Bitcoin integration in a hotel

[spring.yu]

3 issues at least.

1: Some people will take the phones. Phones are worth more than  1 night stay.
2: Are you going to be factory resetting phones after each person. Someone could easily infect a phone and await the next users Bitcoin transaction.
3: Learning curve. Bitcoin isn't big enough that people will flock to the hotel and people who don't know Bitcoin may not be interested enough to learn it. It might be worth allowing the payment of Bitcoin in all ways that you said for people who already know and understand Bitcoin. Then offer someone to train interested participants who don't and offer normal fiat payments for all uninterested parties.

I think there are these three issues ,aha...

[T.Stuart]

Consider the advantages of writing an Android app for use at the hotel, then the guests use their own phone. Selling phones at reception possibly wouldn't be such a bad idea, but you have to wonder how many people would turn up with no smartphone or an Apple phone. At least 75% of your market are probably Android users anyway.

+1

Go for the app idea.

I would imagine that people coming to stay at a Bitcoin hotel will have their own smartphone.

[T.Stuart]

Look at the travel to and from the hotel.

Work with a local taxi service who you equip with Bitcoin wallets.

Strike a deal with Virgin for flights.

Promote local restaurants and the like if they accept Bitcoin from your guests.

[Kluge]

Don't make guests point at and scan workers' chests. That's ridiculous. RFID will do. Use NFC for the door. You have a giant block of technology there, what the Hell would you be pressing on a bunch of buttons for?!

Room locator - great for conferences when you come home wasted (or are otherwise aloof). Instead of inaccurate GPS, you could plant RFID chips in the room numbers, where software tells the guest which direction he should be walking.

Actual cell phones may be unreasonably expensive considering there's no reason for guests to be connecting to third-party cell towers or using most other phone technology. You can strip GPS, cell tower connection hardware (obv. incl. antennas), unnecessary interface ports, remove the cameras and most sensors, along with some other stuff, I'm sure. Calls would route through a WiFi or a more reasonable solution like BT (ZigBee might be preferable... good luck figuring that out, though).

[T.Stuart]

Special cocktails at the bar:

- Black Russian

- Bloody China

- "To the Moon"

- The Gox (served flaming)

 

Seriously though, it would be worth getting someone to design a range of Bitcoin-themed drinks

[Jomppe]

Special cocktails at the bar:

- Black Russian

- Bloody China

- "To the Moon"

- The Gox (served flaming)

 

Seriously though, it would be worth getting someone to design a range of Bitcoin-themed drinks

+1

Definetely. 

[ecoinspro]

some interesting thougths in here
and some good humor

[countryfree]

I spend about 100 nights per year in hotels, and I've stayed 18 continuous months in hotels in the 90's. I don't have a smartphone, and a smartphone is the last thing I want to get in a hotel room. Excuse-me, but when you travel a lot like I do, you want things to be easy. I remember fondly the days when hotel rooms had normal keys (old establishments still do). Now with electronic keys, it happened at least 3 times in the last 12 months that I couldn't get into my room, with me having to go back to the reception to reset the key.

Also, I would never perform any financial operation (BTC transaction or checking my bank account) on a machine that isn't mine.

Otherwise, I'd be happy to book a room and pay with BTC but even that could prove difficult, as I often book a month in advance, and the price of BTC may change significantly during that time.

[thezerg]

I like your ideas a lot, but in practice I think you will find that the SIM card + app is the best choice, as compared to offering actual phones.  But not most tipping -- too inconvenient compared to handing someone some cash.  WRT offering phones, the reality of this world is that many people don't take care of other people's stuff like they do their own.  Maybe have a couple cheap of phones for deposit + rent at the front desk for rent upon request...  but the SIM card is a huge advantage -- I know from personal experience that its expensive in time to procure one esp. if you don't know the local language. 

Could be a big moneysaver too b/c hotel/business phones have a big markup.

I never liked the "settle-at-the-end" model, esp. in regards to international travel.  What if your card or more likely the network doesn't work at 4am and your flight is at 7?  Its unnecessary stress.  Bitcoin gives you the "confidence-of-cash" that cards are missing... but even better is pay-as-you-go in case the hotel loses its uplink temporarily.