Marriott Experimenting With Virtual Reality

If you’re on vacation at a Marriott hotel or resort, and you’re already thinking about your next break away from home, Marriott has plans to help you choose where to go.

Marriott Hotels plans to introduce Oculus Rift technology at select hotels to allow guests to explore other locations around the world via virtual reality simulators. Guests will be able to explore “the black sand beaches of Hawaii or the streets of the City of London” without leaving the hotel they’re staying in.

An article for CNBC goes on to say that Marriott is taking this technology a step further by adding sensory elements such as heat, wind and mist – so you’ll be able to experience the ocean spray from locations nowhere near a coast!

To experience this new technology, a guest stands in a booth resembling something from the world of science fiction (probably why it has already been nicknamed “the Teleporter”) and puts on the Oculus Rift head gear and wireless headphones before being taken on his/her virtual ride.

The booth has built-in 4D technology (similar to what you may have already experienced in theme parks like Universal Studios) which allows the user to feel aspects of the virtual environment find themselves in – aspects such as temperature, moisture and wind.

The idea behind all of this, according to Marriott, is to allow users to check out different destinations before booking a trip. Michael Dail, Marriott’s VP of brand marketing, is quoted as saying “It can inspire [a person’s] decision of where they want to go and it could also be used to enhance their stay“.

This “virtual travel experience” is currently being showcased at the Marriott Marquis in New York City where it will be on show until Monday. The technology will then go on an eight city tour through November appearing at select locations.