To complete this assessment, again we delegate the task to team members and my part was to find

about the sustainable products used in the hotel rooms by housekeeping. The same problem came again
about less materials available on UWL library, so again we overcome this problem by searching on hotel
magazines and hotel websites and on next time, we found the environmental policies practicing in
hotels.

Companies highlighting the introduction of new IT systems such as Sweet Beam at the JW Marriott,
which provides bespoke in-room electronic marketing to the consumer, and REX at Jumeirah Hotels,
which is a back of house operating system designed to improve efficiencies in room changeover and
servicing.
The potential impact for four- and five-star hotels is that they will rely on a technology-rich
environment, much of which may be invisible to the customer such as heating, air conditioning, air
quality, lighting, but also the way in which customers are recognized on arrival so the whole check-in
process will change (Hotels 2020, 2010). Major innovations identified in the literature and observed
in the hotels participating in this study include: fully integrated management systems; electronic
check-ins; radio-frequency identification tags used in laundries and automated uniform dispensing;
hotel lobbies as fully integrated social media centres with access to tablets, headphones, touch
screens; and iPads in hotel rooms that provide the consumer with the option to alter the lighting,
heating, order room service at the touch of a button. For the most part, the use of innovative
technology has been the biggest contributor to streamlining hotel operations, ultimately enhancing
the guest experience. These devices and applications are changing the traditional revenue-
generating landscape for hotel owners and operators who have no choice but to adapt because
many of their clients have already incorporated these new technologies into their day to day lives.
(Jayawardena, 2013a).

New tech

BirchStreet Systems: The company revealed a new partnership with First Hospitality Group that will
outfit FHG properties with BirchStreet's cloud-based, automated procure-to-pay solution. FHG is
using BirchStreet's eProcurement and Accounts Payable 3-Way Auto-Matching modules with the
goal of Increasing efficiency, control, visibility and profitability.

Eleven: Eleven overhauled Its ElevenOS central authentication platform with new features and
integrations. The platform now allows for the creation of custom portals, as well as a social signon
function that can capture social media data for the purpose of creating a profile on guests for future
stays. User interface dashboards at the brand and property level are in the works for the near future.

Kube Systems: The latest prototype from Kube Systems is designed to provide charging in every
possible manner for less than $99 per unit. Kube is aiming for midscale properties and lower with
this newest offering, which comes without an audio component. In addition, hotels can also purchase
wireless charging add-ons to expand the functions of the device.
Hospitality Pulse: In an attempt to solve mobile booking problems In the back end, Hospitality
Pulse's Room Pulse solution looks at all the credentials between incoming guests and the hotel they
are booked to stay In, and allows the hotel to move mobile guests around the hotel's check-in queue
based on a number of factors, smoothing the check-in process.

Hello Scout: Winner of HITEC's Entrepreneur 20X competition, Hello Scout connects travelers with
locals passionate about travel destinations. These locals provide their Insight to help travelers find
more to do once on site, all through a chat-based interface.

Zebra Technologies: Zebra showcased its MPact beacons, which allow hotels to unify Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth smart technology indoors, capturing location-based data for further analysis. This
technology allows hotel operators to be more predictive about how to serve guests' needs regardless
of where they are In the property.

Bartech: The wireless minibar is the latest innovation to come from Bartech, and it's a technology
that has applications for anywhere in the guestroom. Some hotels are even reportedly using them in
the bathroom for select goods. The minibar uses infrared technology, and is primarily targeting
midmarket hotels and select-service properties.

Telkonet: Telkonet launched its EcoSmart automation platform, which integrates guest comfort with
operational savings, and also includes the EcoManage Application that is being launched in Red
Lion hotels. In the near future, Telkonet wants to integrate voice into its energy-management
umbrella.

ADB Global: VuType, a fourth-generation, end-to-end, managedservices iTV solution, is now

available to hotels. The service includes live TV, video on demand, pay-per-view, a digital concierge,
digital signage and targeted advertisements as well as a searchable Interactive program guide, over-
the-top services such as screencasting, direct-to-guest messaging and more.

Amadeus: Amadeus had a proof-of-concept product on display in the form of the Microsoft
HoloLens, which was calibrated to show an interactive heads-up-display for housekeeping workers.
The display showed information on guestrooms as a worker would pass by, such as a checklist on
what needs to be changed out, which can be interacted with as if it were actually there.

Cetis: The company's new Telexed D Series hotel phone was on display. The phone Is a
contemporary redesign of the Telexed Diamond. The new device has a new design, an ergonomic
handset, optional built-in USB charging ports and a faceplate that is interchangeable with existing
Diamond room phones.

Rainmaker: Rainmaker's Revcaster business solution for midscale hotels recently surpassed the
5,500 mark for installation in hotels, but the company Is hard at work on its next offering for revenue-
management solutions. While the mid-market has been attracted to revenue management as of late,
Rainmaker has Its eyes on lower-end hotels for the near future.

Housekeeping is considered as the backbone of a hotel and has always relied on human efficiency.
The advancement of technology has assisted backend operations in a way that it has increased
human efficiency in all functions, including housekeeping
New technology in housekeeping is not only assisting the staff with its operations but also increasing
their efficiency. The end result is that the given task is completed well within time and technological
assistance is eventually adding to the experience of the guest. Due to an efficient system at the
backend, the staff directly informs the guest the time when their room will be ready. Consequently,
the guest does not have to wait in the lobby. Garima Nagpal, executive housekeeping, The Imperial,
New Delhi, says, "Technological assistance has definitely increased work efficiency in housekeeping
operations. The cleaning after check out and check in are all handled by the team and the the
update is done on the computer which makes it easy to analyse later."

There is also a system for maintaining team updates and specifying which room needs a specific
change. Once updated on the system, an automated message reaches the respective person and
they can carry out the procedure without any further delay. "We also recently introduced a system
where the lost essentials by the guests are reported by the housekeeping team. Once reported, the
same information is added to the desktop system. So when the guests reaches out, the team can
immediately check the system for their last check in details and track the item they left behind.
Technology has not only made it easier for us to access the data but also to make important
changes at a faster pace," she adds.

Software provider, Hotelogix offers similar solutions for mid scale properties or small budget hotels
with smaller room keys. The housekeeping module by Hotelogix works in complete sync with the
front desk, to keep it simple. It is a single-screen snapshot with the most-current room information,
organised neatly in a tabular format. There are simple point and click controls to work directly on a
single table. The system allows the owner to maintain the list of the housekeeping staff wherein they
can be assigned rooms based on block/ floors or sort them based on their status to manage division
of work. There is also a task list that includes the daily tasks to be completed which is easy to print
out and makes the work easy to divide and distribute. The tools to filter and sort rooms based on
blocks, floors and status makes it easy for operations.

In case the rooms are undergoing maintenance or any upgrades and are not available for certain
dates, it can be easily marked and managed with DNR (Do Not Reserve/ Release) for these select
periods. The added advantage of using the system is that the housekeeping staff need not log into
the system.

The system allows assigning of rooms amongst the staff members and print their daily task list to get
going with their work. The progress can be updated and reported centrally over the day.

Prabhash Bhatnagar, founder, Hotelogix further explains, "We deal with small and mid size hotels,
so housekeeping is not a very big function for them. But we do have a module in our system that can
take care of the operations to the extent that they would want to. In our case we have a basic app for
the hotel that facilitates the operation. Information about whether the room is clean or dirty or if there
is anything missing in the room is updated on the app and then attended to by the staff. If there is a
room that is about to be checked in, it is immediately marked for an inspection on the system. All
these things are built into the system which essentially allows the person who is taking care of the
property to have control over these functions."

Copyright 2016 The Indian Express Online Media Pvt. Ltd., distributed by Contify.com

ONLINE media can play a major role in promoting tourism to the UAE given its rapid expansion
worldwide, according to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE's Minister of Culture,
Youth and Community Development. The UAE needs more specialised online media to promote the
country at home and and abroad, he said, adding that investment in the tourism sector in the UAE
exceeded Dh80 billion ($21.7 billion) in 2013, making it the top tourism investor in the Middle
East.AIRWATCH AT ATLANTIS, THE PALMMeanwhile, Atlantis, The Palm has successfully
deployed an enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution from AirWatch by VMware, the leading
EMM provider. With AirWatch, guests can use mobile devices to access reservation details, expedite
the check-in process and streamline housekeeping tasks. The luxury UAE hotel, uses iPods to
assign staff members to clean rooms based on factors like availability and special requests from
guests. Additionally, the resort is evaluating using digital menus on tablets instead of printed menus
so that items can be dynamically updated. MOBILE CHECK-IN AT MARRIOTTAnother UAE hotel
boosting its tech quotient is the Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf near downtown Dubai, which has launched
a new mobile check-in service. Guests will find their room key card ready upon arrival and receive
an automatic notification that their room is ready, through the new app. Another feature of the
service allows guests taking advantage of the new app to skip the traditional stop at the front desk
upon conclusion of their stay, as a final bill is provided via email. KEMPINSKI, IRIS PARTNER
UPElsewhere, Kempinski has selected iRiS Software as a key guest services technology provider
and is installing iRiS applications across its worldwide network. The company's innovative
applications are used by more than 200 hotels worldwide and are multi-lingual and interactive. The
apps are designed to improve the guest experience, generate additional revenue, reduce costs and
take customer engagement to a new level.

Hotels layer on luxury to create a sleep experience: innovations in mattresses and pillows shape
the latest bedding trends

Keeping it cool for your guests

Whether it’s high quality bathroom pods or entirely pre-fabricated guest

rooms, hotels are incorporating more modular construction in new projects.
Hotel News Now reports that modular construction could be a game-
changer that redefines future hotel development.

Dave Walsh, senior director of new-build project management for Marriott

International, told Hotel News Now that the technology and design of
modular pieces has improved, especially for bathrooms, which can be
assembled in factories as self-contained pods complete with plumbing
connections and fixtures, and then shipped to hotel sites.

“The bathroom is where the majority of the trade work takes place,” Walsh
says, adding that pre-assembled modular units solve many building-related
problems, especially in regions with a scarcity of materials and a lack of
skilled labor. He points out crafting modular units offsite positively impacts
the bottom line because properties can get to market faster. “That speed to
market turns into cost savings on the back end,” Walsh says.
Bigger Bathrooms
Experts predict that bathrooms will grow larger—up to 50% or more of the
total hotel room—and become more spa-like. Rain showerheads and
expanded counter space will become standard features. Even bathrooms at
three-star hotels will be more luxurious.

Smaller Guest Rooms

Pod hotels, which are popular in Japan, feature tiny, minimalistic rooms. This
concept may expand to other locales as much of the furniture traditionally
found in hotels is deemed unnecessary. For example, flat screen televisions
eliminate the need for bulky armoires, and desks in guest rooms can be
replaced by communal work spaces in the lobby. Since people rarely unpack
their belongings and store them in dressers, a growing number of brands are
ditching dressers in favor of wire shelving, which is more flexible and offers
a more open feel.

Tech
Technology is having a huge influence on the hotel guest room. At a growing
number of properties, guests now use their smartphones as room keys. Some
hotels are rethinking the entire concept of phones in guest rooms, since most
travelers carry their own devices with them. They are giving guests access to
hotel services through their mobile devices; special apps allow occupants to
control the room’s lights, blinds and air-conditioning. Many properties are
also scrapping the idea of in-room movies; some are collaborating with
Netflix to provide entertainment options.

It goes without saying that outlets and charging stations will be increasingly
important in hotel rooms in the future. Guests are demanding easy and
convenient access to them. LED technology offers sophisticated lighting
options, especially in bathrooms where lights can be adjusted to be more
flattering. Special bathroom mirrors with touch screen capabilities can
provide digital readouts of the weather or daily headlines.
Neutral Décor; Quality Bedding
Perceptions about cleanliness will cause duvet covers and curtains to become
relics of the past. Instead, hotels are focusing on quality bedding. There will
be a lot of white and neutral shades, with pops of color. Since light colors are
unforgiving when it comes to stains and dirt, an increasing number of hotels
will embrace light-colored carpets, or wood or tiled floors. Hotels will also
integrate more natural elements and materials in their designs. It is predicted
that indoor and outdoor boundaries will become increasingly blurred.

Multi-Purpose Lobbies
Staid lobbies with a static front desk are being phased out in favor of multi-
use public spaces with bars, restaurants, lounges and business centers. This
enables guests to work and socialize anywhere in the hotel. With strong WiFi
signals and an assortment of seating options, groups can assemble anywhere
for impromptu meetings or social gatherings.

In terms of design, hotels of the future will feature regional art, food and
brands to give guests a taste of the local flavor. Architects will increasingly
take the local surroundings into consideration when designing.

Social Media’s Impact on Hotel Design

It is no longer enough for hotels today to simply maintain a Facebook page or
Twitter account. They need to consider how they come across on social
media. In order to encourage guests to take pictures and share them on social
media channels, hotels need to create ‘wow’ environments. Infinity pools,
rooftop bars and unique ‘selfie spaces’ will become increasingly important

Starwood – Starwood Four Points properties are developing Smart

Mirrors, digital mirrors with touch screen capabilities.
Recommendations: Make a point from below maintained conclusion

Almost all hotel room surfaces failed when microbiological standards set in other industries were used
for the hotel rooms. Use of these other industry standards may not be suitable, however. Hotel rooms
differ from food establishments, hospitals, and other areas in their types of surfaces, presence of hotel
guests living in these spaces (as compared to employees working in an environment), pathogens, need
for antiseptic or sterile conditions, and immune status of people in their environment. Although
comparing the standards from other industries is a starting point to establishing standards for the hotel
industry, it appears that cleaning standards from other industries may not be appropriate. Our study
also reviewed relevant literature to determine how standards were set for cleaning in other industries.
Previous research has focused on acceptable levels after thorough cleaning has been performed. By
analogy, guest room cleaning standards should be based on evaluations after best cleaning practices
have been conducted. Recommendations for future hotel room studies include “before and after”
testing using best cleaning practices. The type of assessment (APC or ATP testing) that is most
appropriate, operationally feasible, and cost-effective should also be considered. Hotel managers might
use these to develop cleaning policies that assure satisfactory cleaning of guest rooms. Housekeepers
clean an average of 14–16 rooms per eight-hour shift (Casado, 2000; Jones, 1986). Because of this time
limitation it is essential that areas with the greatest contamination be addressed. Rooms division
managers or executive housekeepers may wish to emphasize cleaning the dirtiest areas when
developing cleaning protocols or policies to ensure that rooms are cleaned in the most efficient and
most effective manner. Additionally, it would be useful to determine the value of disinfectants in room
cleaning. As compared to restaurants where the use of disinfectants is common, hotel managers have to
consider the damaging effect of these products on textiles and other surfaces specific to hotel rooms.
Clearly, visual assessment of hotel room cleaning does not represent the level of microbial
contamination that may be present. Visual cleanliness is aesthetically important, but doesn’t necessarily
reduce the risk of infection. Additional research will help hotel owners and managers assure that people
staying in hotels are provided a safe and clean environment, just as people are in restaurants, hospitals,
or anywhere else where services are provided for eating or sleeping. Corresponding Author: Barbara A.
Almanza, 900 West State Street, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Marriott Hall, Room
206E, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2115. E-mail: almanzab@purdue.edu

Ahmed, P.K. and Shepherd, C.D. ( 2010 ), Innovation Management, Context, Strategies, Systems
and Processes, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow .

Allegro, S. and De-Graf, R. ( 2008 ), " Innovation and strategy implementation: the key challenge in
today's competitive atmosphere ", in Olsen,, M., Zhao, and J. (Eds), Handbook of Hospitality
Strategic Management, Chapter 18, Taylor and Francis, Burlingto .

Amabile, T.M. ( 1987 ), " Motivating creativity in organisations: on doing what you love and loving
what you do ", in Ahmed,, P.K., Shepherd, and C.D. (Eds) ( 2010 ), Innovation Management,
Context, Strategies, Systems & Processes, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow .

Bessant, J. and Tidd, J. ( 2007 ), Innovation and Entrepreneurship, John Wiley and Sons Limited,
West Sussex .
Chan, A. Go, F.M. and Pine, R. ( 1998 ), " Service innovation in Hong Kong: attitudes and practice ",
The Service Industries Journal, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 112 - 124 .

Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. ( 2011 ), Business Research Methods, 11th ed., McGraw-Hill, NY,
Singapore .

Corbin, J. and Strauss, A. ( 2008 ), Basics of Qualitative Research, 3rd ed., Sage Publications, CA .

Damanpour, F. ( 1996 ), " Organizational complexity and innovation: developing and testing multiple
contingency models ", in Ilge,, K., Yilmaz,, N.K., Karakadilar, and I.S. (Eds) ( 2013 ), Features of
Innovative Applications in the Service Industry and Exploration of their Effect on Firm Efficiency,
Procedia - Social and Behavioural Sciences, Vol. 99, pp. 572 - 581 .

Drucker, P.F. ( 1985 ), " The Discipline of Innovation ", in Ahmed,, P.K, Shepherd, and C.D. (Eds) (
2010 ), Innovation Management, Context, Strategies, Systems & Processes, Pearson Education
Limited, Harlow .

DTCM Press Release ( 2013 ), " Dubai welcomes over 7.9 million visitors in the first nine months of
2013 ", available at: www.dubaitourism.ae/aggregator/sources/2 (accessed 23 December 2013).

Hamid, T. ( 2013 ), " UAE tops region in new innovation index report ", The National , July 4,
available at: www.thenational.ae/business/industry-insights/economics/uae-tops-region-in-new-
innovation-index-report (accessed 23 December 2013).

Hotels 2020 ( 2010 ), " Beyond segmentation ", Strategies for Growth in An Era of Personalization
and Global Change, available at:
www.amadeus.com/web/binaries/blobs/173/754/Hotels_Whitepaper_2020BeyondSegmentation.pdf
(accessed 21 December 2013).

Jayawardena, C. McMillan, D. Pantin, D. Taller, M. and Willie, P. ( 2013b ), " Trends in the
international hotel industry ", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 151 - 163
.

Jayawardena, C. Lawlor, F., Grieco, J.C., Savard, M. and Tarnowski, M. ( 2013a ), " Challenges and
innovations in hotel operations in Canada ", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 5 No.
2, pp. 177 - 189 .

John, I. ( 2013 ), " Exponential growth ahead for UAE's hospitality sector ", Khaleej Times ,
December 29, available at: www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
1.asp?xfile=data/uaebusiness/2013/December/uaebusiness_December350.xml&section=uaebusine
ss (accessed 29 December 2013).

Johns, N. and Lee-Ross, D. ( 1998 ), Research Methods in Service Industry Management, Cassell,
London .

Lycette, L. ( 2010 ), " Innovation in housekeeping improves efficiency ", Special Report - Managing
Innovation in the Luxury Hotel Segment, available at:
www.lycetteandassociates.com/blog/2010/04/16/innovation-in-housekeeping-improves-efficiency-2 /
(accessed 07 September 2013).

O'Sullivan, D. and Dooley, L. ( 2009 ), Applying Innovation, SAGE Publications, CA, available at:
www.sagepub.com/upm-data/23137_Chapter_1.pdf (accessed 23 December 2013).
Ottenbacher, M.C. and Harrington, R.J. ( 2009 ), " The product innovation process of quick service
restaurants ", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 21 No. 5, pp. 523
- 541 .

Porter, ( 1990 ), " The competitive advantage of nations ", in Ahmed,, P.K, Shepherd, and C.D. (Eds)
( 2010 ), Innovation Management, Context, Strategies, Systems & Processes, Pearson Education
Limited, Harlow .

Quinn, J.B. ( 1992 ), Intelligent Enterprise: A Knowledge and Service Based Paradigm for Industry,
Simon & Schuster, NY

Siguaw, J.A., Simpson, P.M. and Enz, C.A. ( 2006 ), " Conceptualizing innovation orientation: a
framework for study and integration of innovation research ", The Journal of Product Innovation
Management, Vol. 23 No. 6, pp. 556 - 574 .

Sipe, L.J. and Testa, M. ( 2009 ), " What is innovation in the hospitality and tourism marketplace? A
suggested research framework and outputs typology", International CHRIE Conference - Refereed
Track Paper 22, available at:
scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1205&context=refereed (accessed 21
December 2013).

Tushman, M. and Nadler, D. ( 1996 ), " Organising for Innovation ", in Ahmed,, P.K, Shepherd, and
C.D. (Eds) ( 2010 ), Innovation Management, Context, Strategies, Systems & Processes, Pearson
Education Limited, Harlow .

Wong, C.S. and Pang, W.L. ( 2003 ), " Barriers to creativity in the hotel industry - perspectives of
managers and supervisors ", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 15
No. 1, pp. 29 - 37 .

Further reading

Marceau, J. ( 2011 ), " Innovation and creativity in industry and the service sectors ", in Mann,, L.,
Chan, and J. (Eds), Creativity and Innovation in Business and Beyond, Social Science Perspectives
and Policy Implications, Chapter 3, Routledge, New York, NY .

a recent report, "Hotel 2020 - Beyond Segmentation", which was produced by Amadeus in 2010