Innovation Labs Aren't New, But Marriott's Could Be Great

Element Hotels will soon be piloting communal rooms located at the center of its four guest-room suites. Hotel guests can sleep in their own rooms but share a kitchen, dining room and lounge area where they can socialize with others and stay connected with trip mates. We've already seen this kind of setup work effectively in workplace settings – and it may also be the evolution of the next condominium complex in which future Generation Z grown-ups can purchase a bedroom and share common areas to reduce expenses, but still have the benefits of ownership.

Aloft Hotels are testing digital kiosks where guests can order healthy, fresh ingredients (think spinach, quinoa and avocado). Travelers will be able to order customized “pots,” a healthy meal in a colorful to-go container with food that reflects regional tastes. A personalized pot can be ordered and paid for at a digital kiosk; guests will receive a pot with a time-stamped label featuring their chef’s emoji.

And why aren’t more supermarkets, food and beverage companies customizing more products for adventurous consumers? Consider this tech-centric concept: For grocerants that want to sell more wine, Element Hotels is piloting a portable wine cart that automatically pours wine when activated by a guest’s hotel room key card. 

And then there's one more tech innovation that should be in every supermarket, to guage customer prefernces and buyer sentiment. Every person who passes through the lab will have the opportunity to offer their feedback in real time through a swipe-able survey system called Swurveys.  

“Innovation is embedded in Marriott’s values,” said Toni Stoeckl, global brand leader and VP of distinctive select brands. “We’re driven by creating solutions that elevate, innovate and evolve the guest experience, fueling guest loyalty and maximizing the value of our owners’ investments.  It’s how we stay relevant to guests today and tomorrow, while providing a meaningful competitive advantage to our partners.”

Those are words --and innovations -- that every supermarket operator should live by.