Marriott teams with school to test changes
By Rachel Kipp
(Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
In Room 114 at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the University of Delaware, it takes more than reaching over and pressing the snooze button to silence the alarm clock. In addition to bleating an ear-splitting tune at the designated wake-up time, the gadget jumps off the dresser and hides in a corner, forcing sleepy users to get out of bed.
The showerhead in the bathroom has 70 percent stronger water pressure than the average fixture, but uses 70 percent less water.
When visitors arrive, there’s no looking through a peephole. Instead of glass, the hole in the door contains a digital video camera connected to an LCD screen mounted on the inside of the door.
Room 114 is unique for now, but researchers at the University of Delaware hope it won’t always be that way. They’re using the experimental “guest room of the future” to test new technology in a real hotel environment.
Read the entire article from the Honolulu Advertiser here