Google partners hotels to provide contact-free, secure stay
San Francisco, Aug 27 (IANS) Google has announced it is partnering with hotels of every size with its new Assistant-powered hospitality solution as the global markets open slowly and people plan travel.
The Google solution is available at hotels including Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, Dr Wilkinson’s Resort in Calistoga, Gale and Shelborne South Beach in Miami, Gansevoort Meatpacking and Synergy Chelsea in New York City, Hotel Zena and Viceroy DC, as well as Village Hotels in the UK.
From a Nest Hub smart display set up in each hotel room, hotels can tailor the guest experience with Google to specifically address common service requests from guests through a simple voice command.
“At some hotels, you can also start a fast check out using Google Assistant when your stay is over so you don’t have to stand in line,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Google Assistant can also surface a mid-stay survey to gauge satisfaction level, and the hotel is notified if something is going poorly.
Hotels can even promote current or upcoming specials by providing a summary when you ask “Hey Google, tell me about the specials.”
The Nest Hub is also for hands-free, in-room entertainment.
Guests can access YouTube to find news, music and exercise videos, all through voice command.
“You can connect your phone via Bluetooth to play your own music, too. The new experience can also be configured by the hotel to let you control and manage devices in the room, like blinds, TVs, lights and more,” Google said.
The customers can ask for the weather forecast, learn about local sites and get news updates from Google Assistant.
They can find updated hours for restaurants and shops, as well as other info related to Covid-19 (including symptoms and prevention provided by the CDC) in the area.
“You won’t need to sign into the device, and no activity will be linked to your personal account,” Google said.
There is no camera on the Nest Hub, and the physical mic switch can be turned off for additional privacy.
“No audio is ever stored, and any activities will be immediately wiped from the device when it’s reset for the next guest,” the company added.
–IANS
na/
