GoBox was founded on the principle of helping hotels expand travel experiences beyond. The hotel industry has evolved in the past 50 years. Up until the 1970s, hotels were valued for the accommodation itself. Their advertising closely followed this consumer logic, pushing the room experience first. For instance, a 1960s Sheraton ad is of a shot of an ornately decorated, plush-sheeted, bedroom. No mention of hotel services or common spaces were necessary. The message was that at a Sheraton, you can have a good night sleep. However, as the number of people travelling every year began to increase, consumers started looking for more than just a comfortable bed. As the years passed, in the 1980s, a new type of hotel started to emerge, these were a lot like what we now know as boutique hotels. An industry wide movement, independents, new chains (Design Hotels, 1993) and market leaders alike raced to develop the newly hip model (Mama Shelter, W Hotels). The foundation of these hotels was the experience, with concepts such as unique rooms, shared spaces and a personalised approach to every guest. Today, in the 21st century, hotels, especially bigger chains, have become extremely experience oriented. The French behemoth Accor, once known for their cookie cutter, room centric Ibis brands, launched an app that gives their guests recommendations around the city, a chatbot conciergerie and as well as their program “ALL” which aims to offer unique experiences such as a night in a PSG football stadium suite.
GoBox integrates hotels with pocket WIFI rental programs. Based in Paris, GoBox aims to helps hotels relieve some of their guests’ stress. Non-europeans simply don’t have access to optimized connectivity solutions when they arrive in Europe. International roaming plans are often expensive, come with unexpected costs or are demoted to a slower connection (2G). Changing SIM cards is complicated and a waste of time. Without an internet connection, finding a telecom store to purchase a SIM card in an unknown city isn’t a given. Then there is the selection of the amount of gigabytes, changing phone numbers and not to mention the paperwork to be filled. What often happens is that these travelers end up staying on airplane mode and connecting to WIFI wherever they can. However, the issue is that WIFI isn’t available everywhere. Even when there is widespread public WIFI, it isn’t safe and is often very slow. This is where GoBox comes in.
In our partner hotels, travelers can get an optimal connectivity solution right at check-in. GoBoxes are mobile 4G hotspots onto which travelers can connect their phones, tablets, computers and keep a permanent connection wherever they go. All they need to do is throw the keychain sized device in their purse or pocket and they are ready to go! A GoBox can connect up to 5 devices, provides unlimited data, is password protected. The GoBox system helps to guarantee rapid roaming for its users, wherever they might be.
At the core of GoBox’s mission is expanding travel experiences beyond. Our partner hotels have vowed not to limit the client service of WIFI to their premises, instead they help their guests connect to the city in an ever practical manner. We at GoBox broaden the definition of connectivity beyond simple internet access, GoBox wishes to create solid and lasting partnerships by responding to other strategic needs, such as "how to get to know my customers better" or "how to improve the comfort of my colleagues ". This is a 360 ° approach to the problem of connectivity.
GoBox is currently present in around 60 hotels across France and has built solid partnerships with hotel groups that strive to go further and innovate. GoBox is currently available in the Accor buying department, present in several Best Western and Melia hotels and has dipped its toes in the luxury market with its integration in Hotel Splendide Royal, a Relais et Chateaux and Maison Albar, an emerging chain of five-star hotels. We here at GoBox will be continuing to write about connectivity and the changing face of the hotel industry. Stay tuned for more !