Tired of listening to complaints from employees burned out on lugging heavy baggage through the airport as they rush to make connecting flights? For those wishing for a better travel management solution, the future holds promise. Thanks to the invention of self-driving car technology, ‘autonomous travel suites’ may soon follow on the horizon. These self-driving hotel rooms could revolutionize the way we travel.

Autonomous Hotels

Customized, comfortable, and time-saving, these hotel rooms on wheels could eliminate a host of travel headaches, making business travel a lot less stressful. And consumers can’t wait to board – top travel management companies will be vying to be among the first to offer access to such cutting-edge accommodations. The brainchild of Steve Lee of Aprilli Design Studio in Toronto, this revolutionary idea was inspired by a hospitality industry design competition, winning this year’s Radical Innovation Award.

In it for the Long Haul

Lee, who viewed self-driving vehicles more as a mobile room than today’s typical car, designed the autonomous travel suites (ATS) in range of sizes to accommodate a host of traveling scenarios: Solo passengers, couples, families, and even pets. Featuring many of the elements found in a hotel room, they are bedecked with memory foam beds, work stations, small kitchens, an entertainment zone for gaming and movies, and even a toilet and sitting shower. Travelers can enjoy the view through a vehicle’s panoramic smart glass window encasements, or dim them for privacy. Drive-through, selecting start/end points, or plan stops at gyms, restaurants, and sights along the way, traveling in comfort for 6 to 10-hour journeys.

Amazing On-Suite Amenities

‘Parent suites,’ static units featuring amenities such as swimming pools, gyms, restaurants, and meeting rooms will be available for docking by mobile ATS units for overnight stays. Problem? Owners of ATS travel chains will offer critical on-road services including roadside vehicle maintenance, water provision, and waste removal. If vehicles are powered by electricity, service vehicles will replace batteries when juice is running low. If hydrogen-fueled, longer potential driving times between stops could be possible.

When Can You Book a Stay in these Hotel Rooms on Wheels?

The technology necessary to produce fully-autonomous vehicles is predicted to be available as soon as 2021. However, though business travel agents have customers ready to book a suite yesterday, the infrastructure necessary to support ATS units on the public road system will not be in play for at least a decade. Where will they hit the road first? East and West Coast areas where infrastructure will be integrated soonest. Cities such as Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C., where air and road-weary travelers are yearning for relief and a more comfortable, less stressful, time-efficient mode of transportation.

Tired of the same old same old? Open the door to a whole new world of travel opportunities with the help of the best business travel agency in Philadelphia. Contact GTI Travel today.