The Food Hotel Tech exhibition, held from 4 to 5 June, brought together a large number of hotel and catering service providers. Although the bulk of the event was devoted to professionals, the organisers also invited a number of start-ups to bring their expertise to the table. a wealth of technologies and ideas in a fast-changing sector.
Between the unexpected and discovering unfamiliar cities, business travellers often find themselves in a situation where they need last-minute services, such as finding a meeting room, a coworking space, a gym or a spa to relax in. To this end, MinutUp offers a variety of services. " We offer hotels the opportunity to use their spaces at slower times of day"explains Fabien Moreau, CEO and co-founder of MinutUp. " We charge a fixed price for the first hour and then charge every minute. "adds the CEO. The start-up is currently raising funds, but already has a number of customers including Louvre Hôtels, AccorHotels, Best Western and Odalys.
Secure recharging
Another unexpected event when travelling: battery failure. While the ubiquitous smartphone has made life easier for countless travellers in recent years, these phones have also become a source of anxiety when the battery bar turns red. Welock offers a refill box solution. The start-up is mainly active in gyms, but is beginning to tackle the hotel market: " We want to offer these safes in the lobbies of the conference areas, where they are really useful. We felt that they were unnecessary in the rooms, as guests take their smartphones with them. "says Samia Cardi, founder of Welock.
A start-up like Tabhotel aims to make check-in easier. Some business travellers, after a long journey, want to be able to collect their room key as quickly as possible so they can get some rest before another day's work. Tabhotel offers this kind of service in a completely automated way, on the Internet. a tablet where customers simply enter their booking code and pay, if they have not already done so, before collecting the magnetic key.
A robotic mixologist
For those looking to unwind after a hard day's work, Kuantom offers homemade cocktails, concocted not by an expert bartender but by a robot. The start-up has already signed agreements with Ibis Style to equip its establishments with this mechanical mixologist.. " Our machine uses gravity to mix instead of conventional pumps. So it takes up less space "says a delighted Nicolas Legeais, co-founder of Kuantom. The elegantly designed machine may well be found in some airport lounges: " We are currently in discussions with Air France "says the Creative Director.
And to accompany this cocktail, what could be better than a concert? That's what the online platform Linkaband.com is offering. The start-up allows any music group to sign up to be 'booked' by cafés, restaurants or hotels.. " We have already booked concerts for Louvre Hotels, the Off Seine and the Lancaster. We are the only company in France to offer this type of service. In addition to the free service, we offer a paying service where we take care of everything from selecting the artist to installing them on stage. We're looking forward to working with you," explain Martin and Filip, founders of Linkaband.com.
