CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is set to embrace the Internet of Things technology to design a next-generation serviced residence that will offer guests a seamless smart living experience. The technology will enable guests to control and manage devices within the serviced residence through a single application which connects personal and home devices — from refrigerators and washing machines to smart TVs, smartphones and even wearable devices — through an integrated platform and server.
To bring its vision of a next-generation serviced residence to life, Ascott has entered into an exclusive partnership with Samsung Asia Pte Ltd, a unit of Samsung Electronics (Samsung), to jointly develop Internet of Things-ready smart solutions customised for its serviced residences, making Ascott the first global serviced residence company to embrace smart home technologies. Ascott aims to test bed the new technologies at selected Ascott serviced residences by the first half of 2016, with plans to roll out to its properties across over 20 countries globally in phases.
In the new age Ascott serviced residence, guests will be able to use customised settings on their mobile devices or smart TV to control one or multiple devices simultaneously no matter where they are — turning on air conditioning or monitoring laundry cycle, for example — while inside or outside the serviced residence, or even while travelling abroad. By knowing when the day starts for the guests, the smart devices can even turn on the lights and heat up a coffee pot just in time. Guests can also use their smartphones to get real-time views of the serviced residence via in-built appliance cameras within an air conditioner or robot cleaner. In addition, Ascott’s housekeeping staff can be promptly notified when it is time to service appliances, keep the laundry or replace consumables.
Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “As a global leader in serviced residences, Ascott continuously seeks to innovate and test new ideas to ensure that we remain at the forefront of the industry. The Internet of Things technology is on the brink of quick adoption and it will come at a speed we can barely imagine. It will enable us to gain real-time insights to better understand the lifestyle and preferences of our guests and to anticipate their needs. Ascott aims to transform these complex data into useful information to improve customer experience and operational efficiency.”
Ascott will work closely with Samsung to co-innovate and test customised hospitality solutions, with some initial development work done at Ascott’s Innovation Hub in Singapore before testing at its properties. Guests will get to try out the new smart technologies and appliances in specially designed Samsung Experience suites or residents’ lounges in selected Ascott properties for a trial period. In addition, Ascott will explore the application of automated technologies such as robotics at its serviced residences to enhance its employees’ productivity, so that they can focus on ensuring that guests have a memorable stay at its serviced residences.
