Chinese app WeChat and hotel brand InterContinental have partnered to launch a smart hotel in Shanghai. Users can book rooms, check in, access their room, order room service, make payments, and adjust air conditioning, curtains and lighting, all through WeChat's smartphone app and without human assistance. Last week, WeChat parent Tencent also inked a deal with Shangri-La, so more hotel locations with these in-app capabilities are expected to open soon. The new hotel, which is part of the company's Smart Hotel Initiative, will be available for booking starting on June 1 at www.hotelchina.com, with rooms priced from $99 per night for a standard Baidu and Alibaba have also been involved in the development of smart hotels.
Chinese app WeChat and hotel brand InterContinental have partnered to launch a smart hotel in Shanghai. Users can book rooms, check in, access their room, order room service, make payments, and adjust air conditioning, curtains and lighting, all through WeChat's smartphone app and without human assistance. The new hotel, which is part of the company's Smart Hotel Initiative, will be available for booking starting on June 1 at www.hotelchina.com, with rooms priced from $99 per night for a standard Baidu and Alibaba have also been involved in the development of smart hotels.