Google launches Nest Hub for hotels to close the gap with Amazon
Google today announced a new hospitality solution with Google Assistant on a Nest Hub tailored for hotel guests to make service requests, check out, play music, make calls, and more. It's the company's answer to Alexa for Hospitality, Amazon's program aimed at bringing its assistant technology into hotels and rentals. Nest Hub for hotels is designed to be a touch-free experience in line with health expert recommendations around COVID-19.
The hospitality segment has been devastated by the pandemic, with hotel losses in the U.S. alone estimated to exceed $46 billion. Several large chains including Hyatt, Radisson, and Hilton have partnered with disinfectant brands like Lysol and Dettol and implemented highly visible cleaning, sanitation, and hygienic protocols in an effort to allay the fears of would-be guests.
Google is betting its new Nest Hub experience will lure back customers, too, with voice commands targeting hotel use cases. From a smart display, guests can say things like "Hey Google, schedule a wake up call," "Hey Google, ask my hotel for extra towels," and "Hey Google, what time does the pool close?" without having to place calls to the front desk. In some hotels, they can also start the check-out process, surface a survey to notify a manager if something is going poorly, or opt to receive promotions and information about upcoming specials when they ask "Hey Google, tell me about the specials."
