Buffalo, New York – 2 August 2017 –
The Amazon Echo devices provide an easy, fun way for guests to request services, get recommendations, and generally engage with hotel staff and services without the hassle of picking up a telephone. Guests at The Westin Buffalo will be able to ask “Alexa” questions typically asked of a hotel concierge, valet, housekeeper or bellman. The interactions are integrated with existing hotel software and immediately communicated to staff.
The Amazon Echo devices will also operate in tandem with “Chip,” the hotel’s fully-autonomous Relay robot butler, who works with hotel staff to deliver amenities and room service to guest rooms.
The Westin Buffalo is the 12th hotel in the United States to deploy the guest-servicing Echo devices in each of its guest rooms. The devices are managed by software developed by Volara, the leading provider of custom voice-based solutions to the hospitality industry.
Volara’s software aggregates interaction data that hotel staff can use to improve guest services and provides a dashboard that enables the hotel to see all service requests and identify trends within those requests. The dashboard also allows staff to update responses to guest questions to reflect timely offers and upcoming activities.
Of the 12 hotels with guest-servicing Amazon Echoes deployed throughout each of their guest rooms, The Westin Buffalo is one of only a few Marriott properties to do so – the others being the JW Marriott San Antonio and Hotel EMC2 by Marriott’s Autograph Collection in Chicago. Other hotels employing this solution include the Alexis Hotel by Kimpton in Seattle and boutiques including Acme Hotel Chicago and Marina Del Rey Hotel near Los Angeles.