Photo courtesy of Marriott International
Technology has finally improved to the point where virtual reality can start being offered on a large scale, and Marriott Hotels has jumped on the bandwagon.
Today, Marriott Hotels, the flagship brand of Marriott International, announced that it has launched "VRoom Service," which allows guests to order a virtual reality (VR) experience right in their room.
Per a partnership with Samsung Electronics America, Marriott Hotels guests can request a Samsung Gear VR headset and accompanying headsets via Marriott's Mobile Request app or by dialing a dedicated VRoom Service extension in-room.
Then, they are transported to 3D worlds with 360-degree views via "VR Postcards," Marriott's new virtual travel content platform. Guests can virtually explore destinations with the technology as real travelers lead them around and share personal travel stories related to the destination. That includes trips to the Andes Mountains in Chile, the busy streets of Beijing and an ice cream shop in Rwanda (note: you can't actually eat the ice cream).
"Travel expands our minds and helps push our imagination," said Matthew Carroll, vice president of Marriott Hotels, via a release. "Our guests want to be in inventive spaces that help foster their creativity and thinking. VRoom combines storytelling with technology, two things that are important to next generation travelers."
Guests can rent the VR technology for 24-hour periods at select properties moving forward. VR Postcards are also being offered via the Samsung Milk VR premium video service. The technology will be tested at the New York Marriott Marquis and London Marriott Park Lane properties for the next two weeks.
"VRoom Service is one of the first business applications of Samsung's Gear VR technology," said Matt Apfel, vice president of strategy and creative content at Samsung Media Solutions Center America. "We're tremendously excited to be collaborating with an innovative brand like Marriott on creating the future for travelers."
Marriott Hotels is calling VRoom Service "a first in the travel industry." As far as new technology goes, Marriott is on a roll. Last year, the brand introduced the first-ever 4D VR travel experience with the Marriott Teleporter. In recent months, it introduced a two-way chat feature called Mobile Request on the Marriott Mobile App. Marriott Hotels also announced the launch of a partnership with Netflix this summer that allows guests to view Netflix from their rooms.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
