Daniel H. Lesser writes theHotelsBriefing column for GlobeSt.com.

Significant technological advancements of the last decade havedramatically impacted the worldwide lodging industry in bothpositive and challenging ways. As the technology innovationcontinues to evolve, the magnitude of this phenomenon will continueto influence the sector. From the early days of Holiday Inn throughthe late 1970s, the biggest technological advances in the hotelindustry were the color TV; air conditioning in every room; andeventually, in-room movies.

However, over the past 10 years, technological advances havebeen occurring at breakneck speed. While enjoyed by the travelingpublic, some of these advances can be at great expense to the hotelowner while providing little or no return on investment, other than“keeping-up with the Joneses.” Some of the more major technologychanges to occur recently and their influence on the industry arehighlighted below.