Virtual reality travel adventures via room service

VR postcards, from Marriott Hotels and Samsung, enable guests at select hotels to order in-room virtual reality travel experiences.

Room service is no longer just a way for hotel patrons to order a club sandwich at one am. We have already seen hotels delivering high street clothes and vinyl straight to guests’ rooms. Now, a collaboration between Marriott Hotels and Samsung is enabling guests in New York and London to order on-demand virtual reality experiences through VR postcards.

Guests can place an order via room service or Marriott’s mobile request app. They will then be delivered a Samsung Gear VR headset to their room, on loan for 24 hours. The guest chooses between three specially created virtual reality postcards — a trip to the Andean Mountains in Chile, an exploration of Bejing, or a visit to a Rwandan ice cream shop. These are adventures by three travelers that were filmed using 360 degree 3D filming techniques by Framestore’s Virtual Reality Studio — users simply put on their headsets and immerse themselves in the traveler’s adventure.

VR Postcards are available at selected Marriott hotels or via the Samsung Milk VR premium video service. Could VR be used to help travelers research the cities they are visiting before they arrive, perhaps during their flight?