Designing hotel rooms by the people who sleep in them
The launch of MM:NT Berlin Lab sees Adina Hotels partnering with Häfele, Germany’s supplier of architectural hardware systems, furniture fittings, electronic access control and LED lighting to design hotels of the future.
MM:NT Berlin Lab is an evolving minihotel laboratory that will operate in an ongoing beta mode, continually gathering feedback from guests to redefine stays and reshape hospitality products.
MM:NT Berlin Lab has also begun a two-month experiment where guests are invited to stay for free and provide real-time, qualitative feedback of the hotel design, public spaces and overall experience.
The trial will see recruited guests test out six different rooms, all with a unique design approach to the look and feel, storage solutions, room flow and bathroom styles.
TFE Hotels’ CEO, Antony Ritch, said this approach to hotel development would be extremely beneficial for the evolution of new brands and hospitality experiences “and will assist TFE in bringing them to market quicker than a traditional hotel build”.
Adina Hotels is owned and operated by Australia’s TFE Hotels.
GoCity going places in London
Sightseeing pass brand, GoCity, has expanded its offerings through a strategic partnership with Merlin Entertainments, which will give it access to seven of London’s top experiences, including the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Chessington World of Adventures Resort.
These new additions expand Go City’s London-based attractions to more than 100 offerings found on the Explorer and All-Inclusive passes.
Jon Owen, CEO of Go City, said, “Go City is revolutionizing travel by creating passes which let travellers visit a very wide range of attractions, tours and things to do, while paying nothing at the gate.
“Our customers love using our app to discover an amazing blend of iconic landmarks and hidden treasures – plus they enjoy up to 50% savings on walk-up rates. And attractions love working with us due to our proven ability to drive incremental visitation and revenue, specifically from often hard-to-reach long-haul travellers.”
Take-off for flying taxis in China
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has approved the first permit for mass production of eVTOL autonomous flying taxis by EHang, which plans to produce pilotless eVTOL aircraft for the global market.
The EHang EH216-S is a fully electric two-seater VTOL aircraft with a cruising speed of 62mph, which EHang says has been extensively tested with and without pilots.
The company is marketing it for air taxi shuttle services, tourism and commuter transportation.
Have money, will travel in Japan
Foreign exchange brand Travelex has launched an FX affiliate referral programme with more than 60 local banks across Japan.
Many local Japanese banks have downsized or withdrawn their in-house retail foreign exchange services.
The referral partnership programme allows banks to refer their customers who require travel money directly to Travelex. These referred customers then receive a discount on their travel money purchases simply by showing their bankcard.
The discount covers both cash purchases and purchases made on the Travelex Travel Money Card.
Tencent goes deep into the metaverse
Tencent Cloud has flagged its strategic partnership with Metavision – a company dedicated to advancing the development and application of metaverse technology.
The partnership drives collaboration in immersive interactive spaces and AI technology on a global scale with Tencent Cloud offering infrastructure support and access to technologies such as audio and video processing, as well as AI capabilities such as AI-generated content (AIGC) solutions.
These technological solutions will assist Metavision in expanding its overseas business operations, particularly in areas such as XR applications, intelligent spatial interaction, 5G international e-sports live streaming, and e-commerce cloud exhibitions.
Sama is ready for a chat at ATM
Qatar Airways will offer visitors to the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) from 6 to 9 May, the chance to meet its AI-powered digital human cabin crew, Sama 2.0, the second generation of the world’s first AI-powered digital crew.
Sama 2.0 assists travellers in designing curated travel experiences and empowers them to find answers related to Qatar Airways FAQs, destinations and support tips.
During ATM, Qatar Airways will unveil its new exhibition pavilion. The stand will feature a multi-sensory pod that offers an immersive dive into the award-winning Qsuite.