Discover the hotel room of the future

For hoteliers who want to stay ahead of the competition, embracing new technology isn’t an option—it’s a must. 

That’s why our recent Amazon Smart Properties Webinar took a deep dive into voice-activated technologies for hotels with Russ Goeckner, CEO and founder of Hotel Genie and Matthew Gronlund, Alexa Business Development Manager. Together they unpacked how immersive voice experiences could change the game for hospitality properties and explored the hotel room of the future.

Check out four key insights to help you shape the next generation of hospitality with Alexa Smart Properties and ambient voice technology. 

Tip 1: Incorporate self-service technology to streamline tasks

According to a Skift study on hospitality in 2025, 73% of travelers are more likely to stay at a hotel that offers self-service technology. “New technology makes everything easier: better, quicker, faster,” says Goeckner. “As a traveler, do you want to go stand in line or wait on hold, or do you just want to shout out a command and get something done?”

Self-service technology and voice-activated devices offer customers a more seamless travel experience. With Alexa-enabled devices to create customized campaign cards that play across screens, hotels also have the opportunity to increase revenue without relying on intrusive ads.

“Maybe there is a bridal party in the hotel and you want to get them down to happy hour at four o’clock,” says Goeckner. “You can send a push notification out to that group and get everybody down there,” without having to play an ad or cause unnecessary interruptions.

Tip 2: Use personalization to increase guest satisfaction (and revenue) 

“The hotel room of the future is one where guests have the most personalized experience possible,” says Gronlund. “Everybody wants to feel special.” 

A Hilton trend study revealed that 86% of travelers are looking for personalization in their travel experiences—and Alexa-enabled devices are a valuable tool in helping hoteliers make every guest’s stay memorable. 

Take room temperature, for example. “We can set the room temperature to what [the guest] had set last time,” Goeckner says. It’s easier than ever to take guest preferences into account to ensure their room is comfortable from the moment they arrive.

For hotels, voice technology also unlocks a new way to increase revenue in a competitive market. When on-property spas have last-minute openings, in-room devices provide a convenient way to promote flash deals. “As a guest, I feel like ‘Oh wow, there’s an opening in the next 20 minutes and I’m saving 20 or 30 percent,’” Gronlund says. “And for the hotel, enacting that booking gains them 70 or 80 percent [revenue].”

Tip 3: Drive staff efficiency with voice technology 

65% of hoteliers say tech-driven staff efficiency is their top strategy to address labor shortages and attract talent, per Skift’s study. “Being able to make things more efficient without intruding on the guest’s convenience is top of mind,” says Goeckner. 

One use case lies in streamlining simple guest requests. With a virtual concierge system powered by Alexa, guests can make housekeeping requests, order food and drinks, and book reservations using the natural medium of their voice. It’s as easy as asking, “Alexa, what time does the pool close?” or saying, “Alexa, I need two towels.”, 

These new technologies aren’t replacing staff—they’re making their experience more impactful. “It’s not eliminating the human element,” says Gronlund. “It’s just empowering that human element to exist in a more thoughtful way.” 

Tip 4: Grow loyalty programs with simplified enrollment

Hoteliers and guests love loyalty programs. For hotels, they’re a way to keep current customers happy and get more repeat stays. For customers, they offer a higher level of personalization, occasional perks and amenities like upgrades or free breakfast, and strong incentives to build loyalty to a brand. 

So why, according to the 2023 Traveler Value Index Survey, are only 44% of guests utilizing loyalty programs? One clue comes from inconvenient signup processes. 

“If we can make it easier for the customer to sign up for a program using information that we may already have, we can fill [the signup forms] out for them,” says Goeckner. Sometimes, eliminating a single step in the sign-up process can make all the difference. “Anything that we can do to make the task easier is going to help improve enrollment in that program.”

Sign up to watch the full webinar and learn how Alexa Smart Properties for Hospitality can help you create the hotel room of the future.