Just three months after its launch and hotels are figuring out how the Apple iPad can be used to enhance existing services beyond just booking and content.
The Jumeirah Essex House in New York is just one very simple example.
The owners are using the iPad in the property's restaurant as a wine guide, allowing residents to browse through the hotel's range of bottles and brands before ordering.
The idea is to give customers a better idea of the wines in the hotel's 650-bottle collection by using the iPad to virtually browse the cellar and access information about each product.
The iPad is left with the customer in the same way a printed wine list would be during a meal.
Officials say the platform is designed so that wine novices and connoisseur's are able to find information easily and in a helpful way but include detailed background about wine-growing regions and process used to create the flavour.
On a practical level for those running the restaurant and customers, the system automatically updates the availability or stock as and when a bottle is taken out of the cellar.