Handy: A revolution in the travel industry

Now international travellers can make calls, use the Internet and access features such as online maps and dining tips via a tailored smartphone service.

There’s no getting away from it, nowadays millions and millions of people around the world are lost without their mobile phones. And with the advent and rapid evolution of smartphone technology, they’re depending on their handheld devices to do things in their everyday lives like never before – not just making and receiving calls, but keeping up with people and organisations in all sorts of ways and finding out much-needed information at the drop of a hat. However, too often when they travel overseas they discover their smartphone simply can’t connect with a local network properly, if at all.

Image Credit: Antonio Guillem

And, let’s not pretend otherwise, this can cause more than just one headache – how are travellers going to be able to make arrangements to meet friends or business associates unless it’s been pre-arranged before they landed? How are they going to check the route and any potential hold-ups to that all-important meeting? And how are they going to be able to choose between all the eating-out options available in a city that’s alien to them without doing an Internet search and reading customer reviews?

Salvation is at hand, however, at least for a number of visitors to London, as the Handy smartphone service has been introduced to The Montcalm London Marble Arch hotel. Developed and rolled out by Tink Labs, each Handy device ensures visitors can make both local and international calls, connect to the Internet via 3G and access other functions on the device, such as online maps of the city and preloaded tips on where to eat and drink, as a free-of-charge addition for the duration of their stay. It’s planned for the service to be available shortly at all the other properties in the Montcalm group.Moreover, users are assured all their personal information and browsing history will be cleared on their checking-out the hotel.

“Handy started as a bold idea to solve a travel problem but is now reshaping the tourism landscape and we are absolutely confident that Handy will soon be the must-have amenity for all international travellers”, says Terence Kwok, Founder and CEO of Tink Labs. “As the first hotel in London and Europe to provide the Handy smartphone services, The Montcalm London Marble Arch is setting a precedent in creating a hassle-free travel experience for all hotel guests. This is exciting!”