UPDATED 21:34 EDT / JUNE 19 2018

EMERGING TECH

Amazon targets hotels with new Alexa for Hospitality service

Amazon.com Inc. wants its smart-home technology used by accommodation business, introducing a new service today called Alexa for Hospitality that offers tailored Echo devices for hotels, vacation rentals and other hospitality locations.

The service will allow guests in their rooms to ask Alexa for hotel information, order guest services, play music in their room and more. For hotels, Alexa for Hospitality is being pitched as a way to “deepen guest engagement through seamless voice-first experiences.”

Amazon Echo’s have been featured in hotels before, but the new package enables tailored customization down to even a single room. Accommodation providers can allow guests to control and adjust in-room devices such as lights, thermostats, blinds and televisions. They also could ask Alexa to play music from publicly available services, and tap into standard Alexa services such as obtaining information or even playing games.

Not available at launch but described as coming soon, the service will also allow guests to log into their Amazon accounts to access their own services, such as the ability to play music from services such as Amazon Music or listen to audio books from Amazon Audible.

“Customers tell us they love how easy it is to get information, enjoy entertainment and control connected devices by simply asking Alexa, and we want to offer those experiences everywhere customers want them,” Daniel Rausch, vice president of Smart Home at Amazon, said in a statement. “Alexa for Hospitality makes your hotel stay a little more like being at home and gives hospitality providers new ways to create memorable stays for their guests.”

The first customer off the rank is Marriott International Inc., which will roll out Echo devices across select Marriott Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Aloft Hotels and Autograph Collection Hotels starting this summer.

Photo: Pexels

A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:

Your vote of support is important to us and it helps us keep the content FREE.

One click below supports our mission to provide free, deep, and relevant content.  

Join our community on YouTube

Join the community that includes more than 15,000 #CubeAlumni experts, including Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy, Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, and many more luminaries and experts.

“TheCUBE is an important partner to the industry. You guys really are a part of our events and we really appreciate you coming and I know people appreciate the content you create as well” – Andy Jassy

THANK YOU