Free smartphone service helps hotel guests enjoy their stay

Hong Kong operation Tink Labs launches a new smartphone service for hotels so guests get unlimited free calls, texts and web access.

Mobile phone roaming fees can be the bane of travelling with some users regularly racking up astronomical bills by accident, but with the new Handy devices propping up in more and more hotels, they should hopefully be a thing of the past.

The T1 handset is powered by Handy OS, a user interface specifically designed and engineered for the hospitality industry. Aimed at the more “upmarket” hotel, any room with a Handy device gives users all the joys of their regular smartphone (minus the roaming fees), but the device is used as a means of accessing hotel services, like room service or laundry facilities.

The Handy handsets also come installed with LUXOS city guides that will be able to provide suggestions for local attractions be them art galleries, restaurants and just any points of interest. Plus the software will regularly update with promotions, so if the local theatre is having a ticket sale the user will receive notifications of such bargains.

It can also be used to control the in-room entertainment, like the TV for example, and its NFC allows it to be used as a room key.

Handy devices are already in 20 cities across Asia and Europe in hotels including The Hilton and The Ritz-Carlton. The company is hoping to have its gadget in one million hotels before the end of 2017.

We’re seeing more and more ways technology is taking the travel industry into new and interesting directions, such as VR to check a room before booking and a new voice-activated chatbot concierge. How could the hotel industry further benefit from smart technology to build customer loyalty?