Amazon is doubling down on the experience visitors get from using Echo devices in hotel rooms by introducing Alexa for Hospitality. The company made the announcement today as a way for hotels to better integrate their services with Alexa and create a more customized experienced.
According to Amazon, hotels can use Alexa for Hospitality to allow visitors to access information like fitness center locations and pool hours. They can also perform actions like requesting room service or housekeeping, calling the concierge, control smart devices like lights and thermostats, and even play music from services like TuneIn and iHeartRadio. Visitors can also access the usual Alexa skill set which includes things like games, weather data, white noise to fall asleep to, and more.
Amazon also says guests will be able to temporarily connect their account to the Echo in their room to access their own information like calendars, daily briefings, and music playback. When you check out of your room, the Echo will automatically disconnect from your Amazon account so no one else accesses your information. This feature won’t arrive for a little while, however.
For hotel owners, Amazon says Alexa for Hospitality will work with most of your current technologies so guests can do things like book a spa appointment or order a bottle of wine with their voice. The company says features built by DigiValet, Intelity, Nuvola, Volara, World Cinema, GuestTek, Crestron, and Inncom by Honeywell will all work with Alexa. I would bet even more services get added to this list over time.
The company will also let hoteliers access information such as analytics and guest feedback to measure engagement with Echo devices. What they won’t be able to access, however, are commands given to Alexa. This data will be wiped clean from all Echo devices each day so guests can start on a clean slate and not worry about their security. Of course, if you’re super paranoid about the hotel spying on your, you can always just unplug the Echo.
Hotels such as Marriott have already begun deploying Alexa for Hospitality and even integrating their own services such as exclusive access to TED Talks. Vacation rental companies like RedAwning and boutique lifestyle properties within the Two Roads Hospitality portfolio including Thompson Hotels, Joie de Vivre, Destination Hotels, and Alila are all also beginning to use the technology. To check and see whether Alexa for Hospitality is being used at your next hotel, visit amazon.com/alexaforhospitality.
