The Opus hotel in Vancouver has become the first hotel to ditch traditional room phones for a more modern device: Apple’s iPhone.
The hotel, situated in Yaletown, lets visitors to take the iPhone with them wherever they go throughout their stay, with the belief that most visitors from the US will know how to use the iPhone, and will appreciate being able to use a Canadian phone to eliminate roaming charges and overseas calls.
The iPhones are programmed with the hotel department’s contact numbers, and when each guest leaves, an application wipes the phone of all information to protect visitors’ privacy.
The Opus hotel already has an iPad 2 installed in every room, which comes equipped with an iPad Virtual Concierge, and can also be taken out around the city. Guests can have a personally selected collection and music and books downloaded onto the iPad by a lifestyle concierge.
“Technology is a way of life today, not just a perk, and that holds true even while travelling,” said Nicholas Gandossi, Opus Vancouver’s general manager.
Apple devices are also changing the way other professionals and business are working. Last week, we reported that Australian Airline Qantas is scrapping paper documents in favour of using an iPad. Similarly, UK councillers are being given iPads to replace printing costs, and scientists are using the iPad instead of taking a whole laboratorys worth of equipment out into the wilderness.
