From underwater hotels to holographic staff, hoteliers and trend forecasters have seen the future of accommodation in the next 30 years, and it’s a mixture of the wondrous and downright weird.
For one, there will be greater use of smartphones, so guests can check in just by walking through reception, access their room without a keycard (a smartphone door-entry system is already being used at some Starwood hotels), and keep track of their luggage. And as a bonus for teenagers there will be no more dodgy Wi-Fi connections; you’ll be able to find a strong signal from even the remotest of campsites, possibly using Li-Fi, which sends data through light sources instead of radio waves.
And according to flight comparison site Skyscanner, which commissioned a survey on what travel will be like in 2024: “Software will key into family members’ social-media profiles so that everything on arrival is bespoke to their needs: menus of activities, restaurants, the lot.” And that includes those holographic concierges, who’ll be so attuned to your online presence that they’ll know exactly what factor of suncream to provide by the pool.
Hotel rooms tailored to your personal whims
Most importantly, in the future there will be lots of happy holidaying families. In a survey commissioned by Travelodge, futurologist Ian Pearson suggests that by 2030 each family member could turn a chosen destination into wherever they want by adjusting the room’s climate control to mimic that of a mountain or forest, or upload virtual games or a TV screen on to walls and furniture.
Of course, with all these technological advances, futurologists suggest that many parents may want a kind of anti-computer holiday, where they head off to deepest Scotland – or Mongolia – desperately hoping to lose the Li-Fi signal, an option likely to be less popular with their offspring. “Digital detoxification is an incredibly potent concept for overwhelmed digital natives,” says Rowland Manthorpe of trend forecasting agency, the Future Laboratory.
Out of this world: hotels in extraordinary places
Meanwhile, more forward-thinking travellers could find themselves on gigantic airships or floating towns that move between destinations, powered by green energy. While this may appear far-fetched, repurposing quarries into pleasure palaces is becoming a reality. Hotel firms in China have begun converting abandoned mines into futuristic-looking hideaways, such as Deep Pit Ice and Snow World at Dawang mountain resort, a gigantic silvery confection suspended over water near the megacity of Changsha, which comes with sunken gardens, waterfalls and an indoor ski centre.
Too mundane? How about pretending you’re in space? Even if Virgin Galactic does get off the ground, the cost of a flight will be prohibitive, but a space hotel in Barcelona has already secured initial investment. It will feature in-room video walls of space scenes, a zero-gravity wind tunnel and windows that turn into rocket controls at the touch of a button.
You could get below the waves, too. Two undersea resorts are slated to open in the next five years, one in Fiji, the other in Dubai. The former uses optically-perfect acrylic windows to prevent the view from distorting, and has its own submarine for excursions.
It seems family accommodation is set to be a thrill-seeker’s paradise.
Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Sainsbury’s Bank.
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