Guests at Aloft Hotels can now control their guestrooms using in-room iPads equipped with a custom Aloft app and Apple’s Siri voice assistant. The system—already available at Aloft Boston Seaport and Aloft Santa Clara—lets guests adjust lighting, temperature and other room settings simply by speaking.
“Forget the phrase ‘at the touch of your fingertips.’ Today’s early adopter, hyper-connected global traveler wants a level of personalization unlike ever before, and that means being able to control their hotel experience with the sound of their voice. We’re thrilled to be the first hotel brand to bring voice-activation to our guests in this way, using Siri to control room temperature, lighting and more during their stay,” said Brian McGuinness, global brand leader for Aloft Hotels.
Sarah Downing, vice president of global guest initiatives and innovation at Aloft Hotels, added that the brand is constantly exploring new uses of technology to redefine the guest experience. “We love working with companies like DigiValet to help bring our visions to life. The new Aloft Voice Activated Hotel Rooms are going to change the way that our guests interact, literally, with their room during their stay with us. It’s the latest way Aloft is changing the way we all travel,” she said.
When guests arrive, they launch the Aloft app on the in-room iPad and set it to recognize their voice. The app guides guests through available features, and if they choose, they can sign in to their iTunes account to play a personalized playlist or a favorite song by voice command. In addition to controlling room systems, Siri functions as a virtual concierge, responding to requests and helping guests access services through simple spoken commands.
The in-room iPads also provide standard tablet functionality such as web browsing and using other apps. For privacy and security, every device is reset at the end of each stay, removing personal settings, account information and preferences so the next guest begins with a clean device.