Wine bottle of recycled cardboard

7-5-2014

  • Paperboy Wine

Truett-Hurst winery has developed a 100% recyclable bottle in partnership with Ecologic Brands. Paperboy Wine is made of recycled cardboard, featuring a plastic liner and is developed by Greenbottle. The cardboard bottle is 80% lighter than a wine bottle of glass and the carbon footprint is 67 percent less than that of glass containers. Besides the lighter weight, the insulation keeps wine cooler longer.

Interactive high-tech lamp

5-5-2014

The Epiphany hotel in Palo Alto has a very special chandelier in its lobby. The high-tech lamp is designed by IDEO Digital Shop and consists of hundreds of light bulbs that can all move and illuminate interdependently. The lamp responds to data streams of online media such as social media and information from the internet. When someone posts a message about the hotel on Facebook or Twitter the lamp responds, but the lamp also gives a reflection of the weather. The lamp also response to movements in the hotel, for example when someone walks up the stairs.

Time-saving check-in at Accor Hotels

2-5-2014

Accor Hotels introduces its newest worldwide online check-in-system where guests will save time during their arrival and departure. After the guest made his booking (via the website, mobile application or phone) he is supposed to check-in online two days before arrival. On the day of arrival the guest will receive a SMS with the room confirmation, practical information and a notification that the key is ready. The guest only has to pick up the key at the reception, to check-out the guest needs to give the key back to the reception and will receive an invoice by email. At the end of 2014 the system will be implemented at more than 30% of the hotels.

Online menu

30-4-2014

  • Online menu

It’s actually strange in the hospitality industry; there is quite a stir around guest taking pictures of their dishes. Some chefs and their guests are annoyed by the flashes of the cameras, others go a step further and give guests the opportunity to shoot a perfect picture! Yet there are still a few restaurants that showcase their dishes on the website, the menu is usually hidden in a pdf file. Weird in a time where young people (particularly up to 35 years) communicate through pictures (Instagram).

Online Menu wants to change this. They place your dishes with photos on the homepage . In addition, they provide insights in your potential guests and audience. Guests will also have the opportunity to write a review. On the website guests can filter the online menu labels and ingredients, see how other guests rate the dish and have a look at combined side dishes or drinks that were combined with the menu. A reservation module is build in. This system can be used to increase the service; it is in fact linked to a reservation website. Nice to know that the Smith family is coming for dinner for the 10th time.. And you could offer them a menu with their favorite dishes.

Biological meat via mail-order

29-4-2014

  • biologisch vlees

Aukje Visser and Gerbrand Nicolai from Dokkum (The Netherlands) started with selling biological meat online. Even better, all the biological meat they sell comes from the Netherlands and their beef comes from farmers in Friesland they personally know. By using special techniques the entrepreneurs can guarantee that the meat is chilled for at least 48 hours and is sent by regular mail-order.

Restaurant guests get the perfect light for food photos

25-4-2014

Not every restaurant is happy with guests who post food photos on Social Media. The photos are often blurry or improperly exposed whereby the dish looks unsavory. To give guests the opportunity to shoot professional photos, restaurant El Burro in South-Africa placed a portable light studio in the restaurant. Guests can choose various colored lights and once they have chosen the perfect mood lighting, they can take a photo and upload it on Instagram with #dinnercam. The device is developed by MWEB Wi-Fi network. Guests receive a free copy of their photo.

Hotel video made with a drone

24-4-2014

To create a good image of a hotel, a video is often used. A great way to promote the hotel is by a drone, like the video above. A drone can capture angles and views of the hotel that couldn’t be captured before and is relatively inexpensive to use.

Pay with your fingerprint

17-4-2014

From tomorrow it is possible to carry out mobile payments with your fingerprint. Consumers can use the fingerprint scanner of the new Samsung Galaxy S5 to pay through PayPal. The fingerprint is converted to a key that has been encrypted and gets access to PayPal. To activate the fingerprint, consumers must give permission once via an e-identifier. A lot easier for the consumer, it’s not necessary to fill in any data or remember the passwords, but simply swipe a finger across the screen.

Connecting coffee machine

16-4-2014

At many companies the coffee machine is the place to socialize with others. Conferences often lack this social moment because of the abundance of coffee. The Coffee Connector by the ‘Economic Development Board (EDB)’ from Singapore brings back the social moment in coffee drinking during networking meetings. The impressive machine only works if two people order a coffee at the same time. With a few short questions you get to know your fellow drinker over a cup of coffee. Watch the video.

Hospitality game for Utrecht

15-4-2014

Utrecht Tourism has developed an online game for the hospitality industry. Entrepreneurs can train their personnel more easily with this game and track their progress. Utrecht had an average score at the ‘Most Hospitable City’ research last year, with an 11th place from the 21 cities studied. Watch the video by Shapers for an impression.

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