At a time when technology has influenced just about everything, guests at the Residence Inn Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard can get room deliveries from the country’s most advanced robot butler.
General Manager Tom Beedon said the hotel’s new robot “Wally” will never replace his staff, but it has been getting plenty of attention from guests.
“They love this thing,” Beedon said. “We have been getting overwhelmingly positive responses from everyone who has interacted with Wally.”
Beedon said his hotel is one of just six hotels in the world where the robot butler is being piloted. He said Wally makes as many as 40 runs a day, delivering everything from fresh towels to Starbucks coffee.
Equipped with a camera and sensors that allow him to avoid guests walking through the lobby and maneuver throughout the hotel, Wally is the brainchild of a company called Savioke that is pioneering robot technology.
Brett Blume, pictured here with Wally, said the robot has been incredibly popular, with guests calling the front desk and asking for deliveries just to see Wally in action.
Though Wally is particularly useful during the graveyard shift, when he can make autonomous deliveries without the help of a staff member (he even calls the elevator himself), Beedon said he is always finding new ways to make Wally more useful.
“We’re trying to make it more interactive for the guests,” said Beedon, who is contemplating having Wally deliver drinks to guests in the lobby or simply interact with guests by asking them how their stay has been.
