Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here! No need to spend time watching reruns of The Jetsons or dreaming about hiring a fulltime R2D2; it is 2014, and we are officially living it!
Aloft, a Starwood Hotel, recently announced their launch of A.L.O., the hotel chain’s first Botlr (or, Robotic Butler) for testing at their properties. This new-age butler is designed to take care of guests’ room service requests; it can fulfill any simple need or easy task for hotel guests, without interrupting their privacy of their hotel room.
This prototype was funded by Starwood Hotels, which are known for their innovation and progressive thinking. It is designed to venture to a room all on its own—it can even send signals to the elevator!
It will call the hotel room’s phone once it has arrived at its destination, and to detect when the door has opened. When the door opens, the Botlr lifts the storage bin’s lid, offering guests what they ordered.
Rather than tipping staff, the Botlr asks for a review of the service. Best of all, those who offer good reviews are presented with an extra treat—the robot does a short, cute dance! This is a unique and exciting way to establish positive room service while allowing for privacy.
We are ecstatic to see this type of innovation from a Starwood hotel, as we work with a number of Starwood properties. We look forward to find out what other treats are around the corner with Starwood properties—whether or not a smart robot comes bearing them.