Virtual Reality to help shape the future of luxury travel
17/05/2016 by WiT

Virtual Reality (VR) escapism and immersive brand experiences will play a key role in influencing the future of luxury travel, predicted Fortune 500 futurist Faith Popcorn.

Consumers will want  immersive experiences with VR. (Image credit: Ljupco iStock)

Consumers will want immersive experiences with VR. (Image credit: Ljupco iStock)

Described as ‘The Trend Oracle’, Popcorn teamed up with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, which celebrates 70 years of pioneering luxury travel, to look ahead to the next 70 years. She focused specifically on the guest experience, service, destinations as well as hotel design.

“Consumers will be craving immersive experiences which will allow them to indulge in luxury in both a physical and a virtual sense. By harnessing Virtual Reality and the constant flow of personal likes, dislikes and bio-data, hotels will be able to provide guests with once-in-a-lifetime experiences seamlessly and spontaneously—or so it will seem,” she said.

Clanning experiences: VR technology will enable real time sharing of adventure and luxury among friends or family who are spread around the world. It will mean that guests and their loved ones can enjoy simulated adventures in real time, whether it be a walk through the Serengeti or an ocean swim with extinct marine life.

Customised wardrobes: Hotels will partner with fashion brands to sponsor guests’ in-room wardrobes, complete with 3D printed designer clothing. Wardrobes will be customised to suit personal taste based on online shopping habits, size and local weather conditions.

Fantasy escapes: Luxury as we know it today will become so accessible that consumers will seek more extreme and un-attainable experiences. Hotels will provide guests with game-like environments for fantasy escapes, which could involve living out danger in a safe environment.

By 2086, as space itself becomes the ultimate luxury, VR will evolve interior design so that it can be tailored by guests. Luxury travel will offer access to never-before-explored locations and immersive experiences:

Building down: With 70% of the world’s population set to be urban by 2050, the design and structure of luxury hotels will change dramatically. Brands will adopt new architectural solutions such as ‘building down’ to fit to the changing landscape.

Immersive spaces: Guests will be able to design spaces specifically tailored to their personal aesthetics and needs. From customisable holographic wall art to fully adjustable interior design, guests will be treated to state of the art facilities to ensure maximum satisfaction and relaxation.

World experience: Different wings or rooms in hotels will be created to offer guests a taste of cultural experiences from different corners of the world – from golden Caribbean beaches to white blanket ski slopes, all located in the same hotel.

World experiences from within the hotel rooms. (Image credit: SteveRosset /iStock)

World experiences from within the hotel rooms. (Image credit: SteveRosset /iStock)

To continue creating new experiences for guests InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has teamed up with Tara Bernerd, world famous interior designer specialising in luxury hotel design for the development of the brand’s new design philosophy.

Simon Scoot, VP global brand strategy at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts said the group’s collaboration with Popcorn and partnership with Bernerd was to ensure the brand remains at the forefront of luxury travel.

“Since the launch of the brand in 1946 followed by the opening of the first hotel in Belem, Brazil, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts opened the gateway to a whole new world of glamour and discovery for a jetset generation. 70 years on, as global travel has transformed, the InterContinental brand has evolved and adapted with it.”

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