Originally posted on the Amadeus Corporate Blog
I want more towels, or to order room service, but in order to call the right number (some hotels it’s 0, or 9, or 1), I first have to look for the instructions manual in the room, then find the right number and call it. But what if you could just ask for the towels out loud (yes, with no telephone or another handheld device) knowing that room service will receive your message straight away and bring them directly to your room?
Voice interaction from guest’s rooms and in other areas around a hotel is becoming a reality.
Voice is already revolutionizing domestic technology, from mobiles to kitchen devices to cars. It is now set to change the hospitality sector by allowing for a better and more flexible guest experience, from small requests such as towels to event attendees asking about the sessions on the program for an event. On the operational side, voice can help employees do their work faster than they can type. Think about processing a deposit, checking space or updating guarantees. For hoteliers, voice capabilities mean a better allocation of resources to speed up processes and provide better guest interactions.
Amadeus is working on voice recognition from two different perspectives: as an enabler and as a developer.
As an enabler, Amadeus recently partnered on a high impact technical integration with Volara – whose software is facilitating the deployments of Amazon’s Alexa at some of the world’s leading hotel chains. Volara’s proprietary software enables hotels to create remarkable voice-based brand experiences, while improving the efficiency of guest services, influencing guest behavior, and providing data and analytics that will improve decision making. Volara’s capabilities are now available for all Amadeus Service Optimization (HotSOS) customers.
A group of Amadeus Hospitality developers worked specifically on four areas of the Alexa technology to integrate and leverage its functionalities within the hospitality platform. The services allow guests to perform the following interactions from an in-room registered device:
- Request the delivery of items to the room using service order integration to Amadeus’ Service Optimization ( HotSOS) platform
- Request a group event agenda or list of events from the reservation organizer This information comes from Amadeus’ advanced Sales and Event Management Solution (Delphi.fdc)
- Request the hours and locations of various hotels services
- Request a list of the hotel service capabilities
For guests, these capabilities can mean a better and more complete experience. For hoteliers, they can mean a more effective way of serving and addressing their guests’ needs.
These are just some of the opportunities that voice systems bring for the hospitality industry. But the future holds much more, which will help hoteliers build a better brand experience for their guests. Voice is here to stay, so get ready to speak up for your requests!
