SINGAPORE — Robots that can move a fully set banquet table to its designated location, one that functions as a personal butler, as well as a chatbot that helps to answer hotel guests’ common questions and requests.

These were some of the technological solutions on display at the 4th Hotel Industry Conference, co-organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA).

Some 15 booths were exhibited at the conference on Thursday (Nov 8), showcasing ready-to-use technological solutions to front-of-house and back-end work processes in hotels.

Seven solution proposals were also presented. These were shortlisted projects from the Hotel Innovation Pitch which called for tech entries earlier this year to address manpower shortfalls in housekeeping and food-and-beverage departments

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One shortlisted project was Dancing Tables, a robot that moves dinner tables to designated spots within a banquet venue.

Staff members need only to set up the banquet tables at one spot in the venue, and the robot will move the tables after they are done.

Automation Robotics Technology, the company behind the innovation, said that for a 30-table banquet, the robot can halve manpower needs, as well as cut back on the time spent to set up and take down the tables by about 40 per cent.

Ms Gayle Tan, the company’s business development manager, told TODAY that at least two robots will need to be present at the venue for operations in such a setting.

The company visited a few hotels to check out the work that goes on at a banquet, and found that hotels face constraints in time, manpower and logistics when setting up banquet venues.

Among the ready-to-use tech solutions showcased on Thursday were a personal robotic butler called Wonderboy developed by GT Robot Technology, which provides guests with information about a hotel and nearby attractions, as well as a digital concierge chatbot developed by Singapore tech company Vouch SG.

In May, Vouch SG collaborated with Andaz Singapore hotel in the Kampong Glam district to pilot the ConcierGo programme.

The chatbot is able to help customers from the pre-booking stage to the duration of their hotel stay. For example, hotel guests may give their requirements and special requests, if any, before booking is made, and when they have checked in, they may ask the chatbot for recommendations on places to visit or eat.

Vouch SG founder Joseph Ling told TODAY that guests can access the chatbot in two ways: Through the hotel’s Wi-Fi landing page, or as a chatbot on Facebook’s messenger platform.

Andaz said that it has noticed a reduction in queries posed to its front desk and call centre since the chatbot has been in use. The hotel, which is under the Hyatt brand, is now working with the Hyatt International Group to roll out the chatbot to other hotels in the group.

TECH AS SUPPORT, NOT A THREAT

Efforts have been ongoing to encourage hotels to adopt technology and innovation in their work processes — from those at the front-of-house such as check-in and concierge services, to back-end ones such as housekeeping.

The STB said in a media release on Thursday that productivity in the hotel sector has grown by about 5 per cent yearly since 2015.

On whether certain roles in the hotel may be made redundant with greater use of technology, SHA’s executive director Margaret Heng said that it was a “misnomer”.

“On the contrary, (technology) will enable (workers to be) even better at what they are doing. And this will give them more time to interact with the hotel guests,” Ms Heng added.

STB’s director of hotels and sector manpower Ong Huey Hong also said that in adopting technology, especially for back-of-house processes such as housekeeping, hotels can “release the workforce to do (jobs of a higher value), such as interacting with guests”.

On Thursday, the STB and the Hotel Innovation Committee launched the Smart Hotel Technology Guide, which identifies key technologies that hotels can adopt. The committee, led by SHA, was set up in 2016 to drive the hospitality industry to adopt innovative technologies and raise productivity.

To facilitate link-ups between vendors in the technological field and hotels, a Hotel Technology Directory, which lists more than 70 vendors, was also launched.

Ms Ong said: “While productivity in the hotel industry has been increasing over time, we want to support the industry to boost productivity further and manage labour shortages more effectively.

“It is critical for the hotel industry to look beyond the present and learn to innovate and be future-ready.”