OPUS Vancouver became the first hotel in Canada earlier this year to put an iPad in every room. Now, the hip hotel in Vancouver, B.C.’s Yaletown neighborhood is going one step further. The hotel has ditched those old-fashioned things that used to be hooked to the wall, replacing them with iPhones.
“Technology is a way of life today, not just a perk, and that holds true even while traveling. For the first time ever, guests can take their hotel phone off property, stay connected to the Internet, and receive and make phone calls,” General Manager Nicholas Gandossi said in a press release.
Each iPhone comes equipped with a programmed set of numbers so that guests can easily contact key numbers at the hotel. Even better, all incoming and local calls are complimentary, meaning that travelers from the U.S. and other international locales don’t have to worry about hefty roaming fees.
What about privacy? After all, you can get in almost as much trouble in Vancouver, B.C. as Vegas. According to the hotel, the phones are “wiped clean by an application to ensure privacy and security.”
Sounds great, but I bet more than one guest will “inadvertently” walk out the door with their loaned iPhone, making asset tracking a possible headache. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if other hotels follow suit.
