Topic: Bitcoin integration in a hotel (Read 2471 times)

I like your ideas a lot, but in practice I think you will find that the SIM card + app is the best choice, as compared to offering actual phones.  But not most tipping -- too inconvenient compared to handing someone some cash.  WRT offering phones, the reality of this world is that many people don't take care of other people's stuff like they do their own.  Maybe have a couple cheap of phones for deposit + rent at the front desk for rent upon request...  but the SIM card is a huge advantage -- I know from personal experience that its expensive in time to procure one esp. if you don't know the local language. 

Could be a big moneysaver too b/c hotel/business phones have a big markup.

I never liked the "settle-at-the-end" model, esp. in regards to international travel.  What if your card or more likely the network doesn't work at 4am and your flight is at 7?  Its unnecessary stress.  Bitcoin gives you the "confidence-of-cash" that cards are missing... but even better is pay-as-you-go in case the hotel loses its uplink temporarily.

I spend about 100 nights per year in hotels, and I've stayed 18 continuous months in hotels in the 90's. I don't have a smartphone, and a smartphone is the last thing I want to get in a hotel room. Excuse-me, but when you travel a lot like I do, you want things to be easy. I remember fondly the days when hotel rooms had normal keys (old establishments still do). Now with electronic keys, it happened at least 3 times in the last 12 months that I couldn't get into my room, with me having to go back to the reception to reset the key.

Also, I would never perform any financial operation (BTC transaction or checking my bank account) on a machine that isn't mine.

Otherwise, I'd be happy to book a room and pay with BTC but even that could prove difficult, as I often book a month in advance, and the price of BTC may change significantly during that time.

some interesting thougths in here
and some good humor

+1

Definetely. 

Special cocktails at the bar:

- Black Russian

- Bloody China

- "To the Moon"

- The Gox (served flaming)

 

Seriously though, it would be worth getting someone to design a range of Bitcoin-themed drinks

Don't make guests point at and scan workers' chests. That's ridiculous. RFID will do. Use NFC for the door. You have a giant block of technology there, what the Hell would you be pressing on a bunch of buttons for?!

Room locator - great for conferences when you come home wasted (or are otherwise aloof). Instead of inaccurate GPS, you could plant RFID chips in the room numbers, where software tells the guest which direction he should be walking.

Actual cell phones may be unreasonably expensive considering there's no reason for guests to be connecting to third-party cell towers or using most other phone technology. You can strip GPS, cell tower connection hardware (obv. incl. antennas), unnecessary interface ports, remove the cameras and most sensors, along with some other stuff, I'm sure. Calls would route through a WiFi or a more reasonable solution like BT (ZigBee might be preferable... good luck figuring that out, though).

Look at the travel to and from the hotel.

Work with a local taxi service who you equip with Bitcoin wallets.

Strike a deal with Virgin for flights.

Promote local restaurants and the like if they accept Bitcoin from your guests.

+1

Go for the app idea.

I would imagine that people coming to stay at a Bitcoin hotel will have their own smartphone.

I think there are these three issues ,aha...

I don't want to lug around a second phone. But I would swap in a new sim card, so just have the hotel provide local sim cards for the stay. The rest of the phone-related add-ons can simply be an app that is easily installed when checking in.

Greetings,

As part of my job is to create websites and payment gateways for my customers and i found it good to reply (even though at the wall observer some months ago i totally disagreed with you but that's what a forum does, communicating among other) so  what you ask for is to serve your customers for all your services and get paid with bitcoin. Like every other hotel in the world, at the point of checkout is when the payment is made.

So why having mobile phones? Can't find a reason....You can have and installed tablet in each room with (custom app) the choices they have ( order from bar, schedule massage etc ) and of course each tablet has a room number so you know from where you received your inquiry.

Every activity of the customer is registered in the back end and when the customer wants to checkout you give him the total ( QR code, email etc)

This would be the best for make it easy and of course not having security issues.....

What is your thoughts?

Can i make a reservation?

i would not load any wallet of mine on any third-party phone, and i don't think that is a good idea even on your side for every sort of costs/risks/PITA.  Much more practical to let anyone use theirs.

What kind of room services would be available? (ehm)
Sauna? Pool? Altcoins accepted?

And how about the inauguration party?

Phone stealing problem:

Simple solution: Demand a small security deposit and people won't steal the phones

Phone hacker problem:

I think, the following should be possible: As there is the possibility to recharge phone battery without cable, there is no actual need for the microUSB entrance. If you are able to seal or disable this entrance, the phones would be much more secure.

Only taking Bitcoin into account would be a shortcoming. You not only want your customers to use the convenient way of paying their stuff with bitcoin, you probably make them more focus on the value they get out of their bitcoin-spendings. So in fact, Bitcoin needs to disappear and the convenience consumption of goods and services at your hotel at the customer's fingertips needs to get into the focus.

Excuse the branding, but, as an inspiration, look at this experimental implementation of ordering beer at a beergarden and what that process would even make it more simple if things are paid with bitcoin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blR5wyQMgrk

Here is another example of the smart wineshelf (noy yet in video):
http://techblog.hybris.com/2014/04/25/the-smart-wine-shelf-how-iot-and-retail-come-together/

Bitcoin is not enough. Don't underestimate the effort of letting Bitcoin disappear, focus on the customer's value (getting out of his bitcoin spendings), and not even have a proof of concept, but having it as true working solution for your usecases.

good luck!

Hotels make a fair amount through phone calls. Giving free calls lowers your turnover.

And a great precedent to set as a pricing model for all bitcoin businesses that sell products where customers pay in advance (mining hardware companies already do this, really). Doing good business that way helps to reinforce the exchange rate feedback loop.

One would like to make prices greatly lower when using bitcoin, as based on its future prediction of value
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Yes, I have the idea that advance bookings with bitcoin would get exponentially decaying cheaper based on how far in the future they are. The discount per month would be 10%. Therefore a booking paid now for July, 2015, would only cost 23% of the listed price when paid in advance.

Whatd'ya think?  
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That's almost cheating Otherwise it sounds really good as one could always buy bitcoins with cash and book in advance. Way to fill reservation book - for next year Cancellations in fiat-based exchange ratio?

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Having the phone-keycard always with them, is a great tool for contacting the butlers, reception, bookings and management in an acceptable way (Finns esp. tend to be very shy if something is not perfect they only grumble about it to all their friends, not to the hotel staff who have the power to fix it). The preloaded bitcoins can also be used for tipping.
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Ok, so it works like ordinary phone but in txt-version if wanted. Personally i would just pick the phone, or the way i like it walk to the desk and tell them whats wrong. But perhaps bitcoin users are a bit tech oriented and would just use it because they can. I know people who text everything they want to say instead of phoning (and resolving matter in more timely manner).

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On the restaurant there should be nicely integrated way in every table for people load their smartphones (i mean every brand not just hotel owned phones). Perhaps on the center of the table or on the edges. It should not get in the way of ordinary eating.

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In general I think phones don't belong to the restaurant, so this service would be in the reception rather.
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Times change and especially young people dont see any harm digging their phone up and start tabbing it during dinner/every else activity. I consider this rude, but this seems to be the case. Just 10 year younger people fall into this category, for them its normal.

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haha
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I did mean like sleek looking, perhaps washable shell thats easy to swap after use.

For the infrastructure of IT in the building, it should be system build from scratch. If used some big companies, they will deliver something, then they sell bug fix after another. At least this is what happened in finnish healthcare thing, nothing works, all have different protocols and systems. Estonians did their whole countrys hospital IT for 10 million I think. I have heard it works even better than finland.

Geeks shouldnt test the thing, it would be a disaster! Seen it happen before.

edit: I mean that it should be tested on ordinary people, from those with no contact with computers to those with some experience (ordinary web surfing, paying the bills).

Usage should be self explanatory and everything on screen just easy to read. Like something that every kid would understand immediately.

btw: interested in 3d scanning the building? PM

Yes, I have the idea that advance bookings with bitcoin would get exponentially decaying cheaper based on how far in the future they are. The discount per month would be 10%. Therefore a booking paid now for July, 2015, would only cost 23% of the listed price when paid in advance.

Whatd'ya think? 


Having the phone-keycard always with them, is a great tool for contacting the butlers, reception, bookings and management in an acceptable way (Finns esp. tend to be very shy if something is not perfect they only grumble about it to all their friends, not to the hotel staff who have the power to fix it). The preloaded bitcoins can also be used for tipping.


In general I think phones don't belong to the restaurant, so this service would be in the reception rather.


This is cool.


haha

Do both. The bigger your market, the more money you get.