Samsung’s Galaxy S III, the official phone of the 2012 Olympics, isn’t just going for the gold with 10 million sales to date; the handset is becoming an all-in-one hotel solution for the games.
Working with Fingi Inc., Samsung equipped 40 special rooms at the Holiday Inn London Stratford City next to the Olympic Park, integrating the Galaxy S III smartphone phone for a better customer experience as well as creating an revenue generating platform for the hotel.
The solution isn’t the first such collaboration between Samsung and Fingi, which is a Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program partner. The two paired together for a similar solution using the Galaxy S II phone last year at the Aloft Hotel in Bangkok.
- VIPs staying in the specially-equipped London suites can download a free Android app for the Galaxy S III to enable all of the features.
- Travelers can check in or check out on the phone.
- Once in their room, they can control various room features directly from the Galaxy S III: Lighting; air conditioning; and the television.
- After installing the application, the handset also serves as a room key for guests.
Clearly, any modern smartphone with the right software could be used for this solution. But as the official phone of the 2012 games, this is a smart marketing move by Samsung and one I wish they had expanded beyond just 40 rooms. Given that the phone and app can be used for hotel amenities such as in-room dining orders, laundry services and booking other hotel facilities, I’m sure the Holiday Inn wouldn’t mind offering this to a wider audience as well.
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