Mariott is a ballsy and cool hotel chain. They've been the biggest supporter of one of the most important HIV/AIDS charity events in the world, the only one where you can see naked body-painted people running around a grand georgian city hall. The Viennese LifeBall. And they've done a number of other fresh and innovative things, all in pursuit of modern and fashionable audience. 

Now they've launched, in partnership with Samsung, a program where you can get a virtual reality (VR) set delivered to your Mariott room. Not to play games (nor to indulge in pr0n, as far as we can tell), but to visit dream-like locations around the world as a virtual tourist.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm addicted to technology as much as any of you. And I've been eager to try out VR ever since a few technically terrible, but imaginative movies featured it in the eighties. But this is just not it.

There's a bag full of issues with the "feature" presented to us today. First in a line of many is that this is inviting us to inhabit the world of Wall-e. I for one am terrified of a possible future in which we're a bunch of brain dead walruses wallowing in our floaty chairs, unaware of our surroundings. But that's, again, not the only issue.

VR can't ever hope to replace the experience of sights and sounds and smells of a distant land. When the airplane door opens after an 11 hour flight to Sao Paolo, you know instantly and unmistakeably that you are in Brazil. The hairs on your neck stand to attention and you're fully awake, heart singing, in anticipation of what's to come.

That state of mind is brought on by a range of very physical sensations. There's that special air moisture, a warmth that isn't just about the temperature scale and the smell of rich black soil, mixed with plants, mixed with exhaust from millions of cars in a twenty million people city. The only way for VR to fool you into thinking you're there is if it's plugged straight into your brain, Matrix style. So, no, a set of VR glasses from Samsung, or anyone else, can't do that.

What VR can and should be used to bring us is a whole new world of experiences.

Dear VR developers, Samsungs, Mariotts, Facebooks of the world, let the Earth entertain us herself in all her glory. Even if it means we have to go through some trouble in order to get to where she is.

You focus on creating convincing and captivating otherworldly experiences instead. There is no limit other than your imagination. What you're showing here is nothing. Totally disappointing.