'Smart Studio Rooms' to now enable Alexa for your room check-ins

With the Internet of Things (IoT) and voice-enabled technologies playing a pioneer for the future, making requests for services such as room cleaning, wake-up calls, laundry, in-room dining, and room check-out is now made easy by Alexa.

With a comprehensive and intuitive smart hotel room feature in India, Park Inn by Radisson IP Extension recently launched its voice assistant-enabled smart hotel rooms, which enables complete automation of service requests and virtual control of TV and lighting fixtures.

"The efficiency of the hotel has improved since the installation of Smart Studio Rooms, as it reduces the time taken to provide the service, due to instant notification and thus improving the performance. The guests can now request for services such as room cleaning, wake-up calls, laundry, in-room dining, and room check-out by speaking to the smart device," said General Manager, Park Inn, I.P. Extension, Saurav Dutta.

He added that the guests can use their mobile devices to play videos and listen to music, such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube, beamed onto the TV set.

"With the voice-activated in-room solutions we expect a 50 percent improvement in housekeeping efficiencies; ensuring speedier completion of service requests. Eventually, the intent is to diversify & grow the connected room features, as part of our on-going efforts to offer bespoke experiences that evolve with the needs of our patrons," added Saurav Dutta.

Behind the motive of installing Alexa as an interface, the brand believes that the service will enhance the guest experience using technological innovation and ensuring timely delivery of work while increasing the convenience of the customers and overall performance of services. "Almost every industry in the world is on the cusp of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, with a promise of improved efficiencies. Therefore, it is time for hotel businesses to embrace this change with great dexterity; as the sector contributes extensively to India's GDP. Six studio rooms in the hotel have been fitted with Amazon Alexa's Echo Dot devices and the services are divided into three categories - accessibility, entertainment and hotel services to serve the customers better. We will continue to enhance and further improve the technology to introduce new prospects time and again," he added.

As mentioned, six rooms in the property have been fitted with Amazon's AI-powered Echo Dot devices. This allows guests to control light settings, music played in the room, and even the television with simple voice commands. Additionally, guests can now request for services such as room cleaning, wake-up calls, laundry, in-room dining, and room check-out by merely speaking to the smart device. Once checked-in, guests can use their mobile devices to play videos and listen to music, such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube; beamed onto the TV set.

For a limited-period, complimentary in-room subscriptions to Amazon Prime Video are also on offer. The guests' mobile can also be used as a remote control for the television and set-top box. What's more, their phones can double as a keyboard and mouse, turning the TV screen into a computer interface. Following the shortcomings, the brand aims to make the interface better by curating voice enabled smart studio rooms for the customers who escalate the services enabled with innovative technology, new challenges are tied up with new technologies.

"Our R&D team is constantly working on refining the experience for the customers by resolving technical issues as and when they appear," he added. Adding to the response which the category has received so far, he said, "It has been a great experience for the guests while staying in our Smart Studio rooms. The customers have shared a positive feedback and found the technology that of a high innovation as these are the first ever smart rooms which they experienced."

"We will continue to improve the technology and make the experience more convenient for the customers," he added. The studio rooms integrated with this new technology have been configured by a Bangalore based software firm, Kamakshi Clouds. The hotel plans to expand the AI services, to other rooms, after careful review of guest preferences in the days to come.