The Westin Buffalo becomes first New York State hotel to install Amazon Echo devices in each of its guest rooms
Global hospitality company Delaware North today announced the installation of Amazon Echo devices in each of the 116 guest rooms at the company-operated Westin Buffalo hotel. This comes as more businesses are looking for new ways to improve their customer satisfaction and boost their hospitality. Obviously, most businesses don’t have the budget to do this but as the digital age takes over, businesses who don’t implement wifi marketing and other modern marketing techniques won’t be able to grow and will slowly see a decrease in business. This is why Westin Buffalo have taken this big step forward to modernize their hotel.
The Westin Buffalo, a luxury lifestyle hotel located within Delaware North’s global headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y., is the first hotel in New York State to deploy the guest-servicing Echo devices in each of its guest rooms, and just the 12th hotel in the United States to do so. The devices are managed by software developed by Volara, the leading provider of custom voice-based solutions to the hospitality industry.
The Amazon Echo devices provide an easy, fun way for guests to request services, get recommendations, and generally engage with hotel staff and services without the hassle of picking up a telephone. Guests at The Westin Buffalo will be able to ask “Alexa” questions typically asked of a hotel concierge, valet, housekeeper or bellman. The interactions are integrated with existing hotel software and immediately communicated to staff. It will be interesting to see if this catches on at other hotels. For many customers, the service provided by an Amazon Echo simply isn’t essential. If you are struggling to find a hotel that has all the essentials you require on your travels then it might be worth paying a visit to Hotel Jules for some helpful reviews.
The Amazon Echo devices will also operate in tandem with “Chip,” the hotel’s fully-autonomous Relay robot butler, who works with hotel staff to deliver amenities and room service to guest rooms.
“The Westin Buffalo is proud to be leading the way in bringing this innovative service solution to our guests,” said Tom Long, the hotel’s general manager. “By leveraging the most cutting-edge technology in our industry, we’re ensuring our guests have a unique, memorable and exceptional experience every time they stay with us.”
Volara’s software aggregates interaction data that hotel staff can use to improve guest services and provides a dashboard that enables the hotel to see all service requests and identify trends within those requests. The dashboard also allows staff to update responses to guest questions to reflect timely offers and upcoming activities.
“Volara is proud to be working with Delaware North and The Westin Buffalo to put the services of the hotel at the tip of their guests’ tongues,” said David Berger, CEO of Volara. “Our hospitality voice hub is today serving as a seamless voice-interface for the leading technologies in the hotel industry, many of which are being leveraged by this tech-forward Westin hotel in the heart of Buffalo.”
Of the 12 hotels with guest-servicing Amazon Echoes deployed throughout each of their guest rooms, The Westin Buffalo is one of only a few Marriott properties to do so – the others being the JW Marriott San Antonio and Hotel EMC2 by Marriott’s Autograph Collection in Chicago. Other hotels employing this solution include the Alexis Hotel by Kimpton in Seattle and boutiques including Acme Hotel Chicago and Marina Del Rey Hotel near Los Angeles.
About Volara
Volara is THE provider of custom voice-based solutions to the hospitality industry. Named a TechOvation semi-finalist by Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) and an Alexa Enterprise Agency by Amazon – the only such agency focused exclusively on the hospitality industry — Volara’s proprietary software creates a hotel business tool atop the leading hardware and natural language processing platforms. Volara’s proven best practices ensure high utilization rates and an optimal guest experience – ensuring hotel guests’ engagement is personal and remarkable. Volara enables hotels to serve guests more efficiently and subtly influence their behavior while leaving them with a warm feeling toward the brand. For more information, please visit www.volara.io.
About The Westin Buffalo
Ideally located in the heart of downtown Buffalo, The Westin Buffalo is just steps from the city’s unique architecture, prominent historical sites, and myriad arts and entertainment options. The 116-room lifestyle hotel offers luxurious guest rooms with glorious furniture like a white gloss sideboard with matching bed and all fully equipped with Westin’s signature Heavenly in-room amenities, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness center, complimentary Wi-Fi and two signature on-site restaurants. The property, which also features 7,300 square feet of versatile event space, is a member of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts family and is operated by Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality. For more information, visit www.westinbuffalo.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Delaware North
Delaware North is one of the largest privately-held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for more than 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our thousands of employee associates are dedicated to creating special experiences one guest at a time in serving more than 500 million guests annually. Delaware North has annual revenue of about $3 billion in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurants and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries. Learn more about Delaware North at www.delawarenorth.com.
Business Trips to New York State
If you or anyone in your company are planning a business trip to New York State and you want the best rates available when placing your booking make sure to ask for the corporate hotel rate. This is a discount given only to companies, this type of rate is not available to just anyone wanting to book a room, asking for the discounted rate upon arrival may not be possible so make sure to discuss the corporate hotel rate when making your reservation.
