As the HITEC Dubai exposition in May will demonstrate, the ongoing techier-than-thou rivalry among hoteliers is gaining momentum. And the UAE, as ever, is one of the places willing to put its money where its ambitions are - as demonstrated by the 2020 opening of Zaha Hadid's ME Dubai Hotel, whose sci-fi interiors and digital amenities have set the pace in the region. That said, the bar is rising given the scores of hotels currently being planned for NEOM, Saudi Arabia's upcoming tech-driven city. The question now is: what does all this mean for the people who check in? Written by Chris Wright. Thanks to Nadia Méndez for the art direction.