No time to travel? Try a virtual reality vacation.

Is virtual reality the new future of travel?

Marriott Hotels is betting it will be, at least in part. The hotel brand has rolled out a new travel booth in New York that enables guests to virtually explore the black sand beaches of Hawaii or the city of London via a 360-degree, live-action video mixed with photo-realistic CGI elements. In one of the first premium virtual reality applications outside the gaming or entertainment industry, Marriott has enhanced the immersive experience with sensory elements such as wind, mist and heat, courtesy of Oculus Rift technology.

“The tech has been there for a while, the application has been there, but now that it’s becoming accessible and mainstream, we wanted to be the first to jump out there,” Michael Dail, the company’s VP of global brand marketing, told Wired magazine. “We wanted something more immersive, more experiential, that helps people connect with that feeling of what travel is really about.”

Users stand in a phone booth-like structure—dubbed “The Teleporter”—put on a virtual headset and wireless headphones, and are then “transported” to their destination for a 100-second experience. Due to built-in 4D technology, users physically feel different parts of the environment while seemingly “seeing” the new location. There are pneumatic pumps embedded in the booth floor, misting nozzles on the walls, heat fans in the ceiling, a 1000-watt amplifier, and a scent dispenser.

A virtual trip to Hawaii lands users on a beach where floor pumps create the cushioned feeling of sand and guests feel a gentle sea breeze, ocean mist, and 80-degree warmth against their skin. “4D elements will kick in, making the experience seem extremely lifelike,” Lucia Stoller, director of social marketing for Marriott Hotels, told TechNewsWorld. “They’ll also smell lush palm trees, coconut oil, and the salty ocean.”

Dail told Wired the need to build credibility with younger travelers was a big impetus behind the creation of the The Teleporter, which will be available through November at eight select Marriott properties in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. Virtual reality technology may never replace travel, but advocates say as a “trip previewer,” it could provide ways to sample destinations and help make real travel decisions.

Virtual reality technology has applications in other industries as well, including home building and in-room or at-home entertainment. Marriott hopes experiences like those offered by The Teleporter are only the beginning.

“You can think of a dozen ways to use this technology,” Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint Technology Associates, told TechNewsWorld. “Each market may not be huge, but together it could be a substantial business for the companies involved.”