Hotels Are Discovering Back-of-House Uses for Voice Technology


Skift Take

If voice technology can do more than help facilitate guest requests for forgotten toothbrushes, there's a good chance it will be more than the latest hotel tech fad.
Mention smart speakers or voice assistants in a hotel setting, and you assume those devices are being placed in rooms to handle guest requests for items or for information. The consumer-facing skills and requests that guests can make using their voices are grabbing the spotlight now, but there's plenty more voice technology can offer to hotel staff to make their jobs that much easier and efficient, too. At least that's what one hotel in Seattle is discovering, and what one company is exploring with its new smart speaker skill. Motif Seattle Goes All in on Alexa "The entire hotel team, from the housekeepers and the bellmen to the engineers to guest services managers, are also using Alexa to manage their daily life tasks," said Steve Sasso, general manager of the Motif Seattle A Destination Hotel. "For example, they can use it to notify the system if the room is ready for room service or check-in, to set a pick-up request, or use it as a tool to request items as well." "We're seeing team members be really creative in identifying solutions and uses of Alexa to make their jobs easier," added Andrew Arthu