Presented below is part eight of an 11-part series examining the use of radio frequency identification for unexpected applications. In this chapter, we consider RFID’s use in the hospitality industry.
66. Visibility Into Guest Services
RFID is providing the PGA Tour and its corporate sponsors with increased visibility into the management of its specialty hospitality services. One potential benefit area is the food and beverage service. Instead of estimating how many people are served in hospitality tents, for instance, it could determine an exact number, so vendors charge only for those guests. (See PGA Tour Tests RFID.)
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67. Sipping Soda on the High Seas
Royal Caribbean is installing self-service soft drink machines on its entire fleet of 22 cruise ships. A plastic cup with an embedded RFID tag activates the drink dispenser, allowing qualified guests to help themselves and eliminating long waits at the bar. (See RFID Delivers a Royal Payback.)
68. High-Tech Bartenders
Some bars and restaurants are using RFID-enabled bottle spouts to track the amount of liquor bartenders pour, to discourage overpours and free drinks. Others are putting draft beer management systems on tables, so patrons can use RFID cards or wristbands to pour full glasses or sample various brews two ounces at a time. (See To Teach Bartenders How to Make Cocktails, Just Add RFID and RFID: The Next Stage.)
69. Reuniting Parents and Kids
Children visiting amusement parks get distracted easily and tend to wander off. From Legoland Denmark to Morgan’s Wonderland, in San Antonio, Texas, theme parks are using RFID wristbands and readers to locate kids who are separated from their parents. (See Lost and Found in Legoland and RFID Helps Texas Theme Park Cater to Special-Needs Guests.)
70. Buying Food Without Missing a Play
Many sports enthusiasts worldwide are accustomed to paperless ticketing. Now, some season ticket holders—including fans of the United Kingdom’s Manchester City Football Club and New Jersey’s Red Bulls Major League Soccer team—can use their RFID cards not only to gain access to the stadium but also to expedite purchasing at concession stands. (See Soccer Fans Use RFID Cards to Gain Admission and Buy Food and RFID Serves Up Benefits for Guests and Hosts.)
71. Getting Fresh Fish 24/7
If you get a craving for fresh seafood late at night and you live near any of Sweden’s Laxomat food shops, you’re in luck. The fully automated outlets are always open, thanks to RFID. Once you enter by swiping a credit card at the door, you can select RFID-tagged packaged food platters from a refrigerated case, then go to the pay station, where your items are scanned by an RFID reader. (See Fishy Business: RFID Automates Seafood Outlets.)
72. Welcoming Tourists
The town of Hagenberg, Austria, erected informational signs and maps embedded with Near-Field Communication tags at tourist sites. Visitors were given smartphones that could read the tags and download text and photos. Amsterdam issued RFID visitor passes to tourists that could be used to access museums and other attractions, and the city’s public transit system. (See NFC Research Lab Rolls Out Smart Posters and Amsterdam Tourists Go Contactless.)
73. Keeping Sushi Fresh
Kaiten sushi—a fast-food craze that originated in Japan, also called “conveyor-belt sushi,” “sushi-go-round” and “sushi train”—lets customers choose what they’d like to eat from a steady stream of plates passing their table or counter seat. At Seattle’s Blue C Sushi restaurant, an RFID system determines when tagged plates have been circulating too long, so they can be removed. (See Sushi à la RFID.)
74. Paying Without Money
Guests visiting water parks don’t have to worry about carrying wallets, purses, credit cards or cash. Instead, each visitor gets an RFID-enabled wristband, associated with the guest’s name and either a credit card or a prepaid amount of cash, to pay for food, rides and other services. (See H20oohh! Water Park Offers Guests Cashless Convenience and Two Ohio Water Parks Become RFID-Enabled.)
75. Eliminating Check-In Lines
Starwood Hotels and Resorts offers an automatic check-in program, designed to appeal to tech-savvy travelers. Guests at its Aloft hotels receive a text message on their mobile device with their room number and information regarding when that room will be available. Upon arriving at the hotel, they can go directly to their room and gain entry using their RFID-enabled member card. (See Hotel Employs RFID to Woo Guests.)
Click here to read about RFID’s use in other unexpected applications.
Illustration: iStockphoto