An Out-of-the-World Experience Ahead

Smart Hotels of the Future

By 2060, we will be 4 decades older. A lot of things will have changed. Travelling for vacations will continue as people relocate for education and career.But what will hotels look like in 2060?

When travelers check into a hotel they can expect it to be on Mars, to feature augmented reality, artificial intelligence, morphing beds, robotics, touchscreen everything, hyper connectivity and much more.

The way travelers choose a destination, book a trip, travel there and the in-stay experience will be dramatically different in the future. Hotels.com partnering with renowned futurist Dr. James Canton of the Institute for Global Futures on the Hotels.com Hotels of the Future study uncovers how the travel and hotel experience will be different in a year, 25 years and as far ahead as 2060: the new forecasts see super-tech meet super-science.

Robobutlers,self-morphing hotels and life-lengthening spa treatments are just around the corner.

Dr. James Canton explains: ‘Trends in technology, science, energy and entertainment will vastly change the hotel experience for travelers. The emergence of a new travel design science, which is a combination of using big data, artificial intelligence and predicting travelers’ dreams, will mean the whole travel experience will change.

“The future of travel is really exciting, as we’ll see predictive travel analytics anticipating what consumers want from their experience before booking. The hotel booking itself will be helped along by artificial intelligence software agents, using data mining and intuitive computing. The new travel design science will help create highly personalized in-stay experiences. And it doesn’t end when you check out, because new analytics will also ensure lifelong travel fulfillment,”says Canton.

Canton  outlines the top trends for what hotels of the future will look like.

Airport transfer of the future– Self-driving pods, RoboFlying cars and Hyperloop - one of the most stressful parts of any vacation is getting from the airport to your hotel. Travelers will be pleased to hear that the future of airport transfers is high tech and high speed. Future transports include self-driving pods, RoboFlying cars, which will help you avoid the traffic, and larger developments such as the Hyper Loop – supersonic air travel, covering hundreds of kilometers in seconds.

My travel avatar –The booking of hotels will be done by your very own travel avatar – like a digital software agent. Your travel avatar will help fulfill all your travel needs and wishes.

Inside the smart hotel room
By 2060 the standard hotel room you know today will be almost unrecognizable. The room of the future will be so personalized, so smart and techy down to the last detail. It will include:

-         Entering your room via face recognition

-         Multiplesensors attuned to you

-         Talk-back TV

-         Every surface will be touchscreen, reactive and interactive

-         Bathrooms will have smart toilets andmirrorsstreamingreal-time news

-         Neuro-enhanced aromas will sprout from interactive spa walls that sense stress and auto-generate a relaxing sleep experience

-         Special towels with pollution wipe nano coatings

-         Wireless temperature controls that adjusts automatically

-         Self-assembling and personalized bed and pillows based on neuro-feedback

-         In room-personalized experiences like watching a holographic music concert.

RoboButlers - These autonomous robots can be designed online before arrival and can be programmed with special talents, skills, languages and information to help make the hotel stay exceptional. They will do everything from greeting guests at the airport, to offering gourmet food service, room makeup, companionship, education, entertainment, business advice and concierge services.

3D Makers in every hotel room – Taking luggage on holiday will be a thing of the past. 3D Printers will transform the travel experience and specifically the in room experience. 3D Makers will generate in real time items guests desire, such as a new pair of shoes, clothes, pharmaceuticals, even computers or wearable phones. 3D shopping will be available, where consumers download from the cloud, retail goods that they want to design on demand. This will become the standard in every hotel room. 

Neuro-Dreaming – choose your own dream - The definition of getting a good night’s sleep will be changing in the future. A hotel bed will no longer just be a place to enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep. Travelers will be able to choose their own dreams before dozing off. Hotels will give guests access to neurotechnology to program their dreams and they can choose a dream theme to either relax, enhance, learn or enjoy. Romantic adventure or space exploration?

Gourmet genomics in hotel restaurants - Hotel restaurants will start to feature food designed for the individual’s palate, all based on DNA analysis. Before you even arrive at your hotel, your diet and nutrition menu will be designed based on your DNA and optimized for your health.  The menu is created to improve health, nutrition and fitness, but the food will still be gourmet and delicious. It will be designer food, made by top chefs but it won’t make you gain weight or ruin your diet!

Wellness & longevity hotel spas - The spa 2.0 - the next generation of wellness spas will be mind blowing. Gone are the days of a simple facial or massage at hotel spa. The hotel spa of the future is based on DNA analysis and promoting living longer. You will receive personalized prevention treatments, prediction and health enhancement programs designed to refresh your health, your fitness and understand your future health risks.

DNA mobile payments—DNA is the ultimate personal identification and will be used to confirm identify in making travel bookings and payments online. When you check into your hotel, all that will be needed is DNA fingerprints to confirm who you are and check in is complete! Long check in lines will be a thing of the past.

Morphing hotels made to order – This is the next generation of made to order. Hotels which self-assemble and morph from one design to another based on consumer’s votes. These crowdsourced hotels will use nanotechnology and machines that can self-assemble environments, buildings or even entire physical worlds (the Real Jurassic Park?). This could all be possible in the next 20 years.

EcoHotels on the next level – Many hotels already focus on sustainability and being eco-friendly but in future every hotel will be fully sustainable. They will excel in energy efficiency, buy and sell energy off the Renewable Energy Grid, use safe and clean products only, use the latest solar and geothermal technology and have a carbon neutral footprint. EcoHotels will also be socially aware, with products and workers all producing a positive social impact in the community.

Augmented reality hotels – Travelers will be able to stay at hotels that are part physical and part virtual. While virtual reality is simply a recreation of a real life setting, an augmented reality experience actually blends the physical real world with virtual reality. Millions of innovative scenarios will therefore be possible - an excursion to Africa or a trip MachuPicchu in Peru? They will not just stay at a hotel and be limited to excursions locally, the hotels will transport them to fantasy worlds they can only dream of.

Immersive-themed hotels -Hotels in the future will become entertainment experiences that we can only imagine today. Travelers can expect a fully interactive live event location,.Consumers could interact in real-time or by virtual reality. Imagine a Roman World with chariot races or a Renaissance World complete with costumes and customized androids, story lines, drama and action.

Other trends for Hotels of the Future:

1.     Deep sea hotels - With over 90% of the planet under water the possibility of having customized hotel experiences underwater will be a dream for many travelers. Hotel rooms will be transformed into undersea laboratories to experience the natural beauty of nature.

2.     Out of this world space hotels—Earth orbit, lunar, and Mars colony hotels – all of these will be possible at affordable prices. In the future, it will be possible to use fusion energy to propel consumers into space and there will be the demand for millions to go on an exciting vacation to the ultimate location – out of this world!

3.     Voice and gesture controlled hotel rooms: Closing your hotel room curtains and getting up to switch off the light before bed will be things of the past. Your hotel room in the future will be controlled by intuition controls – you tell the TV to turn itself off and it will, you make a gesture to dim the lights and they do it. This is the ultimate personalized room experience, as the voice and gestures will download ahead of your stay.

4.     Virtual reality entertainment - Virtual reality entertainment is already in existence but in the near future it will be used to really enhance the travel experience. Travelers will not just go to Rome but enjoy painting lessons with Leonardo Da Vinci. Even feats such climbing Mount Everest via your RoboDouble will be possible—all from the comfort of your hotel’s virtual reality media center.

5.     The Internet of Hotel Things - hyper-connectivity— Imagine every surface of your hotel room, every wall, product and floor, every “thing” having an Internet address. The Internet of Hotel Things (IoHT) is a very real possibility. Wearable smart phones will eventually be embedded into us, making us online all the time during travel.This hyper connectivity will improve the travel experience and be secure.

6.     Hotels that think – AI —The use of Artificial Intelligence personalities, digital concierges, next generation thinking machines that will be virtual, downloading to robots, cars, rooms and devices will all be essential for the new generation of hotels. Autonomous Thinking Machines will really enhance the traveler’s experience and it’s possible they’ll be entire hotels run by AI’s, robots and tele-virtual humans in the near future.

Innovative & Effective Surgical Technique

The Illeal Transposition

Diabetes Mellitus (DM 2) is a worldwide epidemic which is on the rise without much cure and associated with a number of short and long term complications resulting in devastating late complications and reduced life expectancy. DM2 is  a common cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. The global prevalence of diabetes among adults over 18 years of age has risen from 4.7 per cent in 1980 to 8.5 per cent in 2014. And has been seen rising more rapidly in middle and low income countries.

Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation^. Retinopathy is a major cause of morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus. The incidence of blindness, for example, is 25 times higher in diabetic patients with diabetes than in non-diabetic people.

Graduating from JNMC Belgaum, Dr. Abhay Agarwal  did his masters( Surgery) from Mumbai and  his super specialisation in Laparoscopic Surgery from University of Bordeaux, France.Mastering  the art of Laparoscopy from his illustrious father, Dr JB Agrawal, who is the first and with the highest number of Laparoscopic Gall bladder surgeries to his credit in India.he acquired further specialization in Bariatric Surgery (or Obesity Surgery) which is considered as the mother of all Laparoscopic procedures from France, Austria and USA.Dr Agrawal runs the Dept of Bariatric surgery at the Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai.

In a one-on-one he illuminates the efficacy of Ileal transposition in treating Type2 Diabetes.

By the year 2025, India will be home to more than 80 million diabetics and most of these will be Type-2 Diabetics. A disaster of this kind can be avoided if measures are taken earlier and more awareness of the problem and its solution is created amongst diabetics..British researchers in a just released survey found that people from South Asia, especially India, are prone to developing Type 2 diabetes caused by high levels of obesity and insulin resistance

 The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that by 2030, the prevalence of  T2DM  (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) will increase to 336 million . Considering the global health crisis of diabetes and obesity in this era and the need for an effective treatment of patients, surgery can be proposed in addition to drug therapy .

If all complications of DM were combined, individuals with intensive diabetes management would experience 15.3 more years of life without significant micro vascular or neurologic complications of DM, compared to individuals who received standard therapy. This translates into an additional 5.1 years of life expectancy for individuals in the intensive diabetes management group.

Eighty per cent of patients with DM 2 are obese or overweight, and weight reduction is one of the most efficient ways to achieve control over this illness. However, it is difficult to achieve smooth normal blood sugar level readings with just the conventional treatments comprising of diet, exercise, oral tablets and insulin. On the other hand, impressive improvement in diabetic status of patients undergoing bariatric and metabolic surgery has stimulated interest in surgery as a potential cure for type 2 diabetes.

The biggest recent advancement in the medical world is Control of Diabetes (Type 2) by Laparoscopic (Key-hole) Surgical procedure -Ileal Transposition Surgery (small intestinal switch) for control and finally cure of diabetes

THE ILEAL TRANSPOSITION

Research has indicated that there are some intestinal hormones which have a great effect on the pancreas and insulin secretion, especially in response to food intake. A long segment of ilium (ending portion of small intestine) is shifted to the upper small intestinal area, where food particles will reach immediately after the meal. This causes an immediate secretion of a ‘good’ hormone, which spurs the pancreas to secrete  Insulin, to immediately control blood sugar. If there is no intake of food, this will not happen, so there is no danger of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR ILEAL TRANSPOSITION:

It is evident that in spite of  best medical practice, anyone with Type-2 diabetes is at risk as the disease keeps progressing and the patient ends up with some end-organ complications, especially kidney failure, heart attacks, or retinal eye problems. However, once the patient undergoes the Ileal Transposition surgery, he is as good as normal
The surgery is performed only after taking a detailed history to make sure that the diabetes is of Type-2 and he is suitable to go under the knife. Strong genetic and hereditary factors; number of years with diabetes, number and kind of medicines  being taken is all taken into consideration. In addition, selective blood tests’ which indicates the status of the pancreas is also taken into account

It was originally thought that the control of diabetes was secondary to the resultant weight loss; however more recently, it has been noted that insulin impairment is reversed merely days after a metabolic procedure and therefore could not be solely due to the weight loss

This operation is an ideal  surgical cure of diabetes in non-morbidly obese patients also, as there is no mal absorptive element leading to the weight loss. Patients can stop all medicines within few months, at times even within two to four weeks post the surgery. Good improvements are seen in their Triglycerides, cholesterol, kidney function and leg pains thus proving this to be a true metabolic surgery.

Since there is no loss of intestinal length and no diversion of food, there are no long-term side-effects and no nutritional deficiency. The only life style change required is that, patients need to consume smaller portions of food at one time to enjoy a disease- free, longer and healthier life.

The Ileal Transposition  vs Bariatric surgery

Non-obese patients-In Type 2 diabetic patients with normal BMI, conventional bariatric surgery would be inappropriate, as it would lead to a significant undesirable weight loss. In such patients ileal transposition is the future.

Despite the significant link between obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, 20 per cent  of patients with Type 2 Diabetes are not obese and some of these patients are unable to achieve adequate control of their blood glucose despite dietary and pharmacological treatment.  In these non-obese patients, DM 2 is still associated with significant morbidity such as blindness, renal insufficiency, neuropathies, amputations, and cardiovascular disease and reduced life expectancy.  While a significant body of research exist showing that bariatric surgery can reverse Type 2 Diabetes in obese individuals, there is limited but promising evidence of its efficacy in the non-morbidly obese population.

Obese Patients-Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), a restrictive bariatric operation is added to Ileal transposition to induce weight loss in moderately obese diabetic patients. Diabetes is resolved in all the diabetic patients, hypertension is resolved in 92.9 per cent and improved in the remaining patients.

 As per the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) educational program it is informed that every 10 seconds, 2 people develop diabetes. If nothing is done, diabetes will overwhelm the national healthcare system. Diabetes prevention is simple and cost-effective, IDF says. Every year 4 million people die from diabetes of which more than half the deaths can be prevented. 

The doctor advises diabetics to exercise regularly, eat small meals every three hours and most importantly keep stress under control.to save your vital organs and your precious life. 

World Health Day

Let's Talk About Depression

World Health Day

Let’s Talk About Depression.

Just  before 24-year-old Arjun Bhardwaj took that fatal plunge from the 19^th storey of a posh 5-star hotel in Mumbai, he posted a video tutorial on how to commit suicide. Ironically, the 3^rd year B.Sc student ended his life a few days prior to World Health Day ( April 7) which is focusing on mental health. Initial reports reveal he was addicted to online gambling and drugs as a result of which his studies were suffering. Friends claim they rescued him twice from similar situations and state that he was depressed. The video itself shows a haggard, anxious,jittery youth. What kind of depression was he going through?

 

                                            Arjun Bhardwaj shortly before he plunged to his death

In India, about 56 million people suffer from depression which is about 4.5 per cent  of the population and another 38 million  suffer from other anxiety related disorders. 

According to the latest WHO report published recently, about 7.5 per cent of Indians suffer from depression related mental illness that require expert intervention.

“Everyone experiences feelings of depression at one time or another and  each person’s experience of depression is different as there are a wide variety of symptoms. Many people feel down occasionally, or go through bad patches, but have areas in their lives that make them feel good. For some people though, life is more of a struggle: they feel bad about themselves and their lives in most ways. At times they feel complete despair. If you feel like this, then you may be depressed.”

The 7 Types of Anxiety and Depression

Type 1: Pure Anxiety

Pure anxiety results from too much of activity in the basal ganglia( a group of nuclei located at the base of the brain) and low levels of neurotransmitter GABA(which  contributes to motor control, vision, and also regulates anxiety).. Common symptoms of pure anxiety include nervousness or anxiety, panic attacks, self-doubt, excessive fear and anticipating the worst. They also suffer from the physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, hand tremors, heart pounding, nausea, dizziness, nail biting, headaches, abdominal pain and shortness of breath. Their symptoms may be a consistently disruptive problem or may come in unpredictable waves. 

Type 2: Pure Depression

Pure depression often results from excessive activity in the emotional center of your brain known as the limbic system. Such people  usually have low dopamine secretions. This type of anxiety and depression is associated with primary depressive symptoms that range from chronic mild sadness or negativity to crippling major depression ,where it is  difficult to even get out of bed.

Such people  also demonstrate a loss of interest in things that are usually pleasurable,  often feel isolation or loneliness, sleep or appetite changes, low energy, low self-esteem, and even suicidal thoughts.

Type 3: Mixed Anxiety Depressive Disorder (MADD)

It is not uncommon for someone with an anxiety disorder to also suffer from depression or vice versa. Nearly one half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Recognition of mixed anxiety-depressive disorder as a mental health disorder is relatively new. However, the combination of depression and  anxiety disorder has been long recognized as commonly afflicting many people.

In this combination of both pure anxiety and pure depression, while both symptom clusters are present on a regular basis, one type may predominate at any point in time. Mixed anxiety and depression is very common. 

Type 4: Over focused Anxiety and Depression

With this type, we tend to see features of anxiety and depression, plus a tendency to get stuck on anxious or depressing thoughts or negative behaviors. Common symptoms include any of the following: 

·  Excessive worrying

·  Being argumentative

·  Tendency for addictive behavior

·  Holding  grudges against persons

·  Wanting to have things done in certain way and getting  upset  otherwise. 

·  Dislike changes and  hold on to own opinion. 

Typically, over focused anxiety and depression is caused by too much activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus( a major part of the limbic system which controls emotion and behaviour) and lower serotonin levels. 

Type 5: Temporal Lobe Anxiety and Depression

The temporal lobes are very impor­tant for memory, moods, and emotions:problems in this part of the brain can cause people to have mood instability, irritability, mem­ory problems.  

Patients can experience any of the following symptoms

·  Misinterpretation of comments as always negative 

·  State of confusion

·  Changes in visual or auditory functions.

·  Frequent periods of déjà vu

·  Mild paranoia

·  May have a history of head injury

·  Forgetfulness or memory problems

Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety and Depression

A person with cyclical anxiety and depression disorder has no control over symptoms. This type is commonly manifested as bipolar disorder, cyclothymia (mild mood swings), seasonal mood changes, and severe PMS especially among the teenagers because they are episodic and unpredictable. Continued stress can also trigger a cyclic anxiety depression reaction. Cyclic anxiety and depression is a spectrum disor­der, meaning it may be a mild form, a very severe form, or anything in between.

Type 7: Unfocused Anxiety and Depression

Commonly  this is because of reduced blood supply to the frontal lobe resulting in decreased activity in the brain, especially in the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that helps with attention, forethoughts, impulse control, organiza­tion, motivation, and planning. People with unfocused anxiety and depression suffer from low energy levels, being inattentive, bored and impulsive and make poor decisions. The causes of the lower activity in the brain may be the result of an injury, toxic exposure, infec­tion, drug induced or an underlying medi­cal illness.

Dr.Manoj Kutteri ( Doctorate in Health Sciences from the United States) is director Atmantan Wellness and believes the goal of mind-body techniques is to get the body and mind to relax and to reduce the levels of stress hormones in the body, so that your immune system is better able to fight the illness. 

IIFW

Style is  Attitude, Charisma & Elegance

The snowball effect is visible and growing larger as the clock ticks to a countdown to India’s first ever intimate fashion week .Designers, stylists,big brands, e-commerce ventures,the media and even an NGO band together to #BOO THE TABOO!

Renowned fashion project consultant  Ramez Basmaji has been roped in to facilitate international buying, collaborations & trade exchange for Indian Designers & simultaneously bring international designers to India.

Lebanon-born Ramez has been working as a fashion expert and style consultant for 24 years specializing  in promoting the works of hair stylists, fashion designers, and makeup artists in European and Middle Eastern countries. His stores are located in Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, KS and the United Arab Emirates. Ramez has worked in collaboration with famous Lebanese and Arab fashion designers and his fashion blogs are followed by fashion enthusiasts across the globe.

Nidhi Munim  is credited with the vision that is the cornerstone of the brands image. It is this vision that has created some of the most iconic images for which the brand has received the industry's highest honors including the Kingfisher SuperModels ,Kingfisher Calender , FBB Femina Miss India and Karan Johar's Lakme School of Style.The brand has been worn by celebrities Deepika Padukone , Ileana D Cruz , Sunny Leone , Esha Gupta , Nargis Fakhri , Sara Loren and Evelyn Sharma to name a few.Nidhi's swim and resortwear is also being styled in the most iconic bollywood movies.

The successful global expansion may be attributed in part to Nidhi's lead role in overseeing the development of the domestic and international licensing and export businesses. Under her keen supervision, the brand is distributed in over 10 countries.

Meenaxi Dixit, the global ambassador for World Indegenous Fashion Week , will be the show- stoppet for Mona Shroff’s  2017 collection to be showcased on the opening day of India Intimate Fashion Week. She has acted in Hindi  films ( P se PM Tak,Lupt,Laal Rang) as well as in Tamil, Telugu, Kannnada and Malayalam films.Meenaxi was also  part of international musical called "Dreamgirls of Bollywood" performed in Skycity theatre in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington etc

Sandip Batra:  A versatile grade singer in the  Song and Drama Division, Ministry of I&B, Sandeep is proficient in various styles of singing-- Ghazals, Semi- Classical, Pop and Bollywood. Sandip will be performing at The Leela on the opening day of India Intimate Fashion Week.

A software engineer from Delhi University, he trained in Hindustant Classical under Pt. Baldev Raj Verma. He enthralled the music lovers when he stepped on the stage to sing at the tender age of six and has won various National level competitions. He emerged on the music scene with his hit debut album “Kaarri Kajrarei”, his next album "Deepawali Aaye Re", and “Yaariyan”, was  appreciated.

Sandeep recently made his debut as a music director with the movie “Ek tha Hero” by composing a promotional song for the movie sung by Divya Kumar and himself.  His upcoming projects include Arbaaz Khan starrer Coming Back.

Sandeep is the only singer in the world with a very unique  Laser Act  of his own.In 2009, he conceptualized and designed a spectacular act called the Musical Laser Performance, which is the only act of its kind in the world.

Woman’s Era is the official Fashion Magazine for IIFW. Delhi Press was established in 1938 with the launch of the magazine, Caravan. The media company has, since then, added 32 magazines in different languages-ALIVE, Griha Shobha, Mukta, Suman Saurabh are part of the stable which prints 4 million magazine copies each month.

Fashion Lady will be the official Fashion Blogging Partner .FashionLady is one of the leading Fashion Blogs in India. It covers latest fashion trends, brand news, Bollywood fashion, seasonal trends, Lifestyle, beauty and much more. 

And it’s not just about glitz and glamour, among the key partners is OXXY,India’s largest healthcare network which recently launched it’s  Girl Child Development Program where every girl born on OXXY network will get Rs.11,000 in FD.  The main aim is to provide affordable and transparent healthcare for all..      OXXY has screened more than 20 million people so far with a valuation of over US $2.7 billion  and has conducted more than 2000 free health camps across the
country in past 2 years