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Amazon Brings Alexa To Hotels (zdnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the aggressive-expansion dept.

Amazon is finally bringing Alexa to the hotel room. The e-commerce giant announced Tuesday the launch of Alexa for Hospitality, a specialized version of the voice assistant that integrates into popular hotel software systems for guest services. From a report: Housed inside of an Echo device, Alexa for Hospitality is functionally identical to the Alexa used in homes, except tailored to a hotel's service options. Guests can tell Alexa to order room service, book a spa appointment, call for housekeeping, provide directions, or play music in their room, for example. On the privacy side, Amazon said hotels will not have access to voice recordings of Alexa interactions or responses, and recordings of Alexa commands are remotely wiped when the guest checks out of the hotel. However, hotels can use Alexa for Hospitality to "measure engagement through analytics and adapt services based on guest feedback," Amazon said. Alexa for Hospitality is available to hotels, vacation rentals, and other hospitality providers starting today, with Marriott International signed up to deploy the service across its hotel portfolio this summer.

8 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Uhhh heck no. by GregMmm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So better then buying a device which is listening to you in a home, I'll allow a hotel to purchase a device that listens to me in a room I'm renting. No way. If I saw this in my room, I would unplug it.

  2. No. Just no. by Moof123 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I better be able to unplug the darn thing or I'll be up at the front desk ASAP.

  3. Re:check list for checking in by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Insightful

    More like:

    1. Unplug the listening device
    2. Realize the A/C, TV, lights and kettle are controlled by the (now off) listening device
    3. Plug the listening device back in

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  4. Re:check list for checking in by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah right. That's nice and all, unless you just landed from a 7 hour flight, you're tired, and the hotel room was booked for you in advance by your company. I guarantee you most travelers in that kind of situation just give in and hit the sack.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  5. Random person recording in a hotel room...? by DogDude · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So, if a random independent hotel owner puts a recording device in their rooms, wouldn't that person go to prison for a long, long time? How about the civil suits? I don't understand how people wouldn't want, say, me, to put a recording device in their rooms, but are A-OK with Amazon doing the recording, and sharing that recording with an unlimited number of unknown people.

    People are kinda' dumb.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
  6. msmash is a drone by burningcpu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Amazon is finally bringing Alexa to the hotel room."

    I'm getting a little tired of the blatant advertising on /., and definitely annoyed with the 'related links' section, which highlights the same controversial / offputting links for all stories.

    msmash embodies the new /. Yuck.

  7. "finally"? by sacrilicious · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Amazon is finally bringing Alexa to the hotel room.

    What is this, an advertisement? Pre-supposing the audience has wanted this for a long time?

    --
    - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
  8. Re:My first test by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Funny....

    But on a serious note, will be you able to disable and turn the fucking thing OFF??

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........