New Marriott Chatbot Continues to Push CX Envelope

As chatbots continue to permeate all industries, perhaps no vertical is better suited for the new technology than hospitality. Hotel service demands a 24/7 line of communication, something that has consistently presented a challenge for hotel associates. With chatbots, however, guests have the power of a hotel concierge contained within their smartphone. The latest brand to expand on this trend is Marriott, whose trendy Aloft brand is now offering ChatBotIr to its most loyal guests.
 
Available to members of the Starwood Rewards loyalty program, ChatBotIr can fulfill service requests, connect guests to front desk associates, offer information about the hotel itself, and, in a touch of personality, even offer guests access to a #AloftLive music playlist. ChatBotIr is a natural next step for the Marriott brand that has been a trailblazer in the mobile space since 2015 when it introduced Mobile Requests to allow guests to text directly with hotel associates. Even before that, Aloft innovated the original BotIr, a robotic butler that served much of the same functions as ChatBotIr, minus the convenience of smartphone communication.
 
"By embracing emerging messaging technologies, we can expand service to our guests on their terms and through communication channels, they increasingly prefer and feel comfortable using," said Stephanie Linnartz, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Marriott International. "The delivery of on-demand service enables Marriott to simplify travel, remove friction and power up even better service for our guests at more moments throughout their travel journey."
 
 The Aloft brand came to Marriott as part of the mega-merger with Starwood Hotels & Resorts a year ago, which created the world’s largest hotel company. The ChatBotIr program has proven successful thus far, with two out of every three guests interacting with the platform. The success of chatbots is predicated largely on the speed at which a customer is able to get information back from the technology, and Aloft has shown no problems in that regard, with most ChatBotIr users receiving a reply within five seconds.
 
Chatbot technology isn’t going anywhere. On the contrary, the convenience and speed at which customers are now able to receive service have created heightened expectations, necessitating constant improvements to the technology. As the latest step in hospitality’s utilization of the platform, Aloft’s ChatBotIr is a glimpse into the (near) future of hotel CX.

Recent Content

Membership and Pricing

Videos and podcasts

Membership and Pricing