https://www.insidehook.com/article/travel/technology-free-hotels-hospitality InsideHook * [ ] * * Sections Popular at InsideHook + News & Opinion + Arts & Entertainment + Sports + Health & Fitness + Travel + Vehicles + Personal Tech + Gear + Style + Food & Drink + Home & Design + Sex & Dating + Advice + Watches Plant-based alternatives in a grocery store. Health & Fitness It Took a Minute, But People Are Realizing That Beyond Meat Burgers Aren't Healthy the two new Bonded expressions of Jack Daniel's Booze Jack Daniel's Just Released Its Best Whiskey Ever (And It's About $30) * Cities Popular at InsideHook + Chicago + Los Angeles + Miami (New) + New York + San Francisco + Texas + Washington DC Plant-based alternatives in a grocery store. Health & Fitness It Took a Minute, But People Are Realizing That Beyond Meat Burgers Aren't Healthy the two new Bonded expressions of Jack Daniel's Booze Jack Daniel's Just Released Its Best Whiskey Ever (And It's About $30) * [ ] InsideHook * The Goods All Goods * Deals * SubscribeAccount Travel | May 17, 2022 6:54 am Are Technology-Free Hotels the Future of Hospitality? A new batch of properties are doing everything they can to make sure guests use their vacation to disconnect A wi-fi symbol crossed out in front of a mountain rangeA wi-fi symbol crossed out in front of a mountain range When you go on vacation, do you really disconnect? Sheldon Chalet * facebook * twitter * pinterest * linkedin * Send to Friend By Lindsay Rogers @lndsrgrs According to a 2018 study involving 2,000 U.S. adults, most check their phones an average of 80 times a day, or once every 12 minutes, while on vacation. Some even check their phone more than 300 times each day. A second study conducted in the same year and of the same sample size determined that 43% of U.S. adults find it difficult to completely unplug, specifically from work, while on vacation. This was, of course, prior to the pandemic, which -- thanks to the introduction of apps like Zoom and Slack -- exacerbated the issue greatly. But it was also in 2018 that hotel groups began taking notice and recognizing our reliance on technology as a problem. Wyndham Grand was one of the first on that front, observing that their guests were bringing an average of 12 devices, per family, with them on a trip. "Adults and kids are so glued to their devices that we've had to add more pool chairs to accommodate all the poolside swiping," Lisa Checchio, chief marketing officer for Wyndham, said in a statement at the time. "Before the pull of technology, we would never dream of wasting time on our phones instead of jumping straight into the pool and soaking up every minute of our vacation," Lisa Checchio, Chief Marketing Officer for Wyndham, said at the time. "But today, adults and kids are so glued to their devices that we've had to add more pool chairs to accommodate all the poolside swiping." It inspired the brand to implement "phone-free zones" at pools and restaurants across several of its U.S.-based properties, even going so far as to offer special perks and various discounts to those who honored the no-phone policy. Fast forward to 2022, and "technology-free" is now being pedaled as an amenity across several notable properties, whose guests seek them out because of it. Sheldon Chalet, for example, doesn't have any TVs, phones -- save for the emergency phone system -- or wifi on the entire property. That, according to owner and property manager Marne Sheldon, is mostly due to Sheldon Chalet's location -- on a nunatak 10 miles from the summit of Denali in the Don Sheldon Amphitheater inside Alaska's Denali National Park. In other words: the signal strength isn't excellent. If anything, Sheldon counts it a selling point. [Sheldon-Chalet][Sheldon-Chalet] Sheldon Chalet "Building here we were inspired from the beginning to give people a chance to disconnect from their busy lives and really take a vacation," Sheldon says. "It's very seldom in 2022 that people really have an opportunity to truly go off the grid and do so in a luxurious and amazing way that they can spend their nights looking at shooting stars and the aurora, rather than scrolling Instagram or watching the news." "At first people always worry that they are going to miss something, or [they] can't imagine not being able to post on social media about their experience while they are having it," she adds. "Once they arrive they always love it. It really gives them a chance to relax, reflect and rest. Sitting and looking out to the mountain peaks, reading a book in the hammock, enjoying food without color correcting a photo to post about it or texting someone to tell them about it is truly something we should actually be doing more often." You don't need to travel 4,400 miles to Alaska to enjoy a tech-free hotel, either. Wylder Hope Valley in California offers neither TV or wifi, with the exception of inn public areas. Their offerings -- which include wood fired saunas, bike rentals, guided hikes, lawn games, snowshoe rentals, etc. -- are meant to encourage guests to enjoy the outdoors. None of the other Wylder properties have phones. Eastwind, a boutique hotel located in Windham, New York, also considers its lack of technology a point of pride. "By design, there are no TVs on the property to encourage guests to be present with their loved ones," says co-founder Julija Stoliarova. Like at Wylder Hope Valley, guests at Eastwind are encouraged to really indulge in the property and the surrounding area. Even larger hotel brands are adopting some semblance of a technology-free approach, instead looking to expand on their low-tech, high-touch luxury amenities. Rosewood Little Dix Bay has excluded televisions from the in-room experience -- "to place a greater emphasis on the inherent value of spending mindful time in nature" -- and has recently launched a new custom game collection, designed to support guests in rediscovering the art of in-person connection in accordance with the property's "disconnect to reconnect" philosophy. Rosewood Dix BayRosewood Dix Bay Rosewood Dix Bay All of that said, the answer to the question of whether or not tech-free hotels are the future of hospitality is, frankly, probably not. "[It's] an interesting trend, but very unlikely to become mainstream," Tim White, CEO and Founder of MilePro, posits. "The main reason is that one of the biggest revenue drivers for hotels is business travel. Data shows that business travel is recovering and it's pretty obvious that business travelers will never stay at hotels that don't offer internet or other tech accommodations." It doesn't mean that we won't see more examples crop up in the future, though. After all -- just because so many U.S. adults find it virtually impossible to unplug, doesn't mean they have no desire to do so. The good news for them is that if (and when) the want starts to overpower the need...they'll have plenty of options. More Like This * An Answer to the Age-Old Question: Why Does Airplane Food Suck So Bad? * Hotels Are Offering "Sleep Experiences" Now. What Does It Even Mean? * The Secrets of a Secret Hotel Shopper For more travel news, tips and inspo, sign up for InsideHook's weekly travel newsletter, The Journey. Most Popular Plant-based alternatives in a grocery store. It Took a Minute, But People Are Realizing That Beyond Meat Burgers Aren't Healthy the two new Bonded expressions of Jack Daniel's Jack Daniel's Just Released Its Best Whiskey Ever (And It's About $30) Megan Fox (L) and Machine Gun Kelly attend the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. I Have Some Questions About Megan Fox's Jumpsuit Crotch Hole We Went to the Opening Night Party for Woody Harrelson's New Dispensary We Went to the Opening Night Party for Woody Harrelson's New Dispensary Closeup male hand with glass of white wine on background wooden oak barrels stacked in rows in order, old cellar of winery, vault. Why You Hate Chardonnay (And How to Find One You'll Actually Enjoy) Recommended Suggested for you It Took a Minute, But People Are Realizing That Beyond Meat Burgers Aren't Healthy Jack Daniel's Just Released Its Best Whiskey Ever (And It's About $30) I Have Some Questions About Megan Fox's Jumpsuit Crotch Hole We Went to the Opening Night Party for Woody Harrelson's New Dispensary Why You Hate Chardonnay (And How to Find One You'll Actually Enjoy) Tennis Legend John McEnroe Is Facing His Toughest Opponent Yet: Himself Subscribe to The Journey Our weekly travel newsletter provides the intel and advice you need to make the world your playground.. [ ] Email [ ] Please enter a valid email address. [ ] Zip [ ] [ ] I accept the Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy. I am over 21 years. Sign Up Keep Reading The Police Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland Recall The Police's Pre-Fame Days Jessie Buckley in "Men." On "Men" and the Heavy-Handedness of Highbrow Horror Tom Cruise attends the screening of "Top Gun: Maverick" during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2022 in Cannes, France. Opening Night at Cannes 2022: Can Cinema Save Us From Ourselves? Female friends toasting while floating in hotel pool during party - stock photo Turns Out Gen Z Has One Surprising Drinking Habit These are the best luxury college graduation gifts to give in 2022 The 12 Best Luxury College Graduation Gifts to Give in 2022 a model standing in blue everlane swim shorts and a yellow tee against a sky blue background Save on Swimwear During Everlane's Summery Sale A collage of essential items to splurge on from Mytheresa 10 Designer Basics Worth Every Cent of the Splurge Close up photo shows a person opening a condom wrapper with a female symbol on it The Case for Internal Condoms Club 75 What's the Deal With Co-Working Spaces in 2022? Trending Tennis Legend John McEnroe Is Facing His Toughest Opponent Yet: Himself Harry Benson Reflects on His Decades of Photographing Paul McCartney Why You Should Be Listening to Audio Porn Send this article to your friends [ ] Your Email (required) [ ] Please enter a valid email address. [ ] Your First Name (required) [ ] Please enter your first name. [ ] Your Last Name (required) [ ] Please enter your last name. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Friends' email [ ] At least one valid email address is required. SEND x Thanks for sharing, Sign up for InsideHook to get our best content delivered to your inbox every weekday. It's free. And awesome. Email [ ] Email [ ] SIGN UP Please enter a valid email address. [ ] I accept the Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy. I am over 21 years. x Share to ... * Email * Copy Link * facebook * twitter x InsideHook Get InsideHook in your inbox. It's free. And awesome. [ ] Email [ ] Please enter a valid email address. [ ] Zip [ ] [ ] I accept the Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy. I am over 21 years. Sign Up Got questions or feedback? Hit us up Manage My Subscription US, ELSEWHERE * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Pinterest * LinkedIn * Newsletter THE BASICS * About Us * Editorial Policy * Contact Us * Advertise * Terms * Privacy * Careers * Do Not Sell My Personal Information * Accessibility * Manage Subscription Sections * News & Opinion * Arts & Entertainment * Sports * Health & Fitness * Travel * Personal Tech * Vehicles * Gear * Style * Food & Drink * Home & Design * Advice * Sex & Dating * Watches FOLLOW US * facebook * instagram * pinterest * twitter * linkedin Copyright (c) 2022 InsideHook. All rights reserved. * *