Artificial intelligence and Robots are one of the hottest trends in the hotel industry. Robots manning a check in counter, robotic butlers as a hotel’s concierge; the service aspect of the hotel industry is evolving fast. So how relevant is personalization in the age of robots?
The foundation of a good hotel experience is the attention to detail service that a guest enjoys during their stay, that shall pretty much conclude whether a guest shall frequent the property or not. And believe it or not, robots and artificial intelligence can actually help a hotel to provide more personalised service rather than take away from it.
Hotels are finding the right balance where the robots are available but a human touch is also present if required. The Yotel in New York offers automated check – ins via kiosks so as to reduce the check in process to only about 60 seconds, per guest but for guests who feel overwhelmed with a machine, staff is available for any assistance required.
Hilton Mclean in Virginia recently introduced ‘Connie’, their robot concierge. Connie can provide local information, dining recommendation and information about the hotel to the guests, and with repeated interaction with the guests, Connie’s software shall enable her to adjust the recommendations as per the guests preferences and tastes.
As mentioned in our previous blog, ‘Are Robots Changing The Way That Guest Experience is Measured in the Hotel Industry?’ Robots are actually more efficient in recalling a guests name via their facial and speech recognition software and give a more personalised welcome to the guest. The stored information in automated machines used in conjunction with the hotel’s software can actually go a long way in providing tailor made experiences for frequent guests.
Hotels just need to remember that technology, in their industry, can be most efficient when it works hand in hand with human interaction. With Robots managing deliveries, check ins, basic concierge queries, the staff can make use of the free time and create personalised services for their guests.
When it comes to the hospitality industry, personalization shall always be relevant. The millennial traveller wants personalised service but it shouldn’t be intrusive, they want the hotel’s staff to recall their names but not always hover around. They love the pace at which technology is moving and want all hotels to adapt to it but the human touch needs to be there whether it is a high end hotel or a quaint B &B.
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