The Rise of Holograms in Hospitality: Unlocking Limitless Opportunities for Hotels

How would you feel if the next time you checked into a hotel, you were welcomed by a smiling front desk associate or concierge – only, not in real life? Instead, imagine that the figure before you was projected via state-of-the-art, two-way holographic technology designed to deliver an ultra-personalized experience. Fortunately, you don’t have to rely solely on your imagination to conjure up this scenario because hologram technology for hospitality is, in fact, already here, and some hotels around the globe are already making waves as early adopters.

For years, hoteliers have worked tirelessly to define – and then achieve in a scalable manner – the perfect balance of high-touch service and high-tech connectivity. After all, modern guests aren’t always easy to please. They want convenience, but not at the expense of personalization. They want self-service, but not without the option to engage with staff in person. They want high-tech touch-points they’re accustomed to at home, but not without the more traditional aspects of hospitality service that feel nostalgic and familiar.

While hologram technology has been around for some time, its application within the world of hospitality is relatively new – and exciting. Holograms enable hotels to create memorable and unique experiences. Whether it's projecting holographic entertainment during events, hosting virtual meetings and conferences, or offering holographic music performances,

these technological advancements can set hotels apart and leave a lasting impression on guests. Additionally, holograms can create lifelike representations of staff members, enhancing service and offering personalized interactions. Furthermore, AI algorithms can analyze guest data to anticipate preferences and tailor services accordingly.

With so much innovation happening right now including the Artificial Intelligence revolution, holograms are positioned to transform the hospitality landscape in the very near future.

A Guest Service Revolution

The primary differentiator between hotels, beyond amenities and location, is the level of service they provide. A hotel guest may forget the exact details of a hotel’s guest room furnishings or the layout of its sprawling lobby, but they are unlikely to forget how a hotel made them feel during their trip. However, providing exceptional guest service to every guest, every time, is a standard too often thwarted by logistical challenges and operational limitations. The hospitality industry notoriously struggles with high staff turnover, and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector finds itself amid a labor crisis.

More often than not, hotels don’t have the staffing required to ensure every guest receives the level of service their brand standards indicate, despite their best efforts to maximize every touch-point. If staff members’ efforts are split across administrative tasks and guest requests, at least one service area may suffer during peak times. Moreover, when hotel staff is buried under the weight of administrative duties, they may miss out on the opportunity to truly connect with guests in a meaningful, memorable way.

With the help of hologram technology, hotel brands can better streamline and automate manual tasks in a way that empowers employees to focus their attention and efforts where it matters most: guest interactions. At the same time, using holograms enables hotels to optimize the unique skill set of each staff member. For example, suppose a guest arrives at a hotel and only speaks a language in which hotel staff members aren’t fluent.

In that case, the Holobox can act as a conduit or connect that guest with a staff member (remotely) who knows that language.

Holoconnects is at the helm of an emerging trend centered around the use of hologram technology in hotels involving a hologram box (Holobox) that stands over 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Within the box lies a transparent LCD screen, and behind that screen lies a lightbox that creates a life-like holographic illusion. The hologram can then either present guests with options and prerecorded hotel information on the touchscreen, or guests can indicate their desire to speak with a live person. In this scenario, hotels can use the hologram box to 'beam in' qualified staff from anywhere worldwide to help with self-check-in or provide extra support during high-traffic times when traditional hotel teams would otherwise be stretched thin.

What’s better than a 24/7 self-service kiosk that is always on time, never goes on vacation, and works 24/7? A hologram box that provides the convenience of self-service with real human engagement.

Cut Costs and Maximize Resources

Unlike self-service kiosks, the Holobox provides a unique level of human engagement that cannot be replicated. It allows users to appear virtually from anywhere in the world, making it a valuable addition to self-check-in systems or a helpful resource during busy periods when hotel staff is overwhelmed with guest interactions.

Holograms can streamline operations and improve efficiency. Virtual concierge holograms can assist guests with check-ins, provide information about services and local attractions, and even offer multilingual support. This reduces the workload on hotel staff and allows them to focus on more complex or personalized guest interactions.

At a time when resources (such as labor) are limited, hotels must analyze their operations with a critical lens to identify cost-saving opportunities. With Holoconnects, for example, just one employee could serve between 30–60 hotels (with an average of 45 rooms) during the night shift.

While new technology presents an upfront acquisition cost, it’s essential to recognize the cost-saving benefits and ROI of Holoboxes. Nine hotels are currently implementing Holobox, with another 50+ properties (across several chains) planning to adopt the technology over the three years. Holoconnects predicts that beyond a rapid expansion into 7,000-10,000 hotel properties over the next five years.

Hologram technology enables hotels to centralize and save costs by reducing labor demand. With front desk and concierge services championed by holograms across multiple properties, hotels can better maximize their talent pool and reduce operational costs.

Elevate Marketing and Experiences

If a picture is worth a thousand words, an experience is worth a million. Now, more than ever, hotel guests exhibit an appetite for unique experiences when traveling abroad. Travelers are eager to see the world, interact with local culture, and create

lasting memories not easily replicated elsewhere. This sentiment rings especially true in the wake of the pandemic; after all, for almost two years, in-person experiences and trips were taken off the tables.

Hotels are now expected to differentiate themselves from competitor properties by curating personalized, relevant, and exciting experiences for their guests, and, as you might have guessed, hologram technology can help to achieve this.

Hotels can use a hologram box to welcome their guests in a way that is convenient and creative. They can even stream live performances indoors or across the property to showcase the talent of a remote live performer (or famous figure). Holograph-headlined concerts may be familiar, but implementing them across hotels to enhance the guest experience certainly is.

Moreover, hotels can use holograms to take their marketing efforts to the next level. Holograms can elevate and promote unique, insta-worthy experiences, upsell on-property amenities and activities, attract celebrities or influencers, and so much more.

An Exciting New Use Case for Groups and Events

As hotels look to drive more revenue from groups and events, it’s time to consider ways their current offering might be improved upon to attract more business. The demand for next-generation innovations continues to grow as the world becomes increasingly tech-driven and digitized.

Holograms enable remote participation, allowing individuals to virtually attend and engage in events from anywhere in the world. This expands the reach of conferences and meetings, connecting a global audience and fostering collaboration on an unprecedented scale. Holograms can also enhance presentations by providing visually captivating and immersive content.

Moreover, this technology can offer unique networking opportunities. Attendees can interact with virtual representations of industry experts, engage in virtual meet-and-greets, or even participate in virtual panel discussions. This expands networking possibilities, accommodates busy schedules, and reduces travel costs.

Hotels are already enhancing existing audio-visual paid services by enabling event and meeting planners to rent Holoboxes for CEOs, keynote speakers, or other special guests in attendance to join via a hologram. The revenue opportunities and potential are endless.

By leveraging holograms, hotels can revolutionize their service across all use cases – from entertainment to front desk operations and beyond. Holograms bridge the gap between physical and digital spaces, offering unique benefits and engaging experiences that were previously unimaginable and bringing futuristic innovation to today’s hospitality industry.

The pioneering team at Holoconnects is committed to continued innovation, introducing the latest advancements in hologram technology to hotels worldwide and opening up a world of possibilities.