Project-Highlights

The collaborative research project “FutureHotel” entered a new phase of research in January 2025. The goal is to develop innovative concepts for FutureHotels at various levels. To address the research questions, we employ a variety of methods, such as trend and innovation scouting, conducting surveys, creating future scenarios, strategy development methods, and testing and evaluating new solutions in laboratory environments.

The focus of our current Research Phase VIII is on these two key areas:

Digitalization and Automation: The use of robots and AI in hotels, Concierge 4.0, sustainability potential through digitalization, augmented reality & visual positioning systems

Corporate Hotel Universe: Concepts and solutions for sustainable work environments in the hotel industry, employee community building and management, employee lifecycle assessment, 360° hotel service ecosystems

The research and innovation network »FutureHotel« starts research phase VII in January 2022. It's our objective to develop innovative concepts for future hotels on multiple levels. Therefore, we apply various methods to answer the identified research questions, such as trend analyses and innovation scouting, carrying out surveys, developing future scenarios and strategies and lastly testing and evaluating new solutions in real-world laboratories. 

Research phase VII focuses on the following topics:

Resilient post-covid hotel world: Hotels' new role, innovative business models for hospitality, new living concepts, hotel types, changing travel behavior and innovative bonus- and loyalty programs.

New Work: Concepts and solutions for sustainable working envrionments in hospitality, employee demands and contemporary incentive models.

Smart Hotel: The connected and sustainable hotel with digitalized services, integrated systems and design of use cases.

Sustainability & Digitalization: Smart digital strategies to fulfill sustainability standards, measuring success, realizing sustainability potentials through digitalization and putting innovative solutions into practice. 

Since 2008, we have been addressing a wide range of topics for the hospitality industry as part of the FutureHotel innovation network. Various studies on this subject are available for purchase in the IAO Shop. Our in-house laboratory environments also offer a unique opportunity to combine theoretical research with a real-world testing environment. This approach has led to the creation of the “FutureHotel” showcase in Duisburg and the “Urban Living Lab” in Stuttgart.

The previous research phases covered the following areas of work:

• “FutureHotel Living Bathroom 2030”
• Design and construction of a mockup.
• “Success Factors for Hotel Wellness Areas”
• Survey of guests and hoteliers to identify the success factors of hotel wellness and fitness areas.
• “Relaxation or Stress in Hotels”
• Analysis of a survey of leisure and business travelers to identify stress factors in hotels.
• “Digitalization in Hotels”
• Areas of application for the use of innovative technologies in hotels, including their opportunities and risks.
• “Food & Beverage Concepts”
• Trend research, ideation, derivation, and development of innovative concepts for the hotel industry.
• “The Experience Factor”
• Identification of experience factors in today’s hotels and the development of innovative experiential offerings for the hotel industry based on best-practice analyses, research, and expert surveys.
• “Evaluation of Innovative Solutions in Operation”
• Evaluation of the solutions developed in the project—such as automated check-in processes—during ongoing hotel operations. Acceptance among staff and guests is being assessed at Hotel Schani Vienna and SI Suites Stuttgart.
• “Opening of the Hotel Schani Vienna”
• The Hotel Schani in Vienna serves as a key platform for evaluation. During the hotel’s planning phase, insights from the FutureHotel research project were put into practice. Among the innovations are the processes ranging from room selection and check-in to unlocking the room door and check-out. These are now being further researched and optimized during ongoing operations.
• “FutureHotel Evaluation of Innovative Selection, Booking, and Check-In/Check-Out Processes Among Industry Pioneers”
• Assessment of the state of the art among industry pioneers with regard to technology use, staff deployment, and guest engagement, including social media.
• “Factors Affecting Guest Relaxation and Stress During a Hotel Stay”
• Factors influencing and the impact of hotel environments on guest relaxation.
• “FutureHotel Building 2052”
• Identification of areas for innovation and development of a FutureHotel Vision 2052 for the hotel building of the future.
• “FutureHotel International Guest Survey—Innovations”
• Survey of hotel guests from China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States.
• “FutureHotel Guest Survey: DACH Market—Innovations”
• Survey of hotel guests from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to evaluate innovative solutions.
• “FutureHotel Small Medium”
• Market analysis, challenges, and recommendations for small and medium-sized privately owned hotels in the DACH region.
• “Support for the Design, Planning, and Construction of a New Hotel”
• Integration of forward-looking solutions into the planning and development of the Hotel Schani in Vienna.
• “Leading-Edge Hotel Environment Guide”
• A guide featuring current, market-ready concepts and solutions; derivation of a baseline scenario for a future-proof hotel.
• “FutureHotel Hoteliers Survey”
• Survey of hoteliers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to assess innovative solutions for the hotel industry.
• “Coworking Hotel Concept Study”
• Analysis and design of a synergistic combination of a hotel and a coworking space.
• “FutureHotel BASICS Foundation Report”
• Current facts and figures on the German hotel market in an international comparison.
• “FutureHotel Trend Report”
• Analysis of global trends and developments and assessment of their impact on the hotel industry.
• “FutureHotel Technologies Innovation Catalog”
• Identification and evaluation of forward-looking technologies for the hotel industry.
• “FutureHotel Guest Survey—Guest Types and Requirements”
• Identification of specific guest types, their requirements, and needs—today and in the future.
• “FutureHotel Future Scenarios”
• Development of six future scenarios for the hotel industry in 2020.