More and more hotel guests these days are noticing an intriguing interactive mirror in both hotel public spaces and guest rooms. If NOBAL Technologies, the Calgary-based creator of the “iMirror”, has anything to say about it, those mirrors will soon become a mainstay of all hotels.
The interactive iMirror allows an arriving guest to check in (or out) in the lobby, browse onsite restaurants—and make reservations—and even take a selfie and upload it to social media. Once in their room, another iMirror allows them to order room service, book a spa appointment, buy event tickets, request a ride (and pay for all the above), see local weather, and much more.
According to NOBAL, which has already made robust inroads into the retail sector, their new technology is poised to make some serious waves in the hospitality industry. Says NOBAL CEO Bill Roberts, “We are committed to creating the hotel room and lobby experience of the future, and we’re confident it will become the new standard across the industry.”
NOBAL’s Hospitality iMirror offers carefully designed “experiences” in three hotel arenas: the Concierge/Lobby, the Guest Room and the In-Room Operations.
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While hotel and resort guests are the first and ostensible beneficiaries of iMirror technology, hotels reportedly stand to benefit in a myriad of ways. According to Roberts, because iMirrors lead to increased exposure to hotel profit centers (i.e., restaurants, spas, event tickets, hotel gift shops, etc.), properties can expect to see a swift ROI: in the retail sector, NOBAL clients have reported that they’ve recouped their original investments in as little as a week.
Additionally, the iMirror contributes scalable efficiency to a hotel’s operations-maintenance systems, handling such tasks as restocking notifications (i.e., confectionary and toiletries), housekeeping requests, lighting, HVAC controls and reservation maintenance.
Yet, according to Roberts, the advantages don’t end there: “The iMirror’s software captures all user data, which can be anonymized and analyzed to reveal data trends, which, in turn, can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns to further enhance revenue streams flowing to the property.”
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NOBAL recently forged a sponsoring partnership with Blackfire Innovation Centre, a joint creation of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) and Caesars Entertainment LLP, the largest casino and entertainment firm in the U.S. Blackfire’s goal is to foster innovation in the hospitality and entertainment space.
Moreover, NOBAL recently joined the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association (NHLA), and will be exhibiting at the NHLA Technology Conference on December 1, 2021, where they’ll host live demonstrations of the iMirror for both Concierge/Lobby and Guest-Room experiences.
Blackfire isn’t the first innovation center which features the iMirror. NOBAL installed their product at the Kelowna Innovation Centre, where Director of Operations Dave Batchelder, noted, “Since installing the iMirror in the lobby, we’ve been able to increase visitor engagement, provide information and insight for tenants and create unique user experiences for guests and tenants. The NOBAL team has been fantastic to work with no matter what we need.”
NOBAL appears committed to being a major player for the long run, if a recent key hire is any indication. The company just announced the addition of new VP of Sales and Marketing, Kieran Morris, a 15-year veteran telecommunications manager with extensive experience in hospitality technology.
Says Roberts, “Kieran is a highly skilled creative technical sales leader with a diverse background including plenty of hospitality. We’re excited to apply his unique skill set and extensive network, as we further extend the reach of the iMirror into hospitality markets.”
Roberts sums up NOBAL’s long view: “Our goal is to redefine the experience of what it means to stay at a hotel. We’re forging a new path for hoteliers and their guests worldwide. Wherever and whenever innovation crosses paths with hospitality, we want to be there.”
