Amazon is bringing its Echo devices to hotel rooms across the country, starting with Marriott
- Amazon on Tuesday announced Alexa for Hospitality, a new program that lets hotel chains place Amazon Echo devices in guest rooms.
- The devices will be tailored to the hotel, so they'll allow guests to call the front desk, request supplies like a toothbrush, ask for hotel information, control the lights, or check out of their room.
- Amazon is working with Marriott International at launch, with Marriott hotels in North Carolina and California becoming the first to test out the program.
A familiar voice may be there to greet you next time you stay in a hotel - Alexa.
Amazon on Tuesday announced a new program called Alexa for Hospitality, which will allow hotels to start placing Amazon Echo devices in guest rooms.
To start, Alexa for Hospitality will be available to hotel groups by invitation. Marriott International will be the first partner, and Echo devices will be placed in rooms at Marriott Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Aloft Hotels, and Autograph Collection Hotels starting this summer.
Marriott City Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Marriott Irvine in Irvine, California, will be the first hotels to have Echo devices in rooms.
While the in-room Echo devices will work a lot like the Echo in your home, they will also have some hotel-specific skills.
Here are some of the things you'll be able to do with an in-room Echo:
- Ask questions about pool hours or the location of the fitness center
- Request room service or housekeeping
- Call the front desk
- Turn on the lights, adjust the thermostat and blinds, or turn on the TV
- Check out of the room
- Book a spa appointment
- Order supplies like a toothbrush or razor
- Play music, either from your own Prime Music, Spotify, or Pandora playlists, or specially curated playlists from the hotel
- Play white noise
- Play TED talks
- Play audiobooks
- Ask for a guided workout
- Check airport wait times
- Play games
- Make phone calls
The Echo devices will be tailored to the specific hotel you're in, and will only work on that hotel's WiFi network - that way, if someone tries to steal the device, it won't work anywhere outside the hotel itself. Hotels will be able to manage every Echo on a customizable dashboard.
Amazon says it also has controls in place to protect guests' privacy. The data collected from the devices is anonymized and won't be shared with the hotels. Guests will be able to log in to their Amazon account using the device, but they won't be able to make purchases. And when a guest changes rooms or checks out, the guest's account will be deleted from the device.