"The first of these was that where possible technology should be moved ‘above property’, in other words to the cloud. And secondly, we wanted to give owners the opportunity to look at Opex (operational expenditure) models rather than just pure Capex (capital expenditure) models."

　　The two most-asked questions about hotel technology are probably these. Will all hotels one day offer free Wi-Fi? And will guests be able to avoid those interminable check-in queues and get into their room using just their mobile phone?

　　One of the best people to ask is Jeremy Ward, senior vice-president of information technology at Kempinski Hotels and Resorts.

　　In March the chain opened what is reputedly the most technologically advanced hotel on the planet, the Hotel Palais Hansen in Vienna.

　　Ward set out the thinking behind the technology that Kempinski – which operates a managed services model and so does not own hotels – increasingly demands of its properties.

　　“In 2010 we had a look at our five-year IT strategy. We made a number of changes and put together a new detailed five-year plan under new guiding principals,” he says.

　　“The first of these was that where possible technology should be moved ‘above property’, in other words to the cloud. And secondly, we wanted to give owners the opportunity to look at Opex (operational expenditure) models rather than just pure Capex (capital expenditure) models.”

　　With the opening of the 151-room Vienna property in 2013 then looming, Kempinski decided to ensure this hotel would embrace this plan.

　　“What Kempinski is offering is a five-star experience so we want to make sure, from a technology point of view, we are bringing that experience to our guests,” said Ward.

　　“It was also clear we did not want to blind them with technology – this is not technology for technology’s sake.”

　　One of the customer-facing innovations Kempinski has implemented is iRiS Software Systems’ virtual valet, with in-room iPads effectively replacing the hard copy guest directory booklet.

　　In fact, the directories remain to meet industry standards, as do the room’s light switches even though the iRiS software enables guests to control these via the device.

　　Ward said the idea is that the technology should add, not detract, from the experience.

　　“We were keen to make sure we have a fully converged IT network. A lot of the systems – the keycard solution, the room management system, the telephony, the TV system, internet access – all sit on the same IP network.

　　“We have even got controls that sit on the IP network so maintenance can tell the temperature in the fridges and know if a door’s been left open. We wanted to make sure we can take control of that converged network.”

　　To achieve this, Kempinski pioneered systems integration with IT provider Hewlett‑Packard.

　　“We have quarterly payments for the hardware and costs for the managed service elements provided by Fourteen IP (a systems integration specialist in the hospitality sector) go up and down based on occupancy,” Ward said.

　　Ward admitted the system for just one hotel like the Palais Hansen was “very complex”, adding: “We have 32 Vlans (virtual local area networks) on one physical network.”

　　As well as sensible customer service advances like hotel information in multiple languages the iRiS virtual valet also offers the Vienna Kempinski a wealth of other opportunities.

　　It’s still too early to assess upsell options through targeted marketing and potential new revenue streams such as sponsorship and sales of off-site attractions and entertainment. But Ward said this is only part of the benefit of using the technology.

　　“I’m keen to make sure anything we do is about the guest experience first. They have much more interaction with the hotel than they would have previously. We are working with iRiS on adding content – the more content, the more value to the guest.