Fleet of driverless hotel rooms, known as ‘vrooms’, enable guests to book in in Glasgow and check out in London the next morning
Sophisticated auto-navigation-system-enabled hotel rooms, known as ‘vrooms’, that transport guests while they sleep, have been launched by easyHotel after extensive on and inadvertent off-road trials.
However, while the service is now live, recent tests have failed to deliver. Said Ffion Evans of easyHotel: “Initial tests have given us useful learnings. A few days ago I tested the Venice option and woke up to find that we’d arrived outside a kebab shop in Wolverhampton.”
The vrooms, available at any of easyHotel’s locations in the UK, are being marketed under the easyGotel brand. From easyHotel’s standard lowest rate of £19 a night (plus petrol, tolls, parking ticket and clamping fees), guests can choose to wake up at any of the chain’s 11 UK locations. easyHotel’s 13 European sites will be added within six months.
Evans added: “We’ve struck a deal with ferry companies which means that you can check in in London and potentially wake up in Venice.”
The super budget hotel chain has also been testing a ‘roam-ance’ mode that transports guests to exotic destinations while they sleep. ‘Roam-ance’ mode will go live in time for Valentine’s Day 2019.
“The vroom service option is going to be very popular. From the comfort of your vroom you can order a long life tuna and sweetcorn sandwich, a snickers and a litre of lucozade and have them delivered to the ‘deli-pad’ on the roof,” commented Evans.
An integrated solar-powered trouser press is one of several eco features built into the new vrooms. easyGotel has also signed a partnership with car washes on major routes that will provide a range of en-suite services. [Ed says: Wash and blow dry anyone?!!]
The service went live on Sunday 1 April and is being project directed by Hugh Musbijo-King, who has worked for several pre-revenue Silicon Valley start-ups.
