Bengaluru, often regarded as India's technology capital, has once again highlighted its status as a center of innovation. This time it caught the attention for welcoming guests virtually into a hotel.
During a stay at a hotel in Bengaluru, the Delhi-based CEO of Entourage was taken aback to discover that the front desk staff had been replaced by a virtual receptionist, who managed all operations from a remote location.
Ananya Narang posted a picture of the virtual receptionist displayed on a laptop screen at the hotel front desk. The CEO of the content-as-a-service platform Entourage referred to it as her personal “Peak Bengaluru” moment, noting that virtual receptionists have not yet been observed anywhere else in India.
In her LinkedIn post, Narang described her experience as a "Peak Bengaluru Moment" featuring a virtual receptionist. She noted that upon checking in, she discovered the hotel had no staff present except for two security guards and one or two technicians.
She said that trained hospitality staff, based at the head office, managed and organised all guest services through video conferencing, eliminating the need for an on-site receptionist. The "virtual receptionist" communicated with guests via a laptop positioned at the front desk.
“Everything was coordinated via trained hospitality staff sitting at their head office simultaneously managing multiple properties,” she said, adding: “You’ll see this nowhere in India yet, except the Silicon Valley.”
Narang’s post drew a range of reactions. On the social media platform X, users engaged in a debate over whether the trend of virtual hotel staff is a groundbreaking innovation or merely an added inconvenience for guests.
A user wrote, “This is a great parable for Indian startups and their 'innovation'. It worsens the customer experience. It worsens the worker experience. But there's a shiny tech buffer thrown in for the sake of it.”
Another wrote, “Wow, that's amazing! I guess the hotel staff is now just a click away. Who needs a physical receptionist when you can have a virtual one? Welcome to the future of hospitality.”
However, for many users, the concept of virtual receptionists was not only fascinating but also questioned conventional views of the hospitality industry.
One user commented, “This is zero hospitality,” while another remarked, “People need to understand that the most crucial component of hospitality is the human connection. This is an example of shoehorning technology in a way that's not a good fit.”
Meanwhile,
For a long time, the hospitality industry was seen as one where working from home was not practical. However, the idea of a virtual receptionist appears to be shifting that viewpoint.
Virtual receptionists utilise technology such as video screens, mobile applications, or AI-driven chatbots to manage tasks usually carried out by human staff at a hotel’s front desk.
