Experience the sleek style of your favorite cinematic superspy right in your own bedroom. Watch the stunning motion of stars and other astronomical bodies while comfortably gazing up at the ceiling. Then, extend the mood that particular fantasy trip has created for you by simply calling out your favorite playlist or movie hits to perform on the state-of-the-art screen right in front of you.
Combining staycation with augmented reality, the SOGO AI Tech Concept Room was introduced last March by a leading hospitality chain to address the evolving needs of the modern hospitality market.
As SOGO Corporate Marketing Manager Sue Geminiano explains it, “The customers want an extraordinary experience, the feeling that they had experienced something unique, but without having to leave their city. There was a time that everyone wanted to go out of town, especially during the long weekends. But these days, they would rather do a staycation, but enjoy something different or beyond the usual amenities they would find in a hotel.”
With AI’s help, the SOGO guests can “talk to their room,” says Geminiano. A simple voice command can change the color of the walls and the ceiling, infuse the interiors with a theme (Oceanarium, Azalea, F1, and Pretty Kitty among them), and show the guest a list of songs they can play out loud. For example, if the guest is in a romantic mood, then expect Valentine’s Day colors to color the surroundings in glowing red. The LED TV can also flash titles of love stories they can choose to watch.
SOGO AI Tech Concept Room
If they feel like taking a break, surrounded by virtual stars, then the “astral projection” theme with its kaleidoscope of galaxies is the closest thing they can get to outer space.
Four Hotel Sogo branches—Malate, Davao, Fairview, and Mexico, Pampanga—have two AI Tech Concept Rooms each, designed for couples, families with children, business travelers, and the more tech-savvy. All of them are still always being studied for further innovation, and expansion into other branches will depend on the response of the market and the availability of the necessary amenities in the specific hotel branch.
Geminiano, who has led Hotel Sogo’s marketing for 12 years, emphasizes that the hotel chain has always been at the forefront of innovation. It was the first to offer free WiFi and international calls in the 1990s and has continued to introduce pioneering services, such as the body dryer in the bathroom featuring antibacterial technology, which enhances comfort, ease, and promotes health.
Netflix is available in every concept room.
Another game-changing personalized service for guests, who are increasingly becoming cost-conscious, is its sachet philosophy model for business owners. Guests literally just have to pay for the hours they will use their room, breaking the traditional model of forking out money for 24 hours regardless of whether they stay inside the hotel premises or not. Hotel Sogo has reached out also business travelers or owners who find it cost-effective to avoid paying for eight to twelve hours in a hotel room they won’t use because they are attending a conference elsewhere
In Hotel Sogo, “They can just check in, stay, wash up, and stay in their room for a while and then leave for their seminar. They will just pay for the hours that they will use their room,” says Geminiano.
Automated body dryer
She gives other examples: “A young professional who needs a room just for a few hours to change after office work so they can attend a party or an important meeting to freshen up. Senior citizens who need laboratory diagnostic tests and have to be at the clinic early in the day can stay at any Hotel Sogo near laboratories and hospitals.”
Geminiano notes that guests had been needing those personalized hotel hours even back then. As a student herself, she would check into dormitories for needed privacy and security while she studied for her board exams
Those measures are no longer needed today. Nor do guests have to spend exorbitant amounts for a hotel room.
Another new, attractive, and budget-friendly amenity is the restaurant, which serves a breakfast buffet and a variety of foods on its menu at reasonable prices. “Before, we only had in-room service,” says Geminiano. “Now we want it to be available to other customers even though they have not checked in.”
During the Yuletide season, the hotel would adopt an underprivileged family and let them stay in their own room to experience “Christmas for a night.” It also regularly sends medical teams to Bicol, Quezon, and other underserved communities “that need us, even if we don’t have a hotel branch there.”
It might soon be difficult to find a Philippine city or region without a Hotel Sogo in it. With 48 branches all over the country, the chain intends to open five more every single year. Whether or not they carry an AI Tech Concept Room, they will serve with the same spirit of customer service that the chain has been known for. They will fulfill the culture of Sogo which is derived from a Japanese word that means “companionship and care. Geminiano says, “Our hotels are open any time if you want to rest, relax, and just be comfortable for a short period of time.”
To find out more about Hotel Sogo, visit its website at www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow us on Facebook page HotelSogo Official Page, Twitter and Instagram @hotelsogo, and Youtube account @OfficialHotelSogo.
