FEATURE | ROBOTICS IN HOTELS
Should hospitality embrace
a robot-run future?
Roboticists think we are just years away from robots featuring as standard in most hotel
properties. Is this a future to be feared? Or would having robots complete the tedious and
mundane jobs actually help to enrich hospitality by freeing up more time for the regular staff?
ALESSANDRO CARRARA finds out
“Bipedal robots are the future and I think we be carried out by robots. He has some clout science fiction, but the reality is that artificial
are going to see a dramatic increase in them to make these statements: his firm, Robots of intelligence (AI) and robotics technology are
in about a year’s time,” says Adam Kushner, London, is a distributor and reseller of around already being implemented in hotels around
founder of Robots of London, with not a hint eight different kinds of robots. The company the world.
of uncertainty in his voice. “Imagine them designs software for them, works closely with Savioke is a Silicon Valley-based robotics
clients and installs the actual robots. It company responsible for ‘Relay the robot’, an
was the first company to install a autonomous indoor delivery robot that works
wandering around the hotel - they could
hold a tray with drinks and hand them
out at receptions and gatherings.
in the public area around people. Lauren
robot receptionist in London.
Imagine a restaurant where instead “I think that that you will have Schechtman, vice president of marketing
of waiters robots are the ones more people clicking away in offices and sales, says: “It’s very safe, very reliable
serving your food.” controlling them,” he says, “rather and it’s really sweet and friendly”. The robot
than seeing them on the can use the lift independently and can
floor as such. Everything navigate and avoid all obstacles and people.
will be run by robots. So “So in a hotel setting it solves the problem
Whether
you
embrace
artificial intelligence or fear
it portends the apocalypse,
there
is
trepidation
certainly for
among of
hoteliers about the idea
of machines taking the
by
hotel
instead
straight to guest’s front door,” she explains,
reception you will have “whether it’s sundries, toothbrushes and
robots in every single toothpaste, coffee or snacks or even linen
You
down
could
have
or small electronics it can deliver all of these
items directly to the guest.”
your own robot butler.”
cloud
of guest room delivery by taking those items
to
ringing
room.
place of real staff. A survey
conducted
example
a Relay is currently present in 70 hotels
revenue management solutions firm, “good robot” costs in the throughout the world, primarily the US, but
Ideas Revenue Solution, revealed region of £30,000, and on with a number in Singapore and Japan.
this month that hoteliers actively fear average has a five-year lifespan. Schechtman says: “With any new technology,
a future where properties are run by That means costs averaging people have to get used to the functionality
robots. When asked if they would want £6,000 pounds a year, with no and the solution that the technology provides,
to stay in a hotel entirely run by robots, PAYE, no national insurance, and I think that Savioke is achieving that.
86% of hoteliers participating in the indeed, no employment rights. survey said no. Sounding