Voice-activated hotel rooms make switching settings easy

Global hotel chain Aloft’s Project: Jetson allows visitors to control lights, heating, entertainment and their own social media streams via voice controls.

From the butler-attended, single hotel room in the Alps to a plethora of travel booking bots, personalization is pushing hospitality industry development. Global hotel chain Aloft recently unveiled its own in-house offering – Project: Jetson. Project: Jetson is a voice-activated app run from an iPad in conjunction with Apple’s artificial intelligence bot Siri. Visitors to some of Aloft’s hotels now use a few simple voice commands to manage the settings of their rooms. Pre-set directions include “Relax” to soften the lighting and “review” to turn on the TV.

Set-up is quick, with guests speaking to Siri in turn so she recognizes each voice. The bot’s full concierge capabilities are available, providing visitors with information about the area and local recommendations. Users can also stream their own social and other channels from the iPad to the TV. And after each stay, all personal details are removed from the system. Currently available in Aloft’s Santa Clara and Boston Seaport locations, development plans include wider use of the technology and additional capabilities, like room service ordering.

How could hospitality and travel businesses work together for even more cohesive bespoke experiences?