In some countries, travelers find it easy to use available prepaid SIM cards, enabling them to turn off their data roaming option and avoid extra expenses. For most countries, this is not the case. A Hong Kong tech company intends to address this particular issue through "Handy", a custom-made phone for hotel rooms that foreign visitors could use.
According to CNET, "Handy" is a product of Hong Kong-based Tink Labs. The news website said Terence Kwok, the CEO and founder of the tech company, recalls his negative experience in renting phones and SIM cards offered at the Hong Kong airport. This led to the idea of providing a specialized smartphone for hotel rooms.
Hotels providing a "Handy" smartphone would include them in the list of the most hi-tech hotels existing in the world today. Most hotels would offer a free music streaming service. "Handy" hotels would provide travelers not only a means to access unlimited mobile internet while on-the-go but also have software that provides tailored travel recommendations and a direct line to call the hotel concierge free of charge. The phone also allows travelers local and international calls charged to their final hotel bill.
According to The Caterer, Tink Labs had secured deals with different UK hotels and it is guaranteed to provide 125,000 hotel rooms the traveler-convenient phone by the end of 2017. The tech company has secured deals with several multinational hotel chains including Sheraton, Novotel, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and IHG. In London, the phone is in the rooms of the Royal Lancaster London, Montcalm Royal London House and Ritz London.
The move allowed the tech company to generate a further investment of $125 million upon the announcement of its global expansion plan. The company intends to introduce "Handy" to one million hotel rooms worldwide with half of the figure in Europe's hotel rooms.
If "Handy" proves successful in its expansion, travelers no longer need to worry about data roaming and expensive charges for using other cellular phone services; a smartphone with unlimited internet and pre-loaded and useful applications is truly useful enough. The smartphone uses a different number and travelers should ensure their phone contacts know their new phone number, or at least know they need forward their messages through email or other electronic means.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
