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Times are changing and, fortunately for travelers, the hotel industry is changing with them.
Ever-changing technology and the benefits of sustainability have sparked several new trends that guests should be excited about heading into the summer of 2016.
From reinvented lobby spaces to the introduction of Virtual Reality, it's good to be a hotel guest in 2016.
Without further ado, here are the five coolest hotel trends.
Transformed Lobbies
PHOTO: The Le Meridien Hub at the Le Meridien New Orleans. (photo courtesy of Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts)
Once reserved for water coolers and pamphlets, the hotel lobby has come a long way in a short period of time.
As brands look to attract a younger generation of travelers, lobbies are beginning to take on a brand new look. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts is a prime example.
The Le Meridien Hub turns the lobby into a public space where guests actually want to be. Whether meeting for business, grabbing a coffee or catching up on current events, the Le Meridien Hub and lobbies like it showcase the seemingly endless potential for this once overlooked space.
Digital, Self Check-In
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While hotel lobbies are transforming around the world, few new trends are as convenient for hotel guests as digital or self check-in.
READ MORE: 5 Delicious Hotel Catering Trends
Hilton's Digital Key allows guests to check in, select their room and unlock their room door all from their smartphone, while other hotels have introduced self-check-in kiosks that also allow guests to bypass the front desk.
SoniCast
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Anything a hotel can do to make guests feel more at home is a no-brainer. And while SONIFI's SoniCast won't transform your hotel room into your living room, the innovative new feature comes awfully close.
With SoniCast, which has recently been installed at several San Francisco hotels, guests can access and view content from thousands of apps from their hotel room television.
Virtual Reality
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Virtual Reality (VR) promises to play a key role in the travel industry moving forward and hotels have already begun to embrace it.
Some Las Vegas hotels are trialing VR adult entertainment in their guestrooms, while Best Western Hotels & Resorts will implement its Best Western Virtual Reality Experience (BWVRE) at all 2,200 North American properties by this summer.
READ MORE: Could Millennial Travelers Lead A Virtual Travel Boom? Expedia Thinks So
The BWVRE will allow guests to access ultra-high definition video from platforms like Google Maps and YouTube to see exactly what they can expect from their upcoming hotel stay.
Local Food, Drink
PHOTO: The roaming cordial cart at the Windsor Court Hotel. (photo courtesy of the Windsor Court Hotel)
Nowadays, it's not enough for a hotel to feature an on-site restaurant. More often guests are looking to sample local food and beverage. And hotels are taking notice.
Whether it's by integrating local ingredients into traditional dishes or offering local craft beer and spirits at the lounge bar, there's lots to love about the industry's focus on sustainability. By offering dishes and drinks unique to their location, hotels are giving guests yet another reason to stick around and become their own attraction.
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