Melia plans 'hotel rooms of the future'

Meliá Hotels International has partnered with Microsoft in Spain to develop what will be innovative new room concepts.

As part of the agreement, Meliá will migrate its system to a model which is based on Microsoft’s cloud technologies, using Office 365.

Office 365, and the use of Lync solutions, will also allow features such as instant messaging and videoconferencing, which will help to create a long distance training infrastructure, collaborative environments and also improve CRM.

Projects will include virtual hotel receptions, where guests can access information, such as on attractions, events, restaurants and flights.

“Commitment to innovation in the tourism industry, and the key role technology must play in reinventing our relationship with the global customer,” said vice chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International Gabriel Escarrer.

María Garaña, president of Microsoft Ibérica, the Spanish subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, said: “At Microsoft we are fully committed to the development of the tourism industry, and we believe that cloud computing technology will play a key role in modernisation.

“This agreement reinforces the leadership of Meliá Hotels International in innovation thanks to the use of Microsoft’s latest technologies, while also satisfying the demands of hotel customers who require increasingly sophisticated services,” she added.