In a world where social interaction has evolved to the point that we prefer to type instead of talk, the Sol Wave House has become the first Twitter-themed Hotel. I know you have a big #WTF expression on your face, so allow me to explain:
Located on a beach in Mallorca, Spain, the Sol Wave House hotel is using Twitter to start conversations between guests and create an entirely different level of social interaction. Guests can join a virtual community called #SocialWave via the hotel’s wifi and use that hashtag to chat with both Twitter concierges and that hot guy in the corner glued to his iPhone. Guest are given incentives like discounts, free drinks, and VIP tanning as encouragement to participate, flirt, enter contests, and engage each other through social media. The Hotel is getting free publicity by inviting guests to tweet about the experience, and the guests are getting everything from free services to potential friends, and possibly even hotel hook-ups.
Even though looking at hashtags makes my eyes bleed virgin orphan tears, I can totally understand why someone would want to create this type of environment. Nowadays, it is easier than ever to connect with strangers, document your experiences, and interact with businesses. Whether or not you buy into this new form of communication, you have to admit it is a damn smart idea for a hotel to embrace it. So get your hashtagging gloves on, make sure you have a full charge, go sit by the pool, and join the conversation.
