Amazon announced a new version of the smart speaker, Alexa for Hospitality, to assist hotel guests with in-room services.
Specifically designed for hotels, Marriott International will be trying the new version soon, but one local hotel is ahead of the game.
Each room at The Inn at the Pier in Pismo Beach features a standard Alexa device, helping some guests get ready for the day.
"We wanted some tunes so we said, ‘Alexa play Ed Sheeran radio’ and so we started rocking out to that. Then we wanted to know if we needed a sweatshirt, so we asked what the weather was," Soul Rowen said, a guest at the Inn.
Hotel guests said it is a convenient way to get the information you need, but one guest voiced some privacy concerns.
"We’ve been using it to find restaurants and places to go," Robin Taylor said, but also added, "I do have technology concerns with all technology nowadays because of people being able to hack into things."
Amazon’s hotel version will automatically disconnect a guest’s Amazon account from the device if they choose to temporarily log in.
Alexa for Hospitality is invite-only.
Expect to see them this summer in rooms at Marriott International, Westin Hotels and Resorts and more.
