I started travelling in 2010 and now, nearly ten years later I can see how much travel has changed. Maybe for the better, maybe for the worst. Who knows? I couldn’t imagine travelling without a map on my phone and not being able to call home so easily. Then I think back to my first trip and wonder how I managed! In this post, Jane asks if you have noticed three ways travel is changing.
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post and therefore opinions are not my own, but purely those of the guest writer.
From androids that deliver champagne on ice to eco-friendly hotels with strong green credentials, travel is changing for the better, both in terms of environmental impact and innovative hospitality. So, let’s look at three ways travel is changing…
The Rise Of Robot Service
Not only are we more comfortable using our phones to book trips, but things are going a step further. Imagine being welcomed at your hotel by a robot that possesses enough skills to check you into your room, or being greeted at your door by an android carrying ice or extra fluffy towels.
Robot room service and android concierge is switching things up a notch in the hotel industry. Fetch and Jett are two very cute robot dogs who are now an integral part of the team at the Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas. They are robot butlers that deliver coffee, snacks and spa products directly to guest rooms and are a much-loved novelty factor. Jeno and Jenna have similarly been introduced in two of Shangri-La’s portfolio of hotels and at YOTEL Singapore you’ll find futuristic room service robots, Yoshi and Yolanda.
Robots Butlers?!
Will we see lots more technology-driven hotels in the future? While androids are moving into the industry in an interactive way, they are by no means at a stage ready to replace human skill and personal touch. The Henn-Na hotel, the first one ever run solely by robots, discovered this firsthand. It had to fire over half its androids earlier this year due to technology bugs, breakdowns and miscommunication with guests.
Cool Capsule Hotels
Capsule hotel began emerging in Japan in the seventies. However, it’s only in the last few years that tech-driven, futuristic-looking pods have started to crop up everywhere. Now they can be found from Australia to London and Malaysia to the Netherlands. And they’re getting more plush and compact as we look towards the future. Not only are they budget friendly when travelling to more expensive destinations but also tech-driven, perennially cool and ultramodern in design.
A great option for grown-up solo travellers and likened to a bed in a box, hoteliers are squeezing all sorts of amenities into these tiny spaces. Think USB ports, rain showers, wraparound beds that convert into sofas, LED lighting and pull out work stations. Mini hotel rooms are the modern place for millennials to rest their heads.
Have You Stayed In A Pod?
Smarter Sustainable Travel
At no other point in history has there been such concern about our environmental impact on the planet. While it’s unlikely to stop people travelling, travellers are becoming far more aware of how they can leave more sustainable footprints. From travelling with reusable bottles rather than throw away plastic to choosing hotels that support local communities, the way we travel is changing and it’s known as responsible travel.
People are learning more about the negative impacts of travel and keen to know how to adopt a greener approach. Choosing hotels that are solar powered, recycle rainwater and support local communities with employment are all great places to start. Stay in eco-lodges built from recycled materials, dine in restaurants that are farm-to-table and choose hotels that take a strong ethical stance.
Resorts such as Golden Buddha on Koh Phra Thong are taking conscious travel to the next level. Their washing up liquid is made from leftover peels, plastic bags are barred from housekeeping and their gift shop is filled with products made from natural cotton and hemp.
Travellers Are Becoming More Aware Of Their Carbon Footprint
Have you noticed how travel is changing? Share your thoughts with us.
