A Kindle at the Round Table

“When I was growing up I had three wishes. I wanted to be a Lindbergh-type hero, learn Chinese and become a member of the Algonquin Round Table." - John F. Kennedy

When you next book a room in the infamous Algonquin Hotel in New York you might find that a book comes with it. We have long seen the creation of libraries within hotels, some comprise of books left behind or donated by guests, others selected by the hotel. However there are few hotels in the world with the literary pedigree of the Algonquin and its round table. Now they boast that a Kindle pre loaded with your favourite book is available as one of the services for guests during their stay.
It appears to offer something to everyone that is without an ereader and is certainly a novel experience.

However, what happens when you are only half way through your chosen book and about to leave. We imagine you have to check in your Kindle and the book you bought goes with it. You could of course buy the unit and book but that’s as likely as buying one of those scrummy bathrobes they offer at a price. You could quickly log onto Amazon and buy the physical book, or you could just give Matilda a stoke and go home unfulfilled.

Somehow we think this is one of those ideas that looks good to start with and falls apart in its execution and consumer experience but there again the Algonquin was the first New York hotel to fit electronic room keys.

Try Out Technology in a Hotel Near You

Hotels are so different; it’s what makes stopping in them such an adventure. Having spent so much time travelling both for pleasure and on business, it’s interesting to reflect on what we expect today; wireless, cable TV as well as room service. Hotels from the largest, swankiest to the boutique are such fun today and could become the test ground for so much design and technology.

An interesting development that started before the crunch but will no doubt be accelerated by it is the shift towards mixed condo and hotel developments. From Trump Towers to new builds, mixed developments appear to offer the best of both worlds; first class accommodation and first class apartment life. It’s not for all but neither is apartment life.

It was therefore interesting to read a report on hotel technology in the New York Times on how they are working with technology companies to regain their edge.
Sheraton has teamed with Microsoft to create its new Link@Sheraton lounges. Westin teamed with Nintendo to outfit some of its fitness centers with Wii consoles and games like Wii Fit. The Gansevoort Hotel Group teamed with Sony to develop a new lobby business center with Sony computers and PlayStation 3 game consoles as well as digital book readers and cameras.

Technology companies, in turn, have a chance to show off their devices and services to a desirable demographic. They can make them aware of new features, devices and start to encourage people to try something new.

Control4, known for its home automation systems has teamed up with The James hotel in Chicago. Currently under trial the system will allow guests to operate the lights, the blinds, the thermostat and the television using one remote. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, plans to use the same system to create a welcome experience at its Las Vegas property, scheduled to open in late 2009. Guests arriving in their room will be greeted by the drapes opening, the lights automatically turning on and the television displaying a customized message with the guest’s name. The hotel will offer 400 megabytes of bandwidth when it opens.

So next year the BEA conference will be in New York. We will book into a recommended hotel in Manhattan and forget the fluffy robes we want a Kindle or a Sony in the room!