Is robotics taking over hospitality? Yes and no – PhocusWire

Are robots taking jobs and completely flipping the hospitality industry? Imagine walking into the lobby and being greeted by a team of robots to check in, scan your ID and face to verify identity, take your bags and escort you to your room.

While the pandemic may have emphasized distancing and limited touch points, the art of hospitality would be completely lost without the human element performing tasks that go beyond the programmed capabilities of artificial intelligence and sentiment analysis.

Finding the correct balance will be a major focus of the industry as we determine how long and to what extent COVID will continue to impact travel and hotel stays into the future. Robots and automated technology support the current evolution of the industry, but only when they allow staff to focus on delivering exceptional guest services.

Lets look at the pros and cons of robots and automated tech.

Robots are becoming a familiar part of a travelers journey. According to CNBC, robots are offering contactless options to guests in airports around the world, including LaGuardia Airport in the United States, Munich International Airport in Germany and Incheon International Airport in Seoul, and by 2030, robots are expected to take over the airport check-in process.

Its only natural that guests would expect a similar experience as they enter hotels, and this technology has some major benefits:

Although more robots, chatbots and voice assistants are popping up throughout the travel industry, wouldnt it feel strange to arrive in a hotel completely staffed by robots? One hotel in Japan tried and realized that though robots and customer service AI were great for entry-level tasks, the technology was incapable of handling end-to-end operations.

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So these technologies certainly come with their drawbacks:

Guest preferences will differ: some guests would be content to only talk to robots or interact with the hotel via their personal devices, while others might be more comfortable asking questions to or being assisted by staff. According to a recent survey, 52% of U.K. business travelers believe that automated technology would make their trips safer.

Remember, robotic tech isnt unfamiliar territory for guests.

Chris Connar

Allowing the guest to be in control of their experience will be a necessity as we all work to figure out how to bounce back after a year of restricted travel. Remember, robotic tech isnt unfamiliar territory for guests - they likely bumped into a robot or two at the airport or use voice assistants in their homes.

After considering guest preferences and both the pros and cons, whats the right answer? Are robots the way to go, or is the initial cost and upkeep too much?

I believe that successful hotels will look to a hybrid approach now and in the future. Start in the area that will have the greatest impact: staff overwhelmed by extra cleaning duties? Consider robot vacuums. Are they overwhelmed by guest requests? In-room voice assistants might be the way to go.

Robots and staff must work in tandem to offer guests the experiences they are looking for. When hotels implement robotic and automated technology that can help to personalize the guest experience, collect data to improve loyalty and manage day-to-day tasks to boost efficiency, they will reap the rewards.

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Is robotics taking over hospitality? Yes and no - PhocusWire