Expedia's virtual reality technology lets you check out your hotel room in an incredibly fun and immersive way to help you decide whether to book it or not. This futuristic solution is great to help people decide the type of ambiance and amenities they want in a particular hotel that will suit their personal needs. The travel booking giant taps into the VR technology as more people seem to warm up to the idea of VR headsets.
Arthur Chapin, Expedia's Senior Vice President, introduced their latest marketing strategy that combines travel and tech during a demo at the Expedia office in Singapore. He explained that it's admittedly way cooler and appealing to be able to check out venues before you spend that much money on them. Mr. Chapin is optimistic that this new technology could change the way people make their booking decisions.
Per Mashable, the most enticing feature on the virtual reality hotel booking is the fact that you can step into a hotel room and view its features, and experience the luxurious mood before paying for it. In the company's new innovation lab facility, users are able to interact with the room too, by sliding open doors, step out onto the balcony and look at the view of the city. This feature has never been experienced before and it's opening up a lot of possibilities beyond the field of hotels.
However, according to Fortune, the company's CEO stressed that VR can't be a substitute for travel all together. He wants people to be inspired by the VR tech to travel, and not be content with the experience they get from it. He even added that he hopes VR in travel fails miserably so that people will actually go to places.
Aside from virtual reality hotel booking, Expedia is also the first in the region to use electromyography (EMG) technology. This system will allow scientists to track emotional response to its website via facial muscles, which will help indicate which parts of the booking process may frustrate users. Expedia is the world's largest online travel company, and it hopes to retain its top position through VR technology.
