Amazon Wades Into Travel as Hotels Turn to Alexa in Rooms
Photo Credit: Marriott is conducting a pilot of Amazon's Alexa for Hospitality product in 10 of its hotels in the U.S. this summer. Amazon/Marriott International
Skift Take
The next big questions hoteliers might soon be asking themselves: "Alexa, how do I make sure you recommend my hotels when they ask you where they want to stay?" Or, on the flip side: "Why did I invest so much into the modern-day version of the iPod docking station?"
It was only in November that technology giant Amazon announced the launch of its Alexa for Business division and just eight months later, Amazon's plans for getting deeper into the travel space are becoming much clearer.
With the help of Marriott International and a number of other partners, including both hotel brands and technology systems, Amazon is announcing Tuesday the debut of Alexa for Hospitality, a division of the company committed to placing Amazon's smart home devices into hotel rooms, vacation rentals, and other hospitality settings.
A Growing Trend: Voice-Powered Hotel Rooms
By harnessing the Internet of Things (IoT), voice assistants like the Amazon Echo are able to help guests control the lighting and temperature in their rooms, make calls and requests to the front desk, play music, check the weather, or play entertainment on the in-room television, for example.
"We've done some piloting today on a small scale in the hotel context," said Amazon vice president D
