Aloft Hotels, part of Starwood, has unveiled voice-activated rooms this week in the US.
The voice-activated technology is integrated with Apple’s Siri; it runs a custom Aloft app on iPads placed in the rooms. With this, guests can control the temperature, lighting, television, music and so on with a simple voice command.
It will debut in Aloft Boston Seaport and Aloft Santa Clara in California — under the “Project: Jetson” initiative.
“Today’s early adopter, hyper-connected global traveller wants a level of personalisation unlike ever before, and that means being able to control their hotel experience with the sound of their voice,” says Brian McGuinness, global brand leader of Aloft Hotels.
When guests launch the app on their in-room iPads, they’re greeted with a personalised welcome screen and a tutorial that walks them through the technology. Any request made thenceforth must begin with “Hey Siri”, followed by the command.
For example, if the room temperature is warmer than desired, they must say: “Hey Siri, cool the room,” or to switch from nigh-mode lighting to day-mode, “Hey Siri, good morning.” Siri also acts as a personal concierge when asked to list sightseeing attractions and restaurant options in the city. Further, by logging on to the app with personal Apple account details, Siri can play songs from the synchronised iTunes account.
Aloft Hotels is positive about the success of the new technology, and hopes to introduce it to its other properties worldwide.
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