Smart Technology

Meet Ethan, Abalone Pearl Hotel’s AI guide. Created by Neural Voice and in combination with the Duve hospitality guest experience mobile app, Ethan is able to:

• Provide Information. Answer questions and provide guests with information before they arrive, during their stay and even after their stay. Ethan never leaves guests in the dark, providing things like how to get to the hotel, online check-in, digital keys, what amenities are on site, wifi passwords, in-house and popular nearby restaurants, local tours and attractions, online check-out, and more.
• Check-In. Check guests in before they arrive at the hotel – saving both staff and guests time. Digital nomad guests can relax or get working right away, while leaving hotel staff time to focus on providing an outstanding hospitality experience.
• Keyless Entry. Integrate with all major smart lock and digital key providers to make entry into rooms and restricted areas easier and safer. Staff never worry about guests misplacing keys, or having to provide keys in person – digital keys can be provided from anywhere at any time.
• Upsell. Learn about guest preferences before arrival through guest information and OTA data. The information collected increases revenue by offering tailored upsells like customized upgrades, services, experiences, and more.
• Streamline Communications. Organising and managing interactions across email, WhatsApp, SMS, Airbnb and other OTA sites is seamless, all from a single hub. Generative AI agents enable automated messages, while ensuring each one is highly tailored to the specific guest.
• Analyze Data. Segmentation insights help the Abalone Pearl Hotel to better understand guests and their experience to make educated decisions and outperform competitors.

The Guest Experience

Let’s imagine that our digital nomad guest’s name is Jack (without the Lad suffix :-).

Landing at Cape Town International Airport from the UK, Jack turns off his mobile phone’s flight mode. Ethan senses this, activates the hotel’s app and sends two in-app messages announcing Jack’s arrival with ETA at the hotel; one to the hotel reception and the other to the shuttle service driver.

Simultaneously, Jack receives an in-app message displaying the shuttle driver’s name with profile pic and directions to the international arrivals hall where the driver is waiting with a welcome name board in hand.

After collecting his luggage and passing through immigration, Jack is escorted to the hotel shuttle vehicle.

During the 16 minute drive to Cape Town’s foreshore, Ethan prompts Jack to complete the hotel self-check-in (if he has not already done so prior to departure from the UK).

Hotel Walk Through

After parking at the hotel’s 2nd floor guest drop-off bay, the driver assists Jack with his luggage and guides him to the elevators. Ethan summons the elevator for the 3rd floor and the elevator door opens.

Exiting the elevator, Jack is greeted in the reception hall by his allocated staff porter (who Ethan summoned the moment the driver arrived via the app). There’s a crowd of locals gathered at the reception desk directly opposite the elevators. They are all busy registering to use the cyber cafe facilities. But Jack doesn’t have to bother with that as he’s already checked-in.

Looking around the reception foyer, Jack sees a hotel guest entrance door to the right of the reception desk, a public cyber cafe entrance door to the left, and an emergency exit stairwell door opposite the public entrance door. Looking through the glass partition (with frosted hotel logo) behind reception, Jack sees the dining area, cyber cafe, and activity beyond.

Accepting the hotel porter’s offer to have his luggage sent to his room, Jack decides to explore the 3rd floor cyber cafe amenities. Turning right at the reception counter, Jack approaches the guest entrance door, which opens on his approach (all hotel doors, including the elevator, are activated via sensors linked to the app). Glancing at his mobile phone app, Jack sees the 3rd floor layout and his current position in the guest room passageway.

Jack turns left, walking towards the guests-only cyber area entrance/exit door, which again opens on his approach. Walking towards the rear end and past the open-plan dining area tables and chairs to his left, Jack sees a gift shop on his right.

Noticing that the shop stocks cigarettes, he self-selects a local brand pack off the shelf. As the entire hotel works on a cashless system, every in-shop item is digitally tagged and connected to the app. Jack scans his selected item using the app, which displays the price (in ZAR or selected currency). The app prompts Jack to fund his hotel e-wallet. Knowing that his hotel stay is booked for three months, Jack decides to transfer £500 to his e-wallet. The cigarette pack cost is automatically deducted and his available balance is displayed. Unknown to Jack, should he (or any other lad) attempt to walk out of the shop with an unpaid item in hand, the app would notify security staff of the breach and pin-point the incident location.

Leaving the gift shop, Jack continues his walk passing several food stalls, a series of soft drink and beer vending machines, and a coffee/tea barista. As he passes each, Jack refers to in-app menus and is amazed at the reasonable pricing. Reaching the far-end area, Jack sees a glass walled gym entrance to his right and a lounge area to his left, which is backed by an impressive floor to ceiling wall garden and water cascade feature. Half of the lounge area is glass wall enclosed with smoking room signs prominently displayed.

Deciding that his immediate need for nicotine and caffeine is greater than his need for exercise, Jack walks back to the barista bar and orders a double espresso, which he pays for using his hotel e-wallet. Thinking that self-service is so much better than having to wait for service, Jack returns to the smokers lounge enclosure carrying his steaming paper cupped espresso, enters the hands-free doorway, takes a plush lounge seat, lights up, and peruses his surroundings while taking appreciative sips of his aromatic coffee.

Ranged across the opposite side of the lounge area, Jack sees banks of low partitioned remote working stations, several of which are equipped with either a PC or Apple desktop computer. “These must be for walk-in guests’ individual preferences,” he correctly assumes, while observing that several stations cater for guest laptops and even have large format screens to connect a laptop to.

“Kinda useful for us digital nomads, seeing as we always carry our own laptop computers,” thinks Jack. Beyond the workstations, Jack’s beady eye spots a printing kiosk (equipped with digital colour printers) and two glass enclosed meeting rooms joined to a row of six private offices, one of which Jack has already pre-booked for a week starting tomorrow.

Thinking of tomorrow, Jack reflects that pre-booking the gym for the first week of his stay was also a good move. “If the gear’s crap I can always find a gym close by next week,” he assures himself. “Although the list of gym equipment I read about on the app will certainly suit my early morning exercise ritual of 25-minutes on the treadmill followed by 30-minutes of pumping weights, which was disrupted by the dreary red-eye long-haul flight from London this morning. Daily exercise definitely helps to counteract the mental stress of my job, not to mention the 30-plus nicotine tubes and countless cups of coffee ingested daily,” Jack muses.

In addition to nicotine/caffeine addiction, Jack is an adrenaline junkie and plans to celebrate his 39th birthday next month by shark cage diving. He’s already pre-booked and paid for a Marine Big-5 Day Tour to Gansbaai via the hotel app (a guest fact that the app promptly notified the hotel’s concierge about – surprise celebratory arrangements are already being planned).

Reflecting on his nomadic lifestyle as a freelance reporter for Reuters News Agency, Jack realises that he has spent the past decade globe trotting across all seven continents, spending months in both exotic and not so exotic war-torn locations while sniffing out newsworthy stories. “Finding a suitable home-base from which to remote operate is always problematic,” Jack muses. “But so far, this is the best budget hotel set up I’ve come across. And I’ve even offset my carbon emissions by staying here!” Jack mentally exclaims while thinking of the hotel’s sustainable tourism initiative of planting spekboom trees to offset guest travel carbon emissions.

“The nomadic lifestyle ‘aint for everyone, except my dear Bridgette,” Jack contemplates while visualising his blond 26 year old Swedish air hostess fiance with piercing blue eyes capable of melting glaciers, who will be joining him at the hotel for the week coinciding with his birthday. “I’ll have to move from a single room to a double when she arrives,” Jack suddenly realises.

Referring to the app’s hotel layout, Jack notices that the sixth floor has luxury en-suite rooms. “What the heck, it’s not only my birthday but our anniversary too, so I’ll spoil her!” he exclaims. A legend beneath the floor layout shows room availability and he sees that only one room remains un-booked for that particular week next month.

Being of Indian ancestry from his mothers side, and Irish from his fathers, Jack quietly thanks Ganesha while clasping the shamrock charm attached to a gold chain around his neck with one hand, and clicks the booking button for Suite 609 with his free hand. Having secured the room with a 50% deposit, Jack breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank the pagan gods for this nifty app,” he sighs. “I nearly forgot!”

Now feeling relaxed but somewhat jaded, Jack stubbs out his fourth cigarette butt in the ashtray, swigs his paper coffee cup only to find it empty, disposes the cup in the paper recycling bin (the lid of which, he notices is hands-free activated), and exists the smoking lounge en-route to his pre-booked and paid for room.

Following the app’s floor plan route, Jack notices several high-definition digital picture frames affixed to the passageway walls. He’s not sure if he’s imagining it but each image seems to display a tourist attraction that he’s keen to visit during his stay.

Shrugging his shoulders at the coincidence, he arrives at room 328, which he is pleased to see is located directly opposite the men’s communal ablutions. “With all the coffee I drink I’ll be visiting that often in the night,” he thinks. With his mind still engaged on bladder concerns, Jack reaches for the non-existent room door handle, only to find that the door has already receded into the room wall, having detected his approach via sensors connected to the app’s keyless entry feature.

Single Cube Room

Facing the room entrance from the passageway, Jack sees a digitally displayed room number with his first name beneath. “Nice touch that,” he thinks. “Unless there’s a hatrick of Jacks along this passage I’ll know this is my room.” The room walls, he notices as he steps across the doorway threshold, are thicker than normal hotel walls (all rooms are fabricated to accommodate the unit’s fold-away bed, desk, and cupboards).

Audio & Visual Stimuli

Walking into the room and standing on the warm beech wood toned laminate strip floor, Jack hears his favorite music track emanating from the room’s concealed stereo speakers. Looking ahead, he sees a digital safari bush scene image (can be a video clip too, with herds of antelope and lions prowling about).

The scenery is projected across the far wall surface from ceiling to floor level (this room is centrally located without street view windows, and the displayed image can be changed or turned on/off using the app). The room is a bit too cold, so Jack uses the app to adjust the aircon temperature to warm. Of course, Jack could use the app’s voice command feature by saying “Ethan, the room’s cold, Heat it up my man!” but Jack will have to get used to this feature, so he turns it on.

Bed & Reading

To Jack’s left, he sees a (already lowered) single bed base fitted with hospitality grade mattress and a retractable bedside shelf protruding from the base. The fold-away bed has a matching sized recess in the wall, which is fitted with subtle down lights shining across the bed. The recess is also fitted with electrical plug points and USB ports. An extendable reading light is positioned in the recess at head level of the bed. By touching the app bed icon (or giving a voice command), Jack can fold the bed away into the recess. Alternatively, he can hand-hover over the bed icon sensor on the wall and electronically raise or lower the bed from its recess. This feature, along with many others throughout the hotel, is particularly useful for wheelchair bound guests.

Work Station

To Jack’s right, positioned closer to the facing imagery wall, he sees a computer work station with an office chair on caster wheels positioned beneath a fold-away desk surface. Facing the desk, Jack sees a matching desk size recess in the wall fitted with down lights, electrical plug points (international and ZA) and USB ports.

Water Station & Waste Disposal

Positioned to the right of the desk wall area, and at elbow height from the floor (for accessibility from a wheelchair), Jack sees a recessed wall cavity containing a hands-free activated drinking water tap with paper cups stacked in a side holder.

Beneath the drinking water wall recess, Jack notices the outlines of four waste disposal cupboards. Icons representing plastic, paper, glass, and solid waste are positioned above each. The waste units are electronically opened by either hand-hovering over the icon sensors or activating each via the app or by voice command.

Wall Safe & Laundry

To the right of the drinking water wall recess, again at elbow height from the floor, Jack sees the outline of a wall safe panel and security icon. Hand-hovering over the icon, or activating via the app or voice command, the surface panel retracts and slides away into the wall to reveal the built-in safe. The safes unlocking mechanism is already activated using Jack’s unique booking code and is locked/unlocked by the action of electronically opening/closing the wall panel. Jack deposits his passport and wallet in the safe and voice commands the safe to lock.

Below the wall safe, Jack notices a laundry basket icon with a larger space outline. Referring to the app, he sees that this cupboard is for soiled linen and clothing. An information icon details laundry collection times along with a price list for washing, ironing, steam pressing and dry cleaning. There’s even a price for shoe shining and sneaker cleaning.

Clothing & Luggage Cupboards

Turning towards the entrance wall, Jack sees the outlines of the clothing and luggage cupboards with icons representing each on the wall surface. These cupboards are electronically opened by either hand-hovering over the icon or activating each via the app. Activating the clothing icon, Jack observes the door retract and slide away into the wall. Simultaneously, the clothing hang rail extends outward. Jack then performs the same hand-hover action over the luggage cupboard icon and a platform extends outward, revealing his suitcase, which has been placed there by his hotel porter on arrival.

“Bloody marvelous!,” Jack exclaims, to which Ethan replies “I exist to serve, Jack. Sorry I can’t unpack and hang your clothes for you. Not yet, anyway.” Still smiling after his AI assistant’s unexpected comment, Jack begins unpacking his suitcase. At the bottom of the recessed clothing cupboard, Jack finds a space for his shoes and beneath that shelf he deposits his socks and underwear in the sliding drawers. Jack also finds additional shelves for his laptop and smaller personal items.

Vanity Area

To the left of the clothing and luggage cupboards, Jack sees his reflection in a floor to ceiling mirror. Next to the mirror, Jack places his vanity items on the recessed shelves. He then notices a towel rail beneath which he sees an electrical plug point and space with an icon for a hair dryer.

In-App Purchasing

Suddenly realising that he forgot to pack one, Jack voice commands; “Ethan, order a hair drier!”, to which Ethan replies “Certainly Jack. The hire cost of a hair dryer is £1 per day. Or you can purchase one from the gift shop at £10. Which option would you prefer?”.

“What!,” shouts Jack in frustration. “Do I have to go all the way back to the shop to buy one then?”, he asks. “You don’t need to go anywhere, Jack,” replies Ethan. “I’ll have a hair drier collected and delivered to this room by the hotel porter within minutes. All that you need to do is authorise the purchase. I’ve opened the shop app, please select a hair dryer model and colour, then select ‘Hire’ or ‘Buy’ and touch the ‘Proceed’ icon to process payment from your e-wallet.”

After completing the in-app hair dryer purchase, Jack glances around the room, noticing that the clothing rail and baggage shelf are still extended. “Close the cupboards Ethan,” Jack commands. As the clothing rack silently recedes and the door softly clicks into place, Ethan announces; “The luggage door won’t close, Jack. You need to reposition your suitcase”, which Jack promptly does.

Contemplating a refreshing shower, Jack glances over to the bed and sees that the bath towel, bathrobe, slippers, bed linen, and pillows he’d ordered during the booking process have been neatly stacked there by his porter. Jack could have opted to have his bed made-up by selecting the bed turn-down service but he prefers not being disturbed. “I’ll make my own bed and order the laundry service as and when needed,” he decides.

Communal Ablutions

Grabbing his bath towel Jack exits his room, hears the whisper of the room door close behind him, and crosses the passageway. Entering the men’s section of the communal ablutions, Jack sees a row of hand basins, each with hands-free taps and basin to ceiling mirrors. Two hand drying blowers and a paper towel dispenser are positioned on a low wall separating the hand basins from several hands-free flushing urinals beyond.

Between the hand basin and urinal sections are two doors. One labelled ‘Sauna‘ and the other ‘Massage’. Entering the urinal section, Jack sees a row of toilet cubicles on the opposite side, two of which have bidets fitted and a larger cubicle for guests with accessibility needs.

“I know I’m full of shit but don’t need a crap just yet,” Jack chuckles as he turns past the toilet area and enters the shower section. At this time of the afternoon the showers are devoid of other guests, so he selects a cubicle, hangs his towel on the peg, and seated on the shower bench begins to remove his sneakers.

“Damn! I forgot to bring my shower bag,” he suddenly realises. “Good thing that we nomads always have our mobiles handy.” Opening the hotel app and selecting the voice command feature, Jack explains his predicament to Ethan. “No problem, Jack. I’ll summon your porter to bring your shower bag promptly. Should he bring your bathrobe and slippers too?” “Yes,” replies Jack. “Please authorise the porters access to your private cupboard. I’ve opened the app window pane. Just click the ‘Authorise’ button,” says Ethan

While waiting for the porter to arrive, Jack asks Ethan to explain how the sauna and massage rooms work. “Both need to be prior booked for specific days, times, and durations, Jack. I’ve opened the app window, so you can view pricing. The sauna is unisex and takes a maximum of six guests, so you’ll have to wear a towel around your waist at all times, although you can opt to book the facility for your own use without sharing,” Ethan explains.

“Hmmm, so hotel management will know who’s responsible for hanky panky in the sauna then,” Jack laughs. “I’m sorry, Jack. I don’t understand. Please repeat,” responds Ethan. “No worries, Ethan. It’s a human joke,” says Jack, to which Ethan replies; “I’ve looked up the term hanky panky – ‘behaviour, in particular sexual or legally dubious behaviour, considered improper but not seriously so’. Yes, I understand the joke now but I’m not programmed to laugh”.

Just then, the porter arrives with Jack’s requested items and leaves the ablution area with Jack’s voice singing rowdy sailor songs under the shower still ringing in his ears.

Remote Working

Feeling refreshed back in his room, Jack deposits his soiled clothing in the laundry basket and hangs his damp towel over the heated rail. He notices that the far wall imagery is now displaying a V&A Waterfront promotional video clip.

“Bloody hell. That’s taking in-room advertising to the next level,” he thinks. Preferring a more tranquil visual atmosphere, he selects a forest scene still image from the app. “That’s better,” he thinks. “Well, I’d better finish off the story I started writing on the plane this morning.”

Still wearing his bathrobe and slippers, he retrieves his laptop from the cupboard, retracts the desk surface, opens his laptop and connects cables to the plug and USB ports.

Seated in the ergonomic office chair, he notices with satisfaction that his laptop has already connected to the hotel’s free 5G wi-fi service via the app. “No password needed,” he observes. “That’s convenient. Amazing how this hotel has thought of everything a digital nomad could need. I’ll submit a story on that topic to Reuters sometime.”

Room Service

By now, Jack’s nicotine and caffeine barometers have plummeted. He needs a fix to focus on his writing, so opening the hotel app and activating the voice feature, he commands; “Ethan, order a double espresso and a chocolate croissant for me. Oh, and an ashtray too.”

“A double espresso and a chocolate croissant is on the way, Jack,” replies Ethan. “However, this room is configured for non-smoking. Should I upgrade your room to smoking status?”. “Hmm, I didn’t notice that option when booking the room,” says Jack. “Will I have to change rooms?”. “Not at all, Jack,” replies Ethan. “I’ll simply deactivate this room’s smoke detector and activate the ceiling extractor fan. However, the room will need to be specially cleaned and fumigated on your departure, so there is a surcharge. I’ve opened the app room upgrade pane. Just click the ‘Authorise’ button.”

Jack peruses the upgrade pricing for the duration of his pre-booked stay and decides that the price is worth the convenience of not having to find a smoking room every time he needs a fag and authorises the deduction from his e-wallet. “Your ashtray is on the way, Jack,” says Ethan on completion of the transaction. The requested room service items arrive within minutes.

An hour later Jack completed and submitted his assignment story to Reuters news editors. “Ching-ching. The income from that’ll more than cover what I’ve spent on extras here today,” he thinks with satisfaction while locking his laptop away in the cupboard. “Now for some entertainment. I’ve been here for half the day and haven’t experienced the sights and sounds of Cape Town. Let’s see what’s on offer,” he thinks.

Rooftop Entertainment

Opening the hotel app, Jack clicks the ‘entertainment’ icon. He sees a wide range of things to do, ranging from theatres and cinemas to museums and restaurants.

“Crikey, there’s even street musicians performing at the V&A Waterfront and an upcoming street carnival,” Jack quips. But he wants an early night, so he clicks the hotel rooftop icon and sees that there’s a standup comedy show starting in half an hour’s time. Tonight’s food stalls offer sushi prepared by a Japanese chef and a stall selling American hamburgers with fries. “

Yesiree! Burger ‘n chips will do me just fine,” thinks Jack. He sees that access to the show is free for guests while food and drinks can be purchased using his e-wallet.

Opening the clothing cupboard he hurriedly changes into casual gear; t-shirt, shorts, and sandals. After combing his hair, smoothing his beard, and splashing cologne over strategic body parts in front of the vanity section mirror, he grabs his phone, exits the room and heads for the elevators, which sense his approach via the hotel app and open on his arrival. “Rooftop,” he commands as the elevator door closes.

Exiting the elevator at rooftop level, Jack sees there’s already a crowd gathered but plenty of seating is still available. He decides to take a walk before the show starts.

Rooftop Walkway

Lighting a cigarette, Jack strolls along the rooftop walkway, which meanders along the rooftops’ glass fronted balustrade circumference. As he admires Cape Town’s famous sunset, the dockyards are silhouetted against a fiery horizon palette, ranging from vibrant oranges to golds, creating an energetic and invigorating mood that seems to uplift his soul.

The wood decked pathway meanders among a profusion of potted plants, many of which he stops to admire. A signboard informs him that all succulent plants on display are endemic to the Western Cape province.

Between the gaps of adjacent buildings he can see the twinkling lights of V&A Waterfront, the domed ceiling of the nearby International Conference Centre, and looming over the city, the impressive bulk of Table Mountain.

Rooftop Entertainment

As he nears the walkway end point, he hears the stand-up comedy show starting and hurries to secure a beer and burger using his hotel e-wallet. Looking around he’s amazed to see that all seating is taken.

Three ladies sitting at a table for four notice Jack standing with hands laden near the food stalls and beckon him over. Jack trots over to the spare seat with glee and alacrity. Introductions ensue, food is consumed, laughter abounds, rounds of beer, G&T, and shooters are ordered and likewise consumed (the latter mostly by Jack, which was likely the reason for being invited to join the table, he realises). The show ends, the food stalls and bar close, and patrons disperse along with Jack’s newly found girlfriends.

Returning to his room somewhat later than originally planned, Jack prepares for slumber, instructs Ethan to turn off the room lights, and while drifting off to sleep emits a sigh of satisfaction reflecting on his first day at the Abalone Pearl Hotel.

End of Walk Through Tour (and Jack’s luck with ladies).