By Chris Barton
National Account Manager – Hospitality System Integrator Partners
LG Electronics
Innovation Powers Convenience and Contactless Control
Raised in England, I enjoy sports like rugby, cricket and football (soccer to my North American friends) and I appreciate good manners — which is why I have reluctance ordering Alexa around without so much as a please or thank you. I do enjoy the convenience and instant gratification of virtual assistants and so will (temporarily) set my English pedigree aside in the trade-off for Alexa’s hyper-efficiency.
At LG we’ve recently had the opportunity to work with the team at Alexa For Hospitality (A4H), and it’s been an enjoyable and illuminating experience to engineer a hospitality-centric system that delivers rich guest experiences along with property operational efficiencies.
We’ve jointly developed a solution that combines the features of LG’s Pro:Centric® Direct solution connected with Alexa devices in the guestroom, which effectively makes the LG television screen an extension of Alexa. Guests can now use Alexa to display the room service menu on the screen, display information about the property amenities, restaurants, bars, etc., and make reservations using voice and the TV screen.
In addition, being able to voice-command the television, access hotel services and control Internet of Things devices like shades, lights and thermostats is a significant leap forward in guest comfort and convenience and helps position the hotel brand as an innovation leader. And now that we’re in the midst of a pandemic-era model of hospitality, contactless device control and cleanliness is critical for guest comfort and confidence.
Pro:Centric Direct is our in-house developed “infotainment” application that is offered to hotels through our system integrator (SI) partners. This in-room solution offers custom UX/UI so that SIs can tailor the guest experience based on the brand design and end user experiences required. In addition to a digital compendium and interactive TV program guide, the system supports Smart Applications launch, third-party casting solutions and PMS integration for automated guest checkout.
The system will roll out next year, and I hope you get to read about the ways that SIs are incorporating Pro:Centric Direct and A4H capabilities into their service offerings, how hotels are capitalizing on the operational efficiencies and how guests are enjoying a richer experience — with even more contactless control!
When that moment arrives, I look forward to having the lights in my hotel room dim, the shades drop, the HVAC just right and my rugby game on a gorgeous LG television as room service (bangers and mash, if you please) arrives — all contactless and on my command. Even with my very English accent.
You can be sure I will thank my server!