NEW YORK — Google and Volara are partnering to deploy a contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls solution that facilitates private, automated, and live conversational interactions between hotel guests and staff. Running on the Google Nest Hub, guests can ask the voice assistant to make calls, play music, watch shows, request amenities, book services, turn on/off TVs, increase the room temperature, adjust the lights, set alarms, and more. With new safety protocols reshaping the guest experience, this solution from Google and Volara presents a digitally interactive means of connecting guests to their hotel.
“We are thrilled to partner with Google to bring this powerful consumer hardware to hotels,” said David Berger, CEO of Volara. “With Google and Volara, hoteliers can reinvent their guest experience while actually reducing costs. The contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls solution replaces the bedside clock, printed guest directory, and Bluetooth speaker. Soon, I expect our solution to displace the telephone and linear television. This popular and easy-to-use voice assistant will give today’s trepidatious travelers the confidence they need to truly enjoy their stay experiences knowing their every request can be met just by speaking in their rooms.”
Berger added, “With the guest journey constantly changing, hoteliers are becoming more reliant on technology to keep guests safe. Google is curating fun and memorable guest experiences while optimizing hotel operations, driving satisfaction, and improving loyalty.”
Viceroy Hotels & Resorts plans to introduce the Google voice assistant powered by Volara at its newest additions to the brand: Viceroy Washington DC and the forthcoming Hotel Zena, also in D.C. The property’s CEO, Bill Walshe, said that he is grateful to “have technology in place to provide contactless hospitality to ensure guests and staff are as safe and comfortable as possible.” He added, “With Google undoubtedly a household fixture, we look forward to providing a safe, innovative solution that guests are familiar with when they choose to stay with us.”
Gansevoort Meatpacking in New York is also working with Volara and Google to offer guests this experience. “At the Gansevoort Meatpacking we are constantly striving to bring our guests the latest in technology and the most seamless experience possible,” said General Manager Anton Moore. “With this new technology guests can play music, order anything from a bottle of champagne to a set of fresh towels, and even learn more about the neighborhood just by chatting with their Google Nest Hub.”
The Gale South Beach, a Menin Hospitality hotel, is pioneering Google’s hotel solution in Miami Beach, said General Manager Kevin Waldstein. “Travelers will be so appreciative that they can talk to staff remotely via the voice assistant without having to pick up the in-room phone or walk down to the front desk,” he said, adding that the ability to integrate with other technologies will make it easier for the hotel’s team to “manage tasks and ensure that everyone is following new standard operating procedures” while also enabling staff to remain socially distant from guests. “When we reopen in October, we are confident that when guests check out, they won’t to stop talking about their experience at The Gale—and Google’s hotel solutions will be a big part of our success, as it will truly help us deliver extraordinary service in unprecedented times,” Waldstein said.
Google’s hotel solution includes Volara’s real-time conversation management software and secure integrations hub, which connects the solution to hotel technologies, including, among others: task management solutions (Alice, Knowcross, Amadeus/HotSOS, SynergyMMS, GXP, Hmobile, and Nuvola); energy management and room controls (Interel, Telkonet, Schneider Electric, VDA Group, and coming soon Legrande and Lutron); interactive television solutions (Innspire, SONIFI, BeyondTV, and MCOMs); SMS guest engagement (Zingle/Medallia, Kipsu, GoMoment, TrustYou Messaging, and Whistle); and staff alert technologies (React Mobile).
