Inspiration for hoteliers
16-5-2011
The vacation period is coming up again and apart from all the preparation, comes another challenge: the big SIM card exchange with family and friends. Because of the extraordinary (roaming) costs that come with a SIM card from ‘back home’, it is cheaper to call with local cards. If your relatives can’t provide you with the right card(s), a newly bought card is one of the best value-for-money buys you can do on your holiday. Mostly it even pays off to buy an extra phone as well, especially if you return to the country on a regular basis or stay for more than a month.
Wouldn’t it be very nice if you could save all this fuzz and lend a card, or even a phone upon your arrival?! And wouldn’t it be very easy to have such a service at your hotel? The phone in the hotel rooms is only used for a wake-up call or room service, but imagine the possibilities of a ‘mobile hotel phone’. The ideal win-win situation whereas the guest can call much cheaper, the hotelier provides an extra service and can even make last minute offers or send (important) messages.
The introduction costs of a concept like this are acceptable, hotel owners can even start a test with cheap prepaid SIM cards. I’m sure you will gain extra service points from your guests and the media, a nice instrument for free publicity.
SocialStay – build your own hotelapp
13-5-2011
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SocialStay is a platform for hotels for building, managing and growing a custom mobile environment. SocialStay lets hotels create their own branded mobile apps in minutes. These apps are fully customizable and also automatically integrated with several social media. Hotels can easily notify the guests of discounts or other related special offers, feature as well a “wall” and a “Who’s Here?” section to help guests to connect with each other.
Floor for women only
11-5-2011
The new (yet to be opened) Danish hotel Bella Sky Comwell created a floor specially for female guests. The rooms are women friendly, by making the bathrooms more feminin and giving the rooms a make-up table and a full length mirror. Also the electronics are easier to use.
App shows best spots alongside the Amsterdam canals
29-4-2011
A new, free iPhone application shows people the way on the Amsterdam canals. The application is called ‘Vaarwater’ (free translated as waterway) and is an initiative of Waternet. Besides eight channel routes, the app includes information about the opening of bridges and locks, water taps, places to spend the night, gas stations, bars, marinas and in the near future also hotels.
Leg advertisement
28-4-2011
The Donut Project. A guerilla campaign for Superette in New Zealand. By putting indented plates across the city at bus stops an park benches, those who sat down wearing short shorts or skirts walked away with the ad campaign ‘ Short Shorts on Sale’ imprinted on the back of their legs.
Inspiration from 2007: Online social network for restaurant owners
22-4-2011
FohBoh is a social network, especially for restaurant owners. Through the website you can connect to collegues, suppliers, investors, employers and employees. But by using several tools you can even monitoring and increase your brand awareness and quality.
New way to save water
21-4-2011
This elegant 1limit faucet encourages water conservation by giving you less water to use. Even better, the faucet forces you to do it! The design relies on the simple principle of ‘what you see is what you get’. The faucet fills the attached glass tube with exactly one liter of water for washing hands, it needs to be turned off again before it refills. The brainchild of designers Yonggu Do, Dohyung Kim and Sewon Oh is a clever bit of stingy design.
game ‘Nose for Food Safety’ (Dutch)
20-4-2011
Sensz has developed an educational game “Nose For Food Safety” for hospitality, catering and care staff. The students go through all the essential aspects in the field of food safety via a playful game in about 1.5 hours. This way they are instantly aware of the practical challenges in the field of food safety. (Tip: click on the rat).
Inspiration from 2009: Second Porch
20-4-2011
Renting a vacation home has became easier. Second Porch makes renting vacation homes a reliable process by offering several social tools to get in touch with the homeowner and get noticed of the expierences of others. A nice example of transparancy and how social media is used.
Twister Restaurant in Kiev
19-4-2011
Do you need some inspiration for designing a restaurant? Check out The CoolHunter website for more inspirational pictures.
