Man walks into hotel elevator expecting to push a button. Then he notices the walls and realizes this isn’t a normal ride

If you’ve ever waited for an elevator that stops on every floor, you’ll want to hear about this new technology. A traveler from Texas named Dan “Axe” DeKruif recently shared a TikTok video showing a destination dispatch system. This is an upgrade that completely changes how elevators work by using computer logic to group riders together and get you to your floor with fewer stops.

According to Bro Bible, DeKruif runs the popular TikTok channel @nolimitsnoregrets and found this feature during a hotel stay he tagged as a #vacation and #hoteloddity. He’s known for building custom bikes and cars and sharing his adventures. He’s also someone who has survived multiple open heart surgeries.

In his video, DeKruif zoomed in on a silver panel where he expected normal up and down buttons. Instead, he found a keypad. “This is a weird-a** hotel,” he says in the video, which has been viewed thousands of times. To call the elevator, you have to type in your floor number first.

The system assigns you a specific elevator before you even step inside

After he entered his floor, a letter and arrow appeared on the screen, telling him which elevator to take. When his assigned elevator “A” arrived, things got even stranger inside. “And then when you get inside, there’s no numbers on the walls,” DeKruif noted. Since he already entered his destination outside, the system knows exactly where he’s going. He said the whole thing was confusing at first and that “it’s just different getting used to it.”

People in the comments quickly explained what was happening. One viewer said the system is called a “destination dispatch system.” Another explained how the system works. “They typically have better load balancers since the destinations are known up front. Really efficient in busy lobbies,” the comment read.

“In really busy buildings it helps because the computer can make decisions about which elevator goes where to increase efficiency,” another pointed out. 

It’s mainly used in really busy buildings because a central computer decides which elevator goes where. While this technology makes rides more efficient, elevators can still be dangerous when safety features fail.

The system works by grouping people together before they get inside. When you type your floor number, it assigns you to a specific elevator. The computer makes sure everyone in that elevator is going to floors close to each other. This means fewer stops on the way up or down.

This technology tries to solve a big problem: wasted time. There’s actually an entire area of math called queuing theory that studies how people wait in lines. Researchers found that Americans waste 59 years combined every year just waiting for elevators. That’s a huge amount of time, which shows why these upgrades matter. Beyond just wait times, awkward elevator encounters with strangers can make the experience even more uncomfortable.

It’s very different from how elevators used to work. Back in 1857, elevators needed operators in fancy suits to run them safely. Today, smart computers do the job and cut down wait times. If more buildings use this destination dispatch system, people could spend much less time waiting for elevators.