AHM (Automated Hotel Machine)

Only 10 months ago I complained on the hotel check-in process being so easy to automate, yet still run by humans. The change is coming. A few days ago I was driving home for Christmas after having a couple of wonderful powder skiing days in the Alps. As the drive takes quite a while - ten hours to be exact - I usually stop half way for an overnight rest. And as there is a new highway bypassing Vienna on the North, this time I decided to look for a new hotel, close to the S33.

I opened the Booking.COM application on my Android phone. I do like the Booking.COM app for one particular reason. It shows a map you can zoom and pan, and as you scroll the map, it keeps bringing new hotels to offer. Good-bye text "by address" search. Welcome to the visual experience. Point a finger on the map and pick a hotel. It offered me a cheap Clever Hotel exactly at the point I wanted. Only later I realized the hotel is fully automatic. Booking.COM sends you two numbers - confirmation and PIN (yeah, no 2d codes or NFC stuff yet... but I think it is coming). When you arrive you punch those numbers into the Check-In machine, select the breakfast option and pay with a credit card using yet another PIN. PINs rule. But the entire process is less than two minutes and the machine dispenses keys to your room (contactless cards). And prints the invoice.

I have to say I like it. The hotel is very basic, but very clean, with very comfortable shower. And the breakfast is not bad too. Much better than the Best Western standard I frequent in the rural America. The eggs are real, the coffee machine offers eight tasty options. And there is WiFi in the rooms and around the building.

And I really do love the automated handling of reservations and the check-in process. It is so easy and effective. Digital economy in a nutshell. From selection to purchase to consumption.

Just wonder how long it will take for the big hotel networks to catch up with the pioneers?