to change the colour of the shower room (most amusing when other people when using it…) as well as the rest of the lights, access the internet and so forth. It was all nicely branded as well along with a great touch in terms of programing it for an alarm and picking the way it woke you (from ‘peaceful’ to ‘get out of bed!’), which included increasing light intensity along with music.
Working from within the industry (well more on the connectivity and cloud side) it is easy to forget about the applications, so it is really nice to see how a multitude of technologies have come together to deliver a seamless solution which, and this is rare, seem totally normal. With so much new technology available it is nice to experience the complete package executed with panache and in a way that passes my father test (i.e. could my father use it without calling me for assistance!). To be honest it completely passes that test because those free films also include some of Europe’s more saucy movies increasing the appeal to learn how to use it.
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