The Hotels Leading the Future of Smart Living

Over nearly three decades of designing technology systems for leading hospitality brands, we have seen the definition of smart living change considerably.

It once meant providing reliable internet access and a sophisticated audiovisual system. Today, it can include integrated room controls, mobile access, personalised environmental settings, intelligent energy management and digital services linked directly to the hotel’s operating platforms.

The most successful examples are not defined by the number of connected devices in the room. Their strength lies in how well the technology has been integrated into the design and operation of the property. The guest sees a simple control or useful service; behind it sits a considerable amount of engineering.

The Peninsula Hong Kong: a long-term approach to room technology

Its rooms combine control of lighting, temperature, curtains, privacy settings, television, radio and hotel services through proprietary bedside tablets and wall-mounted panels. The current interface is available in eleven languages, allowing guests to operate the room without first learning an unfamiliar control system.

The technical achievement lies in bringing together systems that would traditionally have operated independently. Lighting control, HVAC, audiovisual equipment, curtains and hotel services must exchange information and respond consistently, regardless of which interface the guest chooses to use.

The Peninsula’s parent company supports this through its own Research and Technology team, which develops, prototypes and tests its in-room systems. The technology introduced during the Hong Kong property’s major guestroom refurbishment in 2012-13 was therefore treated as part of the room architecture rather than as a separate collection of products.

That long-term commitment remains a useful benchmark. Successful automation begins with coordination between the hotel operator, designers, technology consultants and system specialists from the earliest design stages.

Marriott’s IoT Guestroom Lab: testing before deployment

Marriott’s IoT Guestroom Lab, developed with Samsung and Legrand in 2017, took a different approach. It created a controlled environment in which connected-room concepts could be tested before being considered for wider use.

The lab explored voice- and app-based controls, stored guest preferences, housekeeping requests, personalised shower temperatures and interactive wellness content. It also examined how connected technology could contribute to hotel operations, room construction and environmental performance.

The value of this type of facility extends beyond demonstrating new features. A hotel room contains equipment from multiple manufacturers, and each system has its own protocols, software and operational requirements. A controlled test environment allows the project team to assess compatibility, response times, maintenance requirements and the way guests interact with each function.

It also creates an opportunity to decide which ideas add genuine value. Technology should solve a defined guest or operational requirement. Testing helps establish that requirement before a concept is adopted across a large portfolio.

Hilton’s Connected Room: delivering smart living personalisation at scale

At participating properties, guests can use the Hilton Honors app to control functions such as temperature, lighting and television. Enabled televisions can welcome the guest by name and provide access to selected personal streaming services. By 2024, Hilton reported that the Connected Room experience was available in more than 1,000 hotels.

The guest experience is intentionally straightforward, but the infrastructure behind it is extensive. The platform must associate the correct guest with the correct room for the duration of the stay. It must then communicate with mobile devices, televisions, room-control systems and hotel platforms across properties of different ages and technical configurations.

Security and data management are also central. Hilton has stated, for example, that Netflix credentials are removed automatically at checkout unless the guest clears them earlier. The individual feature may appear simple, but delivering it consistently across hundreds of hotels is a significant technical and operational exercise. Hilton’s example demonstrates that scale, standardisation and lifecycle support are as important as the guest interface itself.

Zoku Amsterdam: technology designed around longer stays

The Lofts were designed for guests who may live and work in the city for several weeks or months. Each compact space includes a kitchen, generous storage, high-speed connectivity and a table suitable for working, dining or meeting. The sleeping area is raised, allowing the remainder of the room to function more like a small home or studio.

Technology supports this model through self-service arrival and departure, automated billing, wired and wireless connectivity, adaptable lighting and ventilation that responds to room air conditions.

A long-stay guest uses a room differently from someone visiting for one or two nights. They work, cook, receive visitors and develop daily routines. The room therefore needs to support a wider range of activities without becoming difficult to manage.

Zoku’s strength lies in the relationship between the physical design, technology and operating model. Rather than applying a standard hotel-room specification, the property was developed around how its intended guests would use the space.

1 Hotel brands : connecting sustainability and performance

The LEED Gold-certified property incorporates low-energy LED lighting, smart temperature control, water filtration and energy-efficient building systems, together with reclaimed and regionally sourced materials. Across the wider 1 Hotels portfolio, energy-tracking technology is used to measure consumption and identify opportunities to improve performance.

The relationship between sustainability and guest comfort is important. Effective building controls can reduce unnecessary lighting, heating and cooling while maintaining the environmental conditions expected of a premium hotel.

Metering and performance data also give the operator the information needed to identify faults, compare areas of consumption and confirm whether the building is achieving its intended targets. Environmental commitments can then be measured through operational results rather than communicated only through visible design features.

The principles behind intelligent hospitality

These examples use different platforms and address different types of guest experience. Their common ground lies in how the technology has been approached.

Each begins with a defined purpose. The room systems are coordinated rather than designed as isolated packages. The network is recognised as an essential part of the hotel’s operational infrastructure, while security, data management and long-term support are considered alongside the guest-facing functions.

Successful smart-hotel design also provides choice. Mobile and automated services can add considerable value, but essential room functions should remain intuitive for guests who prefer conventional controls. Technology works best when it expands what a room can do without making basic tasks more complicated.

The future of hospitality is already taking shape within the networks, controls and operating systems of these properties. Their real achievement is not simply the introduction of new features, but the ability to turn technology into a reliable part of the building and its operation.

The same principles are increasingly relevant to later living, where private accommodation, shared facilities, hospitality services and long-term occupancy must work together within one development.