As part of efforts to personalise and digitise service to hotel guests, Chicago’s Acme Hotel has paired TrustYou’s direct messaging service and Amazon Echo to combine all guest requests via text, email, Facebook messenger and voice control in TrustYou’s dashboard.

Amazon Echo, the hands-free and voice-controlled device to provide intelligent personal assistance, has become increasingly popular for hotels to receive their guests’ wishes through talking to “Alexa” in their hotel room.

“Direct, fast communication and problem-solving is the key to a satisfied and happy guest, which can, in turn, result in good reviews and a loyal customer. Since our hotel is designed to appeal to a young and tech-savvy clientele, Amazon Echo seemed like the perfect match to receive guest requests from the room. Since we were already using TrustYou’s effective messaging tool and dashboard for direct guest communication, the combination of the two was the next logical step”, said Jim Harness, general manager at Acme Hotel.

Amazon Echo devices were installed in all rooms at the beginning of 2017 with the help of Volara, a voice-based guest engagement software. This proved to be a successful investment, as guests rate the innovation positively in their post-stay reviews and state that they like this hassle-free possibility of communicating with the hotel. The most frequent questions for “Alexa” revolve around ACME’s Free Morning Joe coffee service, setting alarms, as well as information about the weather and traffic. The Acme Hotel reports that the integration of “Alexa” has not lead to more requests or a higher workload, but merely offers the modern guest an additional way to communicate with the staff.

“We are proud that our tool has all the makings and the necessary technology to bring the hotel’s guest communication to the next level. Innovative hotels like the Acme Hotel Company are pioneers for the digitisation process and thereby stay ahead of the competition. The combination of Amazon Echo with our messaging feature is a great example of how TrustYou brings flexible and customisable connections to clients and partners to improve the overall guest experience”, added Jennifer Graziano, head of sales US at TrustYou. - TradeArabia News Service