Jon Farzam is a Hotel manager who currently lives in the Santa Monica area of California. He and his family own a handful of hotels, built up from their first property of the Shore Hotel.
Jon has been very happy to watch his family come into their success and has long been eager to help out in any way that he can. When it came time for him to enter college, he did so with this in mind.
Jon Farzam entered Collins College with the goal of finding new and innovative ways to invigorate the family business. He graduated from college with a degree in Hotel Management, which is a foundation for his work in the family business.
During his time with Collins College, he was inducted into the Hospitality and Tourism Management Honor Society.
Jon has worked hard with the Shore Hotel, which was founded in 2011. Since then, the hotel has grown to be a leading member of the hotel market, earning a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold star rating.
Jon put a great deal of energy into the Shore Hotel and is proud to have been instrumental in its success.
In 2013, Jon moved on to help innovate, renovate, and reposition the other family assets: The Ocean View and Santa Monica hotels, also in the city. He continues to work towards educating himself on the many ways that the hospitality industry can improve upon itself.
Part of his continuing education is that Jon is a frequent attendee of lectures at Collins College, where he not only learns more from the lecturers and students, but he can take the time to provide his own hands-on insights.
As a proud member of the Collins College community, Jon Farzam continues to find ways to involve himself with college affairs, particularly through the alumni association and board, which he is a member of.
Outside of work and education, Jon is a closely involved community member, who takes the time to find different ways of assisting the people of Santa Monica. He has long been involved with a variety of charitable organizations.
Most recently, he has worked with the Surf Bus Foundation, which provides access to the beach to underprivileged youth. This gives them a safe and welcoming environment to learn beach safety and surfing.
Jon Farzam’s career has provided him a stable and successful career in hospitality, a career that he is passionate about. He is proud to help his family, his community, and the people who come from far and wide to see the city he loves.
Jon Farzam on the Future of Hospitality
New technologies are not usually associated with hospitality and hotels, but innovative tech works its way into every walk of life. And the hospitality industry is always eager to provide for visitors and improve the experience that we provide.
As an industry, there are many more places for technology to enter play than you would first expect. Brand and marketing boosts, optimizing payroll, or minimizing menial tasks are all ways that technology has already helped the industry – and here are a few more examples that we can look forward to seeing technology innovate the hospitality industry.
AI Assistance
The number of homes that have an Amazon Alexa or similar smart-home hub has grown drastically, and many people find that this little voice-activated box is a convenience they didn’t expect to like so much. Many hotels have made the move to begin integrating assistive technology into their rooms, particularly as these assistants become cheaper and easier to integrate into the hotel ecosystem. The convenience of being able to simply ask an assistant for the weather or local events is perfect for hospitality.
Augmented reality
Augmented reality, the technology that superimposes information on the real world, is quickly becoming a popular sect of the innovation market. Thanks to the popularity of pokemon go and similar AR games, the technology is quickly cheapening and finding new and unexpected uses. Smart-glasses might begin to see use as tools for administration or staff, having room or request information available without a screen. Similarly to the assistant above, smartphone AR could be used for quickly giving up-to-date information to guests as well.
Biometric Technology
Biometrics such as fingerprints and facial recognition could be the next big step in hospitality. Biometric locks could prevent visitors from being locked out of their rooms due to lost keys or keycards. There are a host of privacy issues that would need to be solved before large-scale implementation, but the technology is ready to advance.
Hospitality is an industry that many take for granted. It’s a simple enough concept, providing a unique and inviting experience to visitors, but there are always opportunities for advancement within even the simplest of fields.
