Many hotels around the world are trying to offer their guests an unprecedented level of automation, a simple touch of personalization, and they are using various in-room technologies which were previously only available in high-end venues.

The Fairmont Beijing Hotel - voted "No.1 hotel in China" on TripAdvisor in 2012- is a trailblazer in this field. As soon as guests open the door to their rooms, they are greeted with an automated welcome experience: the lights gradually come on and the drapes open to reveal a spectacular view of Beijing. The hotel has also installed a sound system to offer music tailored to the taste and personality of each guest. If you just had a long day, the "relax" mode may sound like heaven, if you are not a morning person, then "wake-up" mode is your best option.

A room at the fairmont Beijng Hotel. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hoteliers are increasingly turning toward an energy management system - as about 80 percent of guestroom energy expenses are tied to air conditioning and heating, and the remaining costs mainly concern electricity - so when a room is unoccupied, the energy cost can be minimized.

In addition, all the guestrooms at the Fairmont Beijing Hotel are equipped with an occupancy-based wireless infrared sensor, which allows an operator to set off an automatic temperature setback if the room is unoccupied, and it usually takes as little as ten minutes to change the air conditioner to the temperature adjusted by the guest.

When the occupancy of a guestroom changes, and a guest moves into a room, a light on the screen of the hotel operator automatically changes, thus avoiding any possibly embarrassing situations, such as the housekeeping staff accidentally walking in while the guest is changing, asleep or in the shower. This technology has raised the bar on guest service, and it is also making an impact on energy saving and green initiatives.

"This (energy management) system is widely used within the hotel brand across the world, yet it is still new to many customers here in China," said Michael Ganster, the General Manager of the Fairmont Beijing Hotel. "I think the significant potential of this system exists, even though it probably won't show in a short term. We are quite proud of being the one of two hotels having this advanced technology, which is why we insist on giving every guest a tour when they arrive and show them how to use the devices."