Aloft unveils voice activated hotel rooms

Starwood’s Aloft Boston Seaport and Aloft Santa Clara have become the first Aloft hotels world over to launch voice activated guest rooms. 

This is made possible via in-room iPads and what Aloft refers to as the results of its top secret “Project: Jetson” experiment.

The iPads run a custom Aloft app used for controlling the in-room guest experience, with HomeKit-enabled accessories including room temperature, lighting options and more.

Aloft Hotels global brand leader Brian McGuinness said: “Forget the phrase ‘at the touch of your fingertips.’ Today’s early adopter, hyper-connected global traveller wants a level of personalisation unlike ever before, and that means being able to control their hotel experience with the sound of their voice.”

A personalised welcome screen will advise guests on how to set up their room and use their own voice with “Hey Siri.” Each iPad also offers a simple tutorial to guide guests through the setup process and answer any questions they may have.

The new Aloft Voice-Activated Hotel Rooms also allow guests to browse the internet, check the weather and more. At the end of each stay, all iPads are reset and all personal preferences are removed from the device.

Other tech offerings from Aloft have included: Botlr, the world’s first robotic butler, currently employed at Aloft Cupertino and Aloft Silicon Valley; TiGi (“text it, get it”) the world’s first Emoji-only room service menu; and SPG Keyless, which allows guests to utilise their smartphones as room keys.