Guests at two Marriott hotels can now borrow Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headsets.
Using the VR headset and headphones, guests can now access “VR Postcards,” a series of three immersive travel stories that accompany three real travelers in three different parts of the world.
Users can choose between joining marketing professional Erica Bryndza as she treks through the Andes Mountains in Chile, artist Camillo Alvarez as he samples Chinese cuisine in a bustling Beijing street, or business owner Alexis Miesen as she sets up a new ice cream shop in Rwanda.
The experiences were created in partnership with Framestore’s Virtual Reality Studio.
The program is currently being tested for two weeks at the New York Marriott Marquis and London Marriott Park Lane properties.
Guests are invited to call a dedicated “VRoom Service” extension or use Marriott’s Mobile Request app to request a Samsung Gear VR headset and accompanying headphones. Once they are hand-delivered to the rooms along with easy-to-use instructions, they are available on loan to guests for up to 24-hours.
The VR Postcards will not only be available to guests at these select properties, but also to the public. Those technology aficionados who own a Samsung Gear VR headset can access the postcards through the Samsung Milk VR app.
Matthew Carroll, vice president, Marriott Hotels:
“Travel expands our minds and helps push our imagination. Our guests want to be in inventive spaces that help foster their creativity and thinking. VRoom combines storytelling with technology, two things that are important to next generation travelers.”
Matt Apfel, Vice President, Strategy and Creative Content at Samsung Media Solutions Center America:
“VRoom Service is one of the first business applications of Samsung’s Gear VR technology. We’re tremendously excited to be collaborating with an innovative brand like Marriott on creating the future for travelers.”
Marriott has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation in technology and travel to create spaces and experiences that inspire and foster its guests’ best thinking. Last year, the brand introduced the first-ever immersive 4-D virtual reality travel experience with The Marriott Teleporter. In recent months, Marriott delighted travelers with its mobile innovations global roll-out, its two-way chat feature Mobile Request on the Marriott Mobile App. Its announcement this summer of the first-of-its kind partnership with Netflix changed the future of in-room entertainment. Guests and travel enthusiasts can visit www.travelbrilliantly.com to experience the countless ways Marriott Hotels continues to meet the needs of today’s travelers.
N.B. Image credit: marriott.com
