The Mondrian Gold Coast on the beach at Burleigh Heads is due for completion in 2023.Credit:
Beyond the decor, dining and other marks of distinction, hotels and resorts are basically in the business of supplying shelter, care and the human touch, hospitality by its official name.
In contemporary terms, you can perhaps add in entertainment and respite as core offerings.
What used to be predominantly in the domain of the traditional resort are now very much part of the hotel "experience".
So how might all this change?
If you were to believe some mid-20th century imaginations, by now, humankind would be enslaved to robots and some may contend those imaginings to have come true.
But in the realm of hotels and resorts, it's the other way around; technology is there to serve the humans and that will only amplify in the next 15 years.
Picture this: from a hotel carpark you alight from your vehicle that's parked in the spot that's been reserved for you. The doorperson already knows your name because you've already checked in through an app on your phone, which, by the way, reserved your car spot, told you where it was and also told relevant hotel staff of your arrival.
You enter your room using your phone (or your face) – no more rummaging for or losing room swipe cards - and inside, the aircon is at your preferred setting, the lights and curtains are how you like them and maybe a bath at the perfect water temperature is waiting.
As you take a soak and relax, it's the tech you're not seeing that really elevates things. Like a serene looking swan frantically paddling under the water, smart systems and sensors are working around the clock to respond to the outdoor environment to manage energy consumption.
Others are pre-empting faults in plumbing and electrical systems to ensure your experience is seamless.
Technology will continue to play an increasing role in the hotels of the future, says Deloitte national tourism leader, Adele Labine-Romain
"[Technology] … can streamline resources used for common tasks, shifting attention to higher – that is, more important to the traveller – tasks, enhancing traveller outcomes and potentially alleviating staff shortage issues."
Other technologies will be analysing user data to predict future performance and improve your next stay.
Bronwyn McColl, principal and regional hotel sector leader at architectural firm, Woods Bagot, says: "When you put it in a resort context, they might have high net worth individuals stay with them, say a CEO who has 10 days - their only time in the year. They don't want to be disturbed but the resort can have everything ready for them. Everything's at their fingertips. It's the next level of service, to have their hat or sandals or something that they wanted, such as the latest Stella McCartney (item of clothing) sitting there waiting for them.
"Similarly, if you want to go there, and you just want to learn about culture or you want to go learn about the local history, the resort might have an experience lined up with an indigenous group for you to spend three days with. Technology is giving the resort the opportunity to tailor experiences, that they can have them ready to go when the guest arrives and it's all seamless."
Similarly, Sarah Derry, chief executive of Accor Pacific Hotels, says her multinational company is adopting a "people-centred" and "outcomes-focused approach" to technology.
"Technology is making everyday tasks easier, and we are improving customer service further. We are capturing data which allows us to personalise our customers' journeys and we are freeing up our teams' time to focus on providing quality guest service, rather than focusing on administrative tasks."
It underscores the fact that fundamental human needs don't change that much. We still want the feelings of safety, shelter and care and most of us will surely still seek the human touch, perhaps even more so, because of the isolation experienced through a pandemic.
That's the thing about the future that the mid-20th century pundits perhaps got wrong.
How that might change in the future, though, is that a hotel's points of difference from its rivals, which makes the experience of putting your head on their bed special, will become even more critical.
"Brands stand out when they are original, bold, sincere and tell a good story," says Derry.
"With an eye to the future, experiences will increase, with more creativity and personalisation, from the intelligent design of a hotel to its mindful approach to sustainability. Brands which place purpose at their heart and are rooted in culture and community have a bright future."
An existing example of this is Accor's joint-venture with lifestyle brand creators, Ennismore, which integrates restaurants and bars that appeal to locals as well as guests and links with directly with local communities.
She cites Jo&Joe, Accor's hostel brand, where, "the mix of street art, music, and food, all work together to make each destination unique and compelling for a new generation of travellers".
Ennismore is also behind the $450 million development of Mondrian Gold Coast on the beach at Burleigh Heads, Queensland. It promises an elevated "fairytale" take on local culture. It's due for completion in 2023.
Sustainability will continue to increase in importance, which at Accor includes innovation around renewable energy such as harnessing solar energy on available roof space.
So how does she see check-in in 2037?
"Hotels will still deliver unforgettable experiences, quality accommodation, great food and beverage, and shared living spaces, all while respecting the environment. Personalisation and loyalty will continue to accelerate."
While architects are by the very nature of their work, always thinking of the future, Woods Bagot's Bronwyn McColl says more and more, resort design is referencing the past.
The firm's credits include Six Senses, St Regis, Jumeirah and Westin, with the latter being custodians of a remarkable work-in-progress 485-hectare mixed-use resort development in Cyprus with wellness at its heart.
"Hundreds of years ago, people were going to resort-style destinations to get away. It was the same premise. Writers would go and spend three months there and just relax and focus. People who had been unwell or were recovering would go away to either the seaside or the country," McColl says.
"We then got into a time where there were brands who owned a whole group of these and they all had a very particular style based on what the consumer wanted.
"I think consumers are going back to the original essence of what that escape was: I just want to be somewhere with fresh air. I want time away from myself. I want to explore. I want to see the culture of the location. I want to see something that's authentic."
The past also applies to the future of the firm's involvement in the Intercontinental Sorrento on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula for the Trenerry Group as well as Trenerry's recent purchase of the beleaguered Burnham Beeches historic property at Sherbrooke in the Dandenong Ranges.
Burnham Beeches, which stumbled on local and planning concerns for 12 years under Shannon Bennett's ownership, is a key example of the importance of balancing heritage and local community in the present to ensure future commercial viability.
"As part of the project, we've been doing community engagement days and did one a couple of months ago and we had I think over 300 community members there, which was fabulous," she says.
"There's this sense of, we want it for us as well, not just for the people who can afford to stay at the hotel. And so that's what these developments are about, creating a beautiful precinct that is just as much for the locals as it is for the guests."
It all makes for the tech-driven stay of the future that's mindful of the past, connected to the present – and careful not to leave the valued houseguest feeling robotic.
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