Alexa, turn on the lights. And while you’re at it, open the curtains, flip on the TV, set the thermostat to 72 degrees, and order me a cheeseburger from room service.
Not long ago, these hotel-room commands would’ve fallen on deaf ears — unless you were traveling with an extremely accommodating partner who happened to be named Alexa.
However, since artificial intelligence (AI) began infiltrating all aspects of our lives, hotel industry leaders have been tasked with figuring out how to incorporate this modern technology — both in front of and behind the scenes.
That includes addressing the invisible elephant in the hotel room: Where does voice AI technology fit in?
Specifically, do most hotel guests want voice assistant (VA) smart speakers — think Amazon Echo and Google Nest — added to the in-room amenity list? And do the benefits outweigh the risks for hotel operators?
The consensus answer to both questions, for the moment: It’s complicated.
At least that was the general takeaway from a pair of recent AI-related research projects overseen by two 51ԹϺ Hospitality College faculty members.
Alexa, are you still listening?
During the last half decade, smart speakers have become as ubiquitous in our homes as toasters — both here in the U.S. and abroad.
We use them to play music, relay the latest news headlines, place and track online orders, and of course, tell us the weather after rolling out of bed each morning.
But what if these devices were offered in hotel rooms and able to accomplish all kinds of functions — from controlling the room’s environment to requesting an extra set of towels to reserving tickets for a show — through simple vocal commands?
Would we take advantage of such an in-room perk? And more to the point, would we view it as a perk or rather an intrusive, big-brother-is-listening nuisance?
These questions were at the forefront of a couple of recent studies co-authored by 51ԹϺ Hospitality College professor Mehmet Erdem and associate professor Jungsun (Sunny) Kim.
Erdem and Kim conducted a survey of more than 1,350 travelers from separate cultures — half residing in the U.S., the other half residing in Singapore. The primary objective of the survey: determine which in-room VA functions customers would be inclined to use, as well as the factors that would increase (and decrease) guest acceptance of in-room VA devices.
“There are a lot of potential benefits to using AI-powered voice assistants in terms of money saving, data collection, guest experience, and employee productivity,” says Kim, who has been teaching in the Hospitality College since 2012. “But as with any new technology, there are positives and negatives.”
The study’s significant findings: In-room VAs would be welcomed by guests for many useful conveniences — respondents from both countries, for instance, said they would be most likely to use the device to inquire about hotel facilities, control the TV, make housekeeping requests, and adjust the thermostat.
But respondents also expressed serious concerns about privacy – concerns that can negatively influence a guest’s intention to use in-room VAs.
“A hotel room is a very private place — you don’t want the hotel recording something without you knowing exactly what is being recorded,” Kim says. “Our findings suggest that it’s important for operators to clearly inform their customers about what data will be collected via in-room VAs, how such data will be used, and how long it will be saved.”
Kim notes that it seems most hotel guests have become comfortable with one AI component that most operators have offered for some time now: chatbots. It’s possible customers have accepted this type of AI because it involves a simple exchange of text messages. Not only can guests view these text conversations on their smartphone, but they know when chats start and end.
There are no such assurances when it comes to communications conducted through an in-room VA device. But Kim suggests there’s a simple solution to this particular obstacle: Offer guests the option to receive transcribed notes based on their conversations with in-room VAs (e.g., text messages or emails depending on guest p