Marriott Plans to “Teleport” Travelers Throughout the World

The hotel chain uses virtual technology that enables guests to better experience destinations worldwide.

Marriott Hotels is making it possible for travelers to experience what it feels like to be in Paris or Hawaii or any number of worldwide destinations without actually being there. The hotel chain recently announced in a press statement the “Marriott Virtual Travel Experience,” which entails a phone booth-like structure with virtual technology that enables people to get a truer sense of what it’s like to be in another part of the world.

The special booth, or “Teleporter” as Marriott calls it, was borne out of the hotel’s partnership with Framestore, an Oscar-winning visual-effects studio. It features a headset, wireless headphones, and other elements to create a 4-D sensory experience for consumers. People who step into the booth will see 360-degree live video and feel heat, wind, mist and any number of elements. “The result is an unprecedented depth of immersion, a virtual reality experience that delivers the feeling of actually traveling to Hawaii’s Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach in Maui and London, seen from the dizzying heights of Tower 42,” according to the press statement.

Michael Dail, vice president of Marriott’s brand marketing, further added, “Marriott seized on virtual reality and teleportation to give the next generation of travelers the clear cut notion that more amazing travel experiences are coming and to encourage them to co-create the future of travel with us on TravelBrilliantly.com, where their best ideas enter Marriott’s innovation pipeline. Together, we are pushing the limits of what is possible.”

Marriott has released a video offering a behind-the-scenes look into the Teleporter’s creation. Meanwhile, the Teleporter is currently on tour at Marriott hotels from September through November. The dates are as follows:

September 19-23: New York Marriott Marquis

September 26-29: Boston Marriott Cambridge

October 2-5: Marriott Marquis Washington DC

October 9-12: Atlanta Marriott Marquis

October 17-20: Dallas Marriott City Center

October 24-27: San Diego Marriott Marquis

November 6-9: San Jose Marriott

November 13-16: San Francisco Marriott Marquis

[Photo: Marriott Hotels]