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| Mar 19, 2015 |
Starwood initiative integrates technology with design
Boh staff
By Staff

Starwood's new initiative, Starlab, merges “high-touch business with high-tech thinking" and was designed by the company's in-house team and VM Architecture Studio PC. Set to open in Manhattan's Garment District (417 Fifth Avenue) in February, the 46,000-square-foot space brings together the design and digital teams and houses 200 employees who work on new technology to enhance customer experience, such as an app to unlock guest rooms and opt-out of traditional check-in processes, which can be tested on site in the Tech Lab.

Starlab is pursuing LEED certification in line with the company’s goal to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent, water use by 30 percent and carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2020.

Image courtesy of Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

The building features standout tech to enhance guest experiences and refocus Starwood’s brand through social connectivity. This includes a smart mirror at the office entrance that also displays video news, photography and user-generated content from Starwood locations worldwide. Also present is a digital chandelier that functions as a news ticker, displaying guest’s twitter comments in real time, as well as digital feed frames that show guests’ Instagram posts.

With the launch of Starlabs, Starwood demonstrates how luxury branding can be reinterpreted with both a green and technological focus, without slighting guest experiences.

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