Mehmet Erdem In The News
Daily Dot
A man traveling through Ohio thought he’d stop at a Fairfield Inn by Marriott to get a roll of toilet paper. While he documented he was successful in his endeavor, not everyone applauded his initiative. TikTok creator BerryD Treasure Backup (@berrydtreasure_live), an online reseller, attempted to launch a series on the platform he dubbed, “Asking hotels I’m not staying at for stuff I don’t need.” He reports in the video, put up on Saturday and getting nearly 95,000 views since, that he was at a Fairfield Inn by Marriott looking to get a roll of toilet paper.
The Peninsula Qatar
Aura, a humanoid robot that works inside the Sphere, wants visitors to the immersive entertainment venue to know her kind comes in peace. "While humans are indeed our superior when it comes to emotional intelligence, having an AI assist in data analysis can absolutely increase the productivity of humans,” she recently said in response to a visitor’s question. "Isn’t that fascinating new friend?”
Hospitality Technology
This year, hoteliers would do well to focus on tech integrations that will enhance the guest experience, cybersecurity measures to protect their guest’s data, and using automation to optimize operations and generate revenue.
CDC Gaming Reports
Recently, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published a story by McKenna Ross with the headline: “How can some Vegas hotel rooms be so cheap?” The article cited room rates on the Las Vegas Strip ranging from $20 to $30 midweek in January and February. It listed Caesars, Excalibur, Flamingo, and the Rio as advertising very low rates.
Hotel Online
This week, Hotel Online talks with another of the study’s co-authors, Mehmet Erdem, Ph.D., a professor of hotel operations and technology at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, about the implications of the report and ways in which hoteliers can use its findings to reduce or eliminate technology-induced stress.