Pictures of the Future    Spring 2006

A Mecca for Top Hotel Technologies

In the tourism global marketplace few locations can boast the sort of boom currently happening in Dubai, which is reported to be the fastest-growing city on earth. A staggering $100 billion worth of development projects are either under way or planned for the near future in Dubai, including 40 new five-star hotels. Little wonder then that Dubai became the location for Siemens' first hospitality innovation summit at the end of last year.

As the centerpiece of the summit, Siemens built a model hotel to showcase its expertise and solutions across a range of cutting-edge hotel innovations in building management and control, guest services, communications, lighting, and kitchen appliances. The location of the hotel was a marquee constructed on the grounds of Dubai’s race course. Visitors included hotel managers, owners and investors. The model hotel took 40 people a total of 10,000 hours to build.

Stepping into the cooled marquee from the searing heat outside, visitors first entered a reception area. Our tour guide checked himself in and received an RFID key card that controlled the air-conditioning and lighting in his room, allowed automatic billing, and gave him entry into restricted areas such as car parks. The check-in clerk could also immediately see the guest’s profile, which included information about whether he was a VIP and what his native language was.

On entering his guest room, our host received a personal greeting on the interactive TV display, together with information about the city and a "what’s on" guide. A computer controlled the automatic blinds, air conditioning and lighting moods.

Innovations extended into the kitchen area, with electrical appliances connected via the internet. A unique system enables residents to stream their favorite movie from a central server and watch it on any TV display, including one mounted on the refrigerator. Furthermore, the dishwasher and washing machine can be operated via the Internet, and thus theoretically from anywhere in the world.

A "magic mirror" demonstrated a new technology being installed in the bathrooms of a new 2,000-room Dubai hotel. A special screen is incorporated into the mirror, so that with a touch of a button, the latest TV news and sports is beamed on to the mirror.

Guests' requests are routed via the Siemens telephone system to a hotel operator who takes the details and then sends a job request to the most appropriate staff member. Within minutes of our guide making such a call, a member of the hotel staff—who had received a message on a PDA—arrived with a bucket of ice cubes.

Rounding the corner of the exhibition, we entered the back office area via a fingerprint recognition system where the hotel's electrical infrastructure is controlled. We also heard about the level of savings hotel operators can enjoy thanks to innovative building management technologies, including Osram energy-saving light bulbs, which can cut lighting costs by up to 70 %.

In the infrastructure room, power switching equipment was on display, along with security and safety lighting solutions. And as we left the model hotel, we passed intrusion detection, perimeter access control, fire fighting and fire detection systems. The exhibition clearly demonstrated that the latest and most sophisticated technologies can strengthen and streamline operations, while maximizing guests’ overall experience.

In January 2006, Siemens also opened an ultra-modern information and presentation center at its building technologies’ headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. The center demonstrates access controls, integrated warning systems, climate control systems and energy management solutions.
                                                                                                              Rob Simpson