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In Room 114 at the Courtyard Newark- University of Delaware, guests can turn off the lights or change the temperature without getting out of bed. However, shutting off the alarm clock can pose a challenge. While chasing the elusive Clocky around in the morning can be a tough wake up call, the X-Room, short for "Experimental Guestroom," is at the cutting edge of hotel service technology.
Since its introduction as a fully-operational hotel room last October, the X-Room has been occupied for roughly 50 nights. The room does not deviate from the standard nightly rate, despite containing thousands of dollars in new technology.
"There are 17 or 18 leading-edge pieces of technology in the room," said Bill Sullivan, managing director of the Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware located on the university's northern campus.
While technology in the room can be described as practical, convenient, or even wacky, the room gets plenty of positive feedback from its guests. One of the favorites is Clocky, a mischievous alarm clock that not only gives the sleeper a stern wake-up call, but also rolls onto the floor and hides in order to force the guest out of bed to catch it and turn it off.
Cihan Cobanoglu, associate professor of hotel, restaurant and institutional management, currently oversees the room and is largely responsible for pioneering the project. The basic idea for the Experimental Guestroom was derived from an exhibit touring hotel management conventions known as "Guestroom 2010."
"We saw the 'Guestroom 2010' at a convention," Cobanoglu said. "However, it was not a practical, working room. You just walked through and out the back."
The idea of a futuristic, experimental hotel room excited Cobanoglu, and working closely with Sullivan, the Courtyard Newark- University of Delaware became the home of the X-Room. The X-Room incorporates many elements of the "Guestroom 2010" in an active, operational environment.
"Hotel technology tends to be behind the curve of current technology by a few years," Sullivan said. "The X-Room puts the technology guests have at home in their hotel room. If you have a flat-screen TV at home, then you will want one when traveling as well."
The X-Room also features several "green" technologies, such as a high-pressure shower head which utilizes less water than the standard shower, and a blow dryer that uses 40 percent less power than a regular dryer.
The X-Room sports a device which allows the guest to control the room temperature and lighting at their bedside. Another new addition to the room is the Nintendo Wii system. Cobanoglu and Sullivan said the Wii is geared towards businessmen, in order to give them some time to jump around and exercise. Another goal of the Wii is to provide the opportunity for competitions among guests, with a bottle of wine as the prize.
Sullivan said another new-age item soon to be introduced to the X-Room is the "power mat," which allows an ordinary surface to be transformed into a charger for your cell phone or iPod.
The X-Room is more than a guinea pig for hotel managers to test possible new technology. The room, along with the entire hotel, serves as a training ground for students.
Cobanoglu said exposure to the new technology is a great thing for his students, and it will be a plus for the resumé when it's time to look for jobs.
"I take my students to the room each semester," Cobanoglu said. "Our students are heavily involved with the hotel."
Around 50 students each semester fill roles around the hotel, from scrubbing toilets to management training.
Junior HRIM major Rohit Phatak said he has not seen the room yet, but feels technology in hotels is on the rise. Those studying HRIM should be familiar with upcoming designs and features of new-age hotel rooms, he said.
"Obviously, technology is advancing everyday," Phatak said. "So it's good to be exposed to it now."
The X-Room project is not only an opportunity for students studying hotel management. Several art students at the university have been asked to submit possible logos for the X-Room.
Room 114 is becoming more frequently requested by guests and garners public attention due to the fact it is available at no extra cost, and allows the opportunity to play with hotel management's newest technology. According to the X-Room's Web site it has already been featured in approximately 15 different publications and has its own video on YouTube.
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