STAMFORD, CT—Following the successful launch of its first robotic butler, or Botlr, at Aloft Cupertino last year, the hotel brand is sending out a second cyber associate to report for full-time duty at Aloft Silicon Valley.
Additionally, starting Aug. 27, the original Aloft Botlr will hit the road, rolling across country to Aloft Miami South Beach, and later at the new Aloft Manhattan Downtown—Financial District for a short stint this fall before returning to Cupertino.
“We embarked upon this robotic experiment years ago, and it has proven what we suspected all along—humans and robots can coexist and work side-by-side to elevate the guest experience,” said Brian McGuinness, global brand leader, Starwood’s Specialty Select Brands. “Botlr has been an integral part of the Aloft Cupertino experience, and the demand from guests and associates around the world to interact with our biotic bellhop has been astounding. As we add our second Botlr to the Aloft team and transfer our first Botlr to new hotels around the country, we know they will continue to not only make hospitality history, but, more importantly, memories for our guests.”
The brand’s second Botlr will assist Aloft staff in delivering amenities to guestrooms. Dressed in a custom uniform and nametag, Botlr autonomously transports everything from toothbrushes to the daily newspaper as it navigates 172 rooms and five floors of Aloft Silicon Valley. The newest Aloft associate not only frees up existing staff’s time, allowing them to create a more personalized experience for guests, but enhances the hotel’s current tech-forward offerings, according to the company.
As for the original Botler, it will be moonlighting in Miami for a few days at the new Aloft South Beach, where it will surprise guests with deliveries from a special Botlr Takes Miami menu that includes every day beach essentials. Next, Botlr will temporarily join the staff of the new Aloft Manhattan Downtown—Financial District in early fall. As part of this short Manhattan transfer, Botlr will greet guests on select evenings with either bull or bear shaped cookies and candy (depending upon how the stock market performs that day) as well as fetch guest deliveries from a special BotlrHeartsNYC menu including bagels, MetroCards, and every day essentials for survival in the Big Apple. Botlr will also be a part of the hotel’s official ribbon cutting ceremony, slated for early September. It will then return to Aloft Cupertino and rejoin the staff full-time.