Connie’s sci-fi debut at Hilton McLean in Virginia, as its first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled ‘smart robot concierge’ in 2016, was a slice of future hospitality. The IBM Watson-powered robot designed to answer questions from hotel guests on video won hearts. Inspired by Connie, robots are getting desks in Indian hotels. Troubled by poor revenues due to the travel ban through most of 2020, and forced to revive the industry and attract guests, hotels across India are embracing technology at various levels such as safety, hygiene and innovation.
Early last year, Gurugram-based robotics company Milagrow had lined up four new humanoid robots—guest relations robot RoboDiCaprio, serving robot RoboJulia, service assistant RoboElf and personal companion RoboNano. A family of robots is already at work in Hyderabad. In an interview to this writer before he passed away a few weeks back, Rajeev Karwal, Founder-Chairman of Milagrow, said that their robots were adept at tasks such as floor cleaning, lawn mowing, swimming pool cleaning and window cleaning. Prashant Chadha, General Manager, ITC Kohenur, Hyderabad, says, “AI is being used in the hotel industry for revenue management, guest experience, and automation of daily operations.
The need to minimise human contact has given new urgency to inducting robots in hotels and restaurants. Here we use AI for operations where customer contact is frequent and hygiene is paramount. We use robotic equipment to clean the pool and polish the marble in the lobby and other public areas.” Ian Dubier, Area Director-Hyderabad, IHCL & Taj Santacruz Mumbai and General Manager-Taj Krishna, says, “We have introduced I-ZEST: IHCL’s Zero Touch Service Transformation—a suite of digital solutions for zero-touch check-ins and check-outs, digital invoicing, online payment, and QR codes to digital menus in restaurants.
The digital features of I-Zest ensure social distancing for both guests and associates while maintaining secure and seamless services at our Hyderabad hotels.” Accor group’s AllSafe certification protocol is based on similar lines. “It took us three months to set up these processes. We spent days being trained online to understand the new normal. We even have an internal app for personnel to upload photographs of the day’s work, to be monitored and studied to ensure the highest standard of safety,” he adds.
The 100 safety pointers are set by Bureau Veritas, a company that specialises in testing, inspection and certification, according to Rubin Cherian, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Airport. Accor has also implemented a Machine Learning system to recommend additional features, such as room upgrades, based on previous booking behaviour. Perhaps, we will be able to check into botels, not hotels by 2025.
AI Benefits
● Reduced human error
● Better efficiency
● Reduced costs
● Safer due to less contact during
Covid-19 times
Troubled by poor revenues due to the travel ban, and forced to revive the industry and attract guests, hotels across India are embracing technology at various levels, such as safety, hygiene and innovation