Hotels Are Inspiring and Setting the Standard for Smart Device Integrations in the Home

The idea that entertainment is not just inside the home but outside the home as well. I've seen in hotels now there's an emphasis on the outdoor space as well. And so that includes bringing music and entertainment outside. And that's really something we've seen, on an upward trend as well in homes. Absolutely. I think I think smart tech definitely has a role to play, in in the transcendence from, hospitality into the home. I think one of the main areas I've seen and I travel a lot, with with with my role is that this emphasis on firstly simplicity that that we that historically, hotel rooms were actually a bit of a challenge to to operate. We all we've all stayed in hotel rooms where it you're jumping from one one thing to another. So first of all, we're seeing a lot more consolidation that includes lighting, and as well as being able to bring your own personal choices from from music or from media, being able to stream it through through the television. So in in less reliance of antiquated hotel systems. So that idea that, you know, the TV is a hub of being able to then stream your own content directly to it and then sort of marrying all the techno technologies into sort of one, one really sort of easy to use interface. And that sort of also moves across into some of the lighting, I would say as well. This is an area I see particularly on the, ability to control color and and color change lighting. I really feel like it's hospitality that's driven that trend into the home. Being able to completely change the mood of a space, not just in terms of having different scenes for different things, but color. And I feel like that's It was originally, you know, smart light bulbs and things like that was a lit was originally a little bit gimmicky, but now you can actually using lighting, technologies like Catra, be able to actually pull, pull different things out of the room. So you could pull up a piece of artwork out and really sort of highlight that. And that's really, I think, an area that, is growing. And also, color can really affect mood. It can really make, you know, help you relax. The warmer is and, and also can help wake you up in the morning as well. So those are some of those areas, as well as, the idea that entertainment is not just inside the home but outside the home as well. I've seen in hotels now there's an emphasis on the outdoor space as well, and so that includes bringing music and entertainment outside. And that's really something we've seen, on an upward trend as well in homes. And that's a lot of that's coming out of the pandemic, so that idea that you can entertain inside the house and outside the house as well. The other thing is work areas, distinct work areas. So the traditional home would have your study that's you know, that's that's where you go, when you're working from home. Well, now, obviously, this we're we're in a hybrid hybrid working environment. So there's a lot more people that are working from home that people that are being homeschooling their children that puts a lot more stress on the home network. So the idea that you would need something a little bit more robust and high speed, but also the idea of a study you can't have five people on Zoom calls in one space. So the idea that you have distinct work areas around the home as well is is something that I think has carried across from from hospitality design. I think, hospitality designers can continue to should continue to evolve, from embracing technology as a way to enhance the experience of, those that are either staying in hotels or visiting, restaurants or bars. So, you know, motorized shading solutions is one of those areas. Voice role. I've seen that deployed in in hotel rooms as well. Again, just sort of navigating through a lot of the technology that is in the hotel rooms can be can be quite challenging. So voice is definitely one of those emerging areas. The other thing is, it's that sort of emphasis on more tactile controllers that I I've seen that that is starting to it's sort of going full circle in a way and actually having more industrial kind of style design, but with a lot of but with technology behind it. So you're having something that is aesthetically very, very pleasing, something that's very, very straightforward and simple to use, like you know, rotary controller or switch, but but those being able to control scenes and being able to control the climate, the temperature within the space. So I think that is also something, where designers can continue to lead trend. Yeah, I think that and the other area I would say as well is the emphasis on energy efficiency. Clearly, there is a commercial angle, from a hotel, or or a commercial space. But the idea that low voltage lighting, motorized shading can also impact, home home energy consumption. And by you know, attenuating the temperature within a space. You're also bringing those items into as well. So, okay, so really just continuing with simplicity, the trend of simplifying through technology because everything is becoming more connected. There are more devices, and that's that's gonna be true of hotels as well. And It's not just about the TV, but more and more devices are gonna be connected. So that idea that they by bringing them all together you're simplifying it for for the customer and and that's something that has has really lent itself on smart home and that will become easier with standards like matter that are are gonna make that, a reality.