Smart lighting is a system that responds to voice commands and integrates with security networks. It can alert guests through light signals during emergencies. Windows can darken with automated curtains, walls use specialized coatings to improve insulation and acoustics, and much of the space features furniture created with 3D printing. Decorative elements reuse materials such as coffee grounds, and shells from mussels or clams. These are just a few of the surprises tucked inside the first episode of a forward‑looking project. A hotel room in Benidorm reveals itself as traditional in appearance but radically modern in function powered by artificial intelligence.
The Institute of Hotel Technology (ITH) and the Valencian Community Tourism Authority unveiled an innovative project at Corona del Mar hotel this Monday called “ITH TechYroom 1.0.” This initiative stands out as the first nationwide program to combine a broad set of digital technologies and solutions aimed at elevating guest experiences with differentiated, specialized service while also improving working conditions for hotel staff. A good example is room cleaning, where motorized carts carrying supplies report in real time when a room is ready for cleaning.
Touch screens, voice assistants, and a virtual doorman are part of this pilot, which brings together several market solutions that previously operated in silos. Equipment for video conferencing and other technologies is made available to guests, showcasing a seamless, integrated experience. The project is seen as a potential model for other hotels by the Valencian Community Association of Hotel and Tourism Enterprises, Hosbec, with general secretary Mayte García noting the potential to inspire more hospitality businesses. Beyond guest convenience, the initiative also gathers substantial data about visitors, highlighting preferences for services and movement patterns that could inform destination‑level marketing and personalized attention to travelers.
Robotics, climate control and cybersecurity
The launch of “ITH TechYroom 1.0” required coordinating and integrating offerings from more than 25 technology partners. A wide range of tools are being deployed, including artificial intelligence, collaborative robots, 3D printing, accessible signage, ergonomic furniture, lighting systems, smart vinyl, home automation, video conferencing gear, climate control, automation, and cybersecurity with digital twin capabilities.
Funding comes from Turisme Comunitat Valenciana and is managed in close cooperation with the Valencian Institute of Tourism Technologies (Invat·tur). The project is built on a framework of 3600 designs of collective intelligence, with the aim of becoming a genuine showroom where the hotel industry can find practical digital tools and guidance for implementation in real settings.
The four axes of the technology room focus on elevating the guest experience through dynamic spaces, active and passive communication, and enhanced accessibility; driving the digital transformation of processes; improving hotel management and operations; and boosting energy efficiency with sustainability and circular economy in mind.
Hotel transformation
Valencian Community Minister of Innovation and Tourism, Nuria Montes, emphasized Benidorm’s role as a cutting‑edge destination and a model for Spain’s tourism strategy, noting that the room aligns with regional goals and has drawn significant interest from hoteliers across the sector.
The president of ITH, Javier García Cuenca, described the initiative as a major effort in coordinating diverse technologies and solutions that will elevate the Valencian hotel industry to newer levels of digital transformation, improving space design and the guest experience. The success is attributed to public‑private collaboration and strong support from the regional government.
The prototype also looks to revolutionize how hotels adopt technology by guiding renovation projects toward innovative, practical, and affordable solutions, enabling scalability and broad diffusion of digital tools.
More than 25 technology partners
Key players from various sectors contributed to the effort, including Absotec, Cerium, Hotelverse, HP, iGEX, Ilunion, Ilunion‑Visualfy, IZO, LaBella, La Maison du Monde, Macy, Perseo, Pikolin, Resuinsa‑Carmela Martí, Robotbas, Robottions, Signify, Stereonoise, Suagongo, Uground, Ulbios, ViniloSmart, Vodafone‑Ecomt, Vodafone‑ITF‑Eviden, Vodafone‑Fractalia and Wipass.
The project also highlights the broad collaboration offered by the Valencian Community Hotel and Tourism Cooperation (Hosbec) in all phases from dissemination to design and creation of this distinctive room.
Corona del Mar Hotel, chosen for its strategic location and its ambition to become a benchmark for advanced technology in the region, underwent extensive assessments to identify areas for improvement. The four strategic categories outlined above are addressed in this version 1.0.
This national effort aims to boost the competitiveness of Spain’s hotel industry on a global stage and to set a benchmark for integrating technology into the guest experience.