Hotels Should Invest in Voice Control Technology
Hospitality Technology’s 2022 Lodging Technology Study ranked the top emerging hotel technologies and contactless payments, voice enabled devices and artificial intelligence all ranked as the most important emerging technologies within the Hospitality Industry. The study found that 52% of hotel operators reported that guests increasingly preferred digital service encounters over encounters with staff. 55% felt that voice enabled devices was one of the top emerging technologies and 77% reported that guest loyalty was the main contributor of their technology initiatives. With contactless technology, hotels can offer a completely digital experience for guests from the moment they enter the hotel, until their departure.
The use of voice control technology is increasing globally, users of voice assistants and smart speakers increased significantly since the pandemic. According to a recent study conducted by eMarketer, an estimated 123.5 million Americans will use voice assistants at least monthly in 2022, with the expectation of usage increasing in the upcoming years. Guests want a similar hotel experience as they have at home and there are numerous voice technology solutions on the market that hotels can invest in to take the guest experience to the next level.
Amazon’s Alexa for Hospitality
Alexa for Hospitality allows hotels to enhance the guest experience by allowing guests to easily access services and amenities by using their voice. Guests can contact the front desk, place room service requests, control the in-room lighting and temperature and guests can also check out with voice control technology. Alexa’s dynamic language switching enables guests and staff to interact in any language. Guests are also guaranteed their privacy, guest recordings are not saved, and Alexa does not require guests to add any personal information for Alexa devices to operate. Hotels can operate more efficiently with Alexa, guest requests are routed and prioritized, allowing staff to fulfill them more efficiently.
Features and Benefits
- Generate Increased Revenue
- Help Staff Operate More Efficiently
- Valuable Analytics and Insights Capabilities
- Personalize Guest Experience with Alexa
- Dynamic Language Switching
- Private and Secure
Angie by Nomadix
Angie by Nomadix is a multilingual digital concierge that fulfils guest requests, answers common questions, allow guests to request room service, book hotel services and check-out, using voice assistant and touchscreen. Guests can also control the lighting, the TV, the thermostat and curtains all using voice control. Angie allows hotels to 100% customize their property specific answers to guests’ questions. Devices offer 24-hour assistance to guests, allowing hotel employees to focus on delivering a high-quality hotel experience.
Features and Benefits
- 24/7 multilingual assistant with voice control & touchscreen interfaces
- Fully customize answers to guest questions
- Relieve staff from simple recurrent questions, allowing time for high-value services
- Personalize rotating screens for education and advertising (on select devices)
- Analytics and reporting capabilities
- Integrate with in-room automation – thermostat, lights, TV, drapes and more
- Connects to Nomadix Cloud Telephony and many third-party PBX systems
Google for Hospitality
Hotels can use Google to enhance the guest room experience while freeing up staff to focus on other areas of the guest experience. Google for Hospitality allows guests to use Google’s Nest Hub to make requests, place room service orders, play music, control the hotel TV and to check-out using voice control technology. Without lifting a finger and without leaving their rooms, guests can get information, get recommendations, set alarm clocks and make requests using google voice assistant. Guests can also give mid-stay feedback, allowing hotels to resolve issues and to improve the guest experience before guest’s check-out.
Google for Hospitality is designed to respect guest privacy:
- No camera
- Physical mic mute switch
- No audio is stored
- Activity is not linked to guests’ Google accounts
- Activity is cleared from the device and reset for the next guest
Features and Benefits
- Welcome guests with personalized greetings & local recommendations
- Touchless option to make requests, access services & give feedback
- Voice-activated TV & room controls
- Highlight your brand & property amenities
- Tamper-resistant, hospitality-grade solution
- Safeguards for privacy & personal information
- Admin & reporting capabilities
Benefits of Voice Control Technology for Hotels
Enhanced Guest Experience
Without lifting a finger, voice control technology provides guests with the ability to easily access hotel services and amenities.
Guests can do the following:
Make room service requests
Reserve restaurants & other hotel services
Make special requests
Access weather forecasts
Book tours
Personalized Hotel Experience
Hotels can invest in voice control technology to offer guests more control of their hotel experience. Voice control devices in guest rooms allow guests to adjust the room temperature, lighting and curtains to their desired setting using voice assistant.
24/7 Customer Support
Voice control technology allows hotels to offer customer support on a 24/7 basis without guests having to leave their rooms.
Accessibility
Investing in voice control technology allows hotels to better accommodate guests with disabilities by allowing them to access services by using their voice, taking away the need to visit the from desk or to use the room telephone.
Multilingual Capability
Guests can communicate in their native language, removing the language barrier that could prevent guests from clearly communicating with the front desk and housekeeping staff.
Improves Efficiency
Voice control technology helps those in Hospitality to offer guests the best hotel experience possible by reducing response times. 38% of guests felt that front desk staff took too long to complete their requests and 31% were displeased by the delays in service by hotel staff. Voice control allows guests’ requests to be routed and prioritized, allowing staff to respond more efficiently.
Hotels can Better Compete
Investing in voice control technology allows hotels to better compete, hotels can market themselves as modern and technology forward. 34% of guests cited outdated technology in guest rooms as a point of frustration. Voice control technology helps hotels to attract consumers who want a more high-tech guest room experience.