The Keys to the Kingdom: The Chaos They Created

The key to the Presidential Suite – was any object in a hotel more coveted? 

Even the simplest of rooms enjoyed a touch of grandeur thanks to their physical key. No plastic keycard, no phone-operated lock. A real key, solely dedicated to unlocking the wonders that wait behind a single door.

Of course, we may be romanticising things. Plenty of hoteliers are relieved to no longer worry about keeping track of dozens of keys. 

On a good day, the inconvenience would be limited to filtering through a heavy round ring to locate the right key for the right room. On a bad day? Chaos ensued when a guest would misplace their key – or worse – forget to return it before heading to the airport. 

Perhaps digital door security really does keep chaos under lock and key. 

“Which Floor?”: The Rise & Fall of Elevator Operators 

In an era of social distancing, it may seem strange to have a dedicated employee accompany guests in the lift. Once upon a time, however, the elevator operator was a hallmark of a fine hotel. 

Also known as a bellboy or liftman, the friendly face by the call buttons would gladly select the floor for guests and happily carry luggage to their rooms.

Guests today are perfectly comfortable operating elevators, so the profession is all but extinct these days. But there’s still an endearing, old world charm whenever a hotel provides this once superior service.

Pay Phone Banks: A Callback to Days of Disconnecting 

There’s a good chance that some of your guests remember the days of rotary phones - and that a growing number of your guests don’t know a world without a mobile phone in their pocket. 

The business centre is arguably an antiquated concept for many hotels; imagine how vintage the thought of a pay phone bank must be in the eyes of today’s travellers. And yet, remember just how revolutionary they were.

In the pre-internet days, pay phone banks gave travellers an opportunity to call their loved ones, make travel arrangements, and conduct business abroad. It was a direct line to home, a comfort and convenience that every traveller today still finds essential - but satiates with their own device.

Rooms Without Waste: An Absence of Plastic Amenities & Paper Products

Eco-consciousness and sustainability are topping guest demands, which means hotel owners must sort out which amenities are wanted and which are wasted.

In some ways, this makes day to day operations easier. No more early mornings waiting for the newspaper delivery or starting the day with ink-ridden thumbs from printing out paper tourist maps. 

In other ways, the change is simply cost-effective. Swapping single-use bathroom amenities for refillable shower gels and soap dispensers allows guests to use only what they need without worrying about wasting what remains. 

As a guest, there’s no substitute for reading the paper with a cup of tea on the balcony, but at least for hoteliers, this part of the job has become simpler.

From AM/FM to Alexa/Siri: Transformative Room Tech

Built-in radios. Colour TVs. A brand-new Teledex. How many of the latest and greatest gadgets has your hotel had over the years? 

It’s mind blowing to think that some hoteliers have watched their family-run properties transition from at-the-ready room service to virtual concierge services. Not only is AI making an appearance in hotel rooms around the world, but guests can now seamlessly connect their own devices to a room’s network and create a personalised almost-at-home experience.