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Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the launch of a new ‘delivery robot’ in its Crowne Plaza San Jose-Silicon Valley, in the US state of California.
It is hoped the robot, named Dash, will nhance the guest experience by providing “quick and seamless” delivery of snacks, toothbrushes and other amenities to guests.
Approximately three feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds, Dash is designed to travel at a human walking pace and can independently navigate between floors – it can even call the hotel elevator using a special Wi-Fi connection.
When Dash arrives at the correct room it will telephone the guest to announce its arrival. It then delivers the requested items before making its way back to the front desk where it can dock itself into its own charging station.
The group said that, based on testing at the hotel, the Crowne Plaza brand will determine whether or not to roll out the robot to other properties. It is unclear whether this would include properties in the UK.
Gina LaBarre, vice president of Americas brand management at Crowne Plaza, said: “We are delighted to introduce Dash to our guests at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Milpitas. Given the hotel’s location in the heart of Silicon Valley, it is a natural fit to enhance our service delivery program with the addition of the latest in robot technology.
“We expect our guests to be impressed by the technological sophistication of Dash and its ability to deliver the quality service they’ve come to expect from the brand. Crowne Plaza hotel team members are also excited to explore new, innovative ways to serve our guests using Dash.”
The robot was created by Savioke, which specialises in robot solutions for the hospitality industry.
