Malibu Beach Inn lets you request room service via iPhone / iPod touch

Take one look at the room rates at the Malibu Beach Inn, and you'll fully understand why you'll be treated to a loaner iPod touch for the duration of your stay. For those who already own an iPhone / iPod touch, they'll be given access to a web application that was built for the Safari browser to give guests all sorts of remote capabilities. For instance, ordering up room service, setting a wake up call, requesting luggage, renting a limo and flipping the door placard to "Do Not Disturb" no longer requires any strenuous work; instead, users can simply hit a few buttons and be on their way. The hotel chose a web app in order to avoid the Apple certification process and to make it available on other hot devices in the near future. But then again, if you can swing this place, you've probably got a butler handling the front-desk inquiries, anyway.

[Via Fashion Funky, thanks Daisy]

[John @ Oct 20th 2008 6:13PM]

if it's a webapp, why would it have to be an iPhone/iPod touch?

[who? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:17PM]

I've tried using webapps built for the iPhone/iPod Touch on WinMo IE, and it just sent me back to the home page. Not all apps do that, but I'm guessing this one does if they are saying it is just for iPhone/iPod Touch (not like they couldn't afford a good dev, have you counted the chairs in that picture?!?!).

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:34PM]

By that logic, the DMV should be extremely efficient, they have a LOT of chairs there...

[who? @ Oct 20th 2008 8:13PM]

I said they could afford to hire a good developer for their webapp, not that I thought they were efficient (in fact, I'd say not supporting other devices is the opposite of efficiency).

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:13PM]

I don't see how this is convenient in any way... What's the point of breakfast in bed when you have to go out on the balcony holding up the iPhone to get a signal so you can order?

[stealth658 @ Oct 20th 2008 6:25PM]

Have you heard of WiFi?

[Zak @ Oct 20th 2008 6:42PM]

Apparently he hasn't, which is pretty sad. Hey Testies, which model iPhone do you have again? I ask because you seem to have issues with your reception. I don't have issues with mine, so I was just wondering.

Unless of course you're just talking out your ass like every other Apple hating troll. But I'm sure you would never do anything like that, right?

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:47PM]

You'll need to read my fanboy disclaimer from an earlier post...

iPhone 3G... And yes, terrible reception...

Apple hating troll? no.
iPhone hating troll? absolutely.

[Zak @ Oct 20th 2008 7:04PM]

So the fact that I don't have reception problems with mine just went over your head, huh? And my friend doesn't have reception problems with his 3G either. So did it ever occur to you that it might not actually be the iPhone itself that's the problem?

Also, did you just forget about WiFi or what?

[queer eye for the iEye @ Oct 20th 2008 7:59PM]

"my phone is so awesome! I get a great signal wherever there is a wifi network!"

Yeah, that makes perfect sense!

@triNuts: I've read about some of the first batch having signal defects, have you taken it in for warranty?

[who? @ Oct 20th 2008 8:37PM]

@queer eye for the iEye

He hates the iPhone with Nazi-like tendancies, you think he would let one in his own house?

Maybe if he was going to blend it...

[Zak @ Oct 21st 2008 11:36AM]

Queer eye: "my phone is so awesome! I get a great signal wherever there is a wifi network!"

If I had said anything even remotely close to that, you might have a point. But since I didn't, you fail.

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 21st 2008 4:26PM]

@Zak: Unfortunately due to geographic differences, comparing your 3G to mine isn't quite apples to apples (yes, pun intended)

@Who?: Look up 3 posts from yours, then look one higher. I have a 3G

@Queer eye for the iEye: I got mine on release weekend, so that's a good suggestion. I'll be at the iStore shortly to get a replacement. I hope I will no longer have signal issues and have to eat my words (triNuts... lol, Love it...)

@All who car, and all who don't... I'll follow up with the results tomorrow!

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:32PM]

Okay, so Got the new iPhone, and tada! Perfect reception! /sarcasm/

But I finally figured a workaround...

My G1 is scheduled to be delivered overnight.

[lowdef @ Oct 20th 2008 6:13PM]

...and this is news why?

[mick @ Oct 20th 2008 6:24PM]

because it has something to do with apple. i thought everyone can order room service by phoning the desk. guess its just the iphone that can phone the front desk

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:31PM]

I just tried clicking on the iPhone/iPod Touch links so I could read all the Engadget posts tagged "iPhone", I got this error...



http://i35.tinypic.com/30x7814.jpg

[John @ Oct 20th 2008 8:17PM]

Fun fact:
There are 88 pages of posts tagged "Microsoft"
There are 63 pages of posts tagged "iPhone".

[Daza @ Oct 21st 2008 6:23AM]

I spot a grammatical error on the 204 page.

[StalematE @ Oct 20th 2008 6:14PM]

can you have it send up someone to get the dead hooker out of your boxspring?

[GreezyG @ Oct 21st 2008 1:09AM]

Dont call her that!!!1!!

[Flashpoint @ Oct 20th 2008 6:15PM]

ordering up room service,
- How about I use the HOTEL PHONE so I save my battery.


setting a wake up call,
- My iPhone has an ALARM last time I checked.

requesting luggage,
- ??????

renting a limo
-HOTEL PHONE

and flipping the door placard to "Do Not Disturb"
-let my woman do it...she's got legs afterall.

[AlekZander @ Oct 20th 2008 6:40PM]

And we learn that not only is Flashpoint an utterly ignorant Apple-bashing loudmouth, but he's a misogynist too. The world fails to be surprised.

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 20th 2008 7:51PM]

The fact that he isn't pussy-whipped doesn't make him a misogynist.

[Justin @ Oct 20th 2008 6:17PM]

Awesome!

[whatishalo? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:17PM]

Can I just log into the web app from my computer here at home, type in a random room and order some Krystol for the 'lucky' guests?

[Michael Scrip @ Oct 20th 2008 6:45PM]

Or, if would be funnier if you ordered them Cristal...

[LarryLarryLarry @ Oct 21st 2008 2:38AM]

You know there are teenagers in Russia doing this right now.

[whatishalo? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:18PM]

...on their room tab of course...

[Damien @ Oct 20th 2008 6:19PM]

Only one fireplace?

[whatishalo? @ Oct 20th 2008 6:20PM]

oops Cristal

[sr @ Oct 20th 2008 6:30PM]

Wow this is just stupid, as if the iPhone is the only thing in the world capable of running little dinky webapps. Any Nokia S60 phone like the N95 or even the dirt cheap 6120 Classic will run them just fine. It's always iPhone this and iPhone that.

As for you WinMo guys who can't run these little toy apps: What a joke of a browser Microsoft gave you.

[Rob @ Oct 20th 2008 6:33PM]

why so many chairs for one room?

[)law( @ Oct 20th 2008 6:40PM]

they are for all the sexy ladies

[Greg Mcp @ Oct 20th 2008 6:50PM]

To pickup the sexy ladies, you need a Surface table in the middle of the room.
The chicks can't resist rotating those photos with their fingers.

[deepBLUE @ Oct 20th 2008 8:11PM]

the image is an illusion/dream of how much people want iphone to do copy and paste.

[Aldo @ Oct 20th 2008 6:46PM]

Cool, I'm doing (with some school colleagues ) a same kind project, and also is for the iphone/ipod touch but it's a native app.

[Max @ Oct 20th 2008 6:42PM]

Malibu Beach Barbie would be proud.

[iEye @ Oct 20th 2008 7:19PM]

iPhone, what can't you do...

I hope to see more of this in the near future, and I hope that ordering food an such will be built into web apps instead of having to wait for the waiter/ waitress. Thus eliminating another tedious function that is not needed. You can have the entire menu on a web app, order what you want and be done with it.

[fred @ Oct 20th 2008 7:29PM]

It's a short-sighted move by people that aren't savvy enough to realize that most of the users of their hotel might just be business travelers that use Blackberry devices by a much larger #s than iProducts. Toss in Symbian, WinMobile, Android, Palm, Nokia, and others, and this just looks more like a stupid gimmick than a useful amenity.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 21st 2008 2:06AM]

It is gimmicky, but it's also sort of cool. So it's iPhone today, perhaps they should add Blackberry and other support next because yes, I bet many travelers who stay there will have a Blackberry or another device.

[Joseph @ Oct 21st 2008 5:51AM]

The hotel has free loaner iPhones for guests that do not have one.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 21st 2008 10:52AM]

But it would still be nice to support people's own non iDevices instead of loaning them something they might be less comfortable using.

[Ricky @ Oct 20th 2008 7:27PM]

That's a really nice room!

[maikel @ Oct 20th 2008 7:28PM]

Just tried it out. It's a pretty nice, slick webapp. Kudo to the developer. It seems like the iPhone gets all kind of attention these days even from the Candidates with their own individual apps.
Thank You Steve.

[Jubei @ Oct 20th 2008 7:44PM]

The iPhone/Touch is the premier device to have. Nice to see the device recognized as such by companies such as the one reported by Engadget.

For the Zune the "me too" device from MS, they have "McDonalds" to associate with. Perfect partnership for the creators of mass produced crap. One in technology, one in food services. YUCK!

[Zeus.:God @ Oct 21st 2008 12:07AM]

Jubei... Just buy a Zune already, and get it over with. Your insatiable hunger for one carries over into every post you make... You just can't stop talking about it!

The Zune really can make the hardest of Apple fans think twice, as proven by you.

[Pikl @ Oct 20th 2008 8:14PM]

This is why I hate Apple. They get preferential treatment for no effing reason. Basic HTML could be used here, and then everyone could use it -- oh wait. Then people with NORMAL phones would be able to get room service. What a travesty that would be.

[sr @ Oct 20th 2008 9:40PM]

Seriously bro. The thing has about a 3% worldwide market share and people talk like it is the only smartphone in the world. If anything by virtue of the fact that it can't multitask it isn't really a true smartphone. This one app at a time BS does not make for a real multitasking OS. People who have jailbroken their iPhone reveal the reason: bloated Mac OS X running on the phone will shut down apps due to the OS using up most of the 128MB RAM. I have 128MB on my N95 and I can have 25 applications running simultaneously each one capable of running tasks in the background simultaneously. That means a torrent being downloaded here, a song being downloaded off Gnutella, Music playing, Web Browsing while downloading up to 5 files of any type at the same time, GPS voice navigation, IM running (and alerting you) all at the same time. See if the "premier device on earth from God's own hand" can do that. Substitute music playing with video watching, phone talking, or internet radio playing in that mix at any time.

[yorkule @ Oct 20th 2008 8:51PM]

Why is the Flat-TV placed so high up? I guess I'm going to have to use my Iphone and call up a masseuse for my crimped neck.