Forum Gandhi

Soon you could walk into a hotel room without using a physical key. The 115-year-old Taj Mahal Palace luxury hotel in Mumbai is experimenting with a new technology platform that will allow its customers to access their rooms through an application on their smartphones.

Taljinder Singh, General Manager, Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, told BusinessLine : “Even though we are a 115-year-young, we still use a fair amount of cutting-edge technology and experiences. We are working on a project to be future ready. We are in the midst of testing a technology wherein the guests might not have to use a physical key to access their room.”

However, Singh said it is too early to comment on how soon the technology will be implemented since it’s being tested. “While we would always be happy to match up with technology, security and privacy laws are paramount for us. To avoid any privacy breach or loopholes, we have to be 100 per cent sure,” he added.

Currently, the hotel uses artificial intelligence in different functions along with the property management systems and payment gateways. The Taj Group also has a Taj App with a host of facilities, experience, and convenience for its guests.

The hotel is also curating experiences to keep its guests engaged. “We have curated city walks like the Mumbai by Dawn tour which starts as early as 5 am and Khau Gally tour, the sunset yacht and speedboat tours,” Singh said. According to Karan Anand, Head of Relationships, Cox and Kings, experiential tourism is among the latest trends and has seen an increase of 15-17 per cent year on year in India. The luxury segment of the hospitality industry has been offering a host of experiences as a part of a package to its guests. The Taj Group marked its 115th anniversary on December 16 with a host of activities, including a car rally with 1903 version cars, and Amrita Shergill’s art display. The heritage hotel will also raise funds for the Taj service welfare trust (TSWT) and Tata Medical Centre. The TSWT was founded after the 26/11 incident to rehabilitate all the victims of the terrorist attack in Mumbai. However, now the trust focuses on support for flood and devastation victims across India.

A black tie charity ball was hosted on December 15 which raised up to ₹3 crore, according to Singh along with an art auction which was held on December 16. Together, the hotel aims to collect up to ₹8 crore.

Published on December 16, 2018