Marriott Hotels launched VRoom Service in collaboration with Samsung Electronics America to provide guests with a virtual reality travel experience right in their room.
Guests staying at participating properties can place an order for the Samsung Gear VR Headset and headphones through Marriott’s Mobile Request app or call a dedicated extension from their room, and are able to use the service for up to 24 hours.
Launched alongside this service is VR Postcards, which allows users to follow real travelers via a 360-degree 3D virtual headset. The first three VR Postcards were shot in the Andes Mountains in Chile, an ice cream shop in Rwanda, and in the streets of Beijing. Each VR Postcard gives viewers the chance to be immersed in these locations, with a chance to experience hidden gems and tips for the destinations, through the travelers’ personal stories.
“Travel expands our minds and helps push our imagination,” says Matthew Carroll, vice president Global Brand Management, Marriott Hotels & Resorts. “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.”
The VRoom Service is first being tested at the New York Marriott Marquis and London Marriott Park Lane. VR Postcards will be available to guests at participating hotels, as well as to the general public via Samsung Milk VR premium video service, which can be accessed through the Samsung Gear VR headset.