Introduction

Robots along with Artificial Reality (AR) have the ability to come together to form a new technological tool for the hospitality industry. Robots are currently being used in many different forms to make company and organizational operations more efficient. This has been a popular topic amongst the industry. Many fear this may take jobs of hard workers while others think it will make jobs easier for the workforce, as well as increase revenue. Artificial Reality is an emerging technology that is continuing to develop. Many companies have started using this technology for training and meetings, as well as an everyday tool for their employees. These two technologies combined would offer a great experience for resorts with their individual benefits and with marketing as well. Using robots to be the vessel for an artificial reality experience will give employees and customers an experience like no other.

When researching this idea using artificial intelligence, many interesting ideas and points were found that would benefit a resort with the use of this technology. We inserted the prompt, ‘I am the owner of a resort and want to use a robot with a camera that can be controlled by a potential guest from their home with an artificial reality headset to tour my resort. Would this be a good investment?’ The AI seemed to support the innovative technology for its ability to easily market the property. It brought up a few good points to back this claim and offered ways to assure the investment is a success. User Experience: The success of this investment will depend on the quality of the user experience. The robot should provide clear and immersive visuals, and the control mechanism should be intuitive for users wearing VR headsets. This information helps to make sure the user experience is prioritized by assuring the visuals and technology within the robot and AR are able to support a seamless experience. This is a great point because the potential customer may have high expectations of the new technology. If these expectations are not met, it may turn the potential customer away from staying at the resort just because of the bad experience with the technology.

Marketing

The AI also offers a way to use this technology as a marketing technique. It says to market this innovation and in turn the resort will be marketed as well. Some potential customers will want to just use the technology and not even think about staying at the resort. However, after an immersive experience, the customer may want to research further with the resort and stay there once they know what their stay will consist of. AI says, Marketing and Promotion: Effectively market and promote this unique feature to attract potential guests. Highlight the immersive and interactive nature of the virtual tours to differentiate your resort from competitors. The AI response points out the fact that this technology would immediately set the resort apart from competitors. This will appeal to potential guests because travelers are always looking for something new. The AI says to highlight this immersive and interactive experience in marketing schemes. This will attract potential guests as well as guests that may not have researched the resort if it weren't for the technology.

Individual research backs the claims of the AI response. When researching what consumers want in the hospitality market, it is clear they want new experiences and something unique. This is because they are traveling in search of something new compared to what they are used to. This technology offers this unique experience before they even step foot on the property. Tourists are drawn to destinations by unique attractions, cultural experiences, local events, and captivating landscapes. Therefore, creating a compelling narrative around these aspects helps in attracting tourists. (Master, 2023) Creating the narrative talked about above would be easy for the resort to do. They can make the tour show all the aspects of the potential experience when a guest stays there. They would be able to form a compelling narrative around the aspects listed by the source.

Reducing Labor Costs/ Enhancing the Experience

Aside from marketing a resort, another way that robots can work together with Artificial Reality would be by reducing labor costs and enhancing the guest experience in a restaurant through a VR headset. A restaurant can include an interactive menu that allows them to use the VR headset to view menu items. When they put on this headset, they would be able to see a plethora of things. They could see all the items on the menu and what they would look like, all the ingredients that go into it and exactly how it’s made, how long it takes to make it, what rating that meal has been getting, and the VR set would even tell the guest the nutrition facts about the meal. The guests could choose what or how much they want to see; they don’t have to see all of the information, but it is all provided and helpful for those who have very specific needs. This is a very helpful tool because it helps cut down the labor costs since the guests can rely on the headset to give them all the information they need. It shows all the important facts and allergens and special details so that nobody orders something they can’t have. There would be no need to worry about hiring and training employees to be servers and learn everything about the menu when they already have the VR headset to take care of those tasks. It would make serving operations go smoother and guests would have a clear understanding of the exact items they are getting-instead of risking asking a server about a meal and getting half the amount of information they need.

Another unique aspect of this experience is the robot. When people find a meal, they would click the button located in the middle of the table to signal their “server” - the robot. The robot’s main job is to take the customer’s orders, but it can also answer questions about the food. However, most people shouldn’t have to ask many questions because the robot will only know the information in the VR headset as it would have the same programming so people should have seen the information already. There would be a specific robot set for a certain section or number of tables in the restaurant; when the button is pressed, it would be signaled and head over to the table as soon as it can. This is a better and more efficient system than using normal servers because humans talk and write down what the guests want before they must go put the order in. With the robot, guests would tell it what they would like, it would hear them, and display it on the robot screen. If something is wrong and they want to change it, they can easily click on the screen, edit it to fix what they need, and then send the request to the kitchen. By taking orders this way, they would get the information sent right away and can head to other guests. The robots could also bring all the meals to the tables. They would have a steady tray and a set path they use to get to their tables. No other robot will have that path so it shouldn’t bump into any other robots while carrying the food. The only things it would need to look out for if people are standing up, walking around, chairs are pulled out, or random little things on the ground- but it could have sensors to know how to get around things and get to the table efficiently. All in all, having a VR headset and a robot in a restaurant can be a game-changer. It is such an efficient yet fun experience and would change the restaurant world for the better.

Efficient Problem Solving and Improving Operations

Artificial Reality (AR) and Robots could also help the hospitality industry through efficient problem solving. An example of how this blend of ideas may look in reality is by using AR to provide users with a sense of presence in a remote location. If hospitality businesses could control a robot in real time through AR, allowing users to perform tasks or explore distant environments without physically being there, then they could drastically improve operations. A head chef of a restaurant within a resort may need to travel somewhere for a business trip or be in another kitchen location for a period of time. If restaurants needed the head chef to still be present in his kitchen, he could be wearing an AR headset in the remote location that is connected to a robot in the active location, while talking and interacting in real time. The employees would still be able to see and talk to him and vice versa. This would allow the chef to maintain control of the kitchen, direct chefs in food preparation, and help with the general operations of the kitchen while they are in a remote location. If the head chef is operating the AR set, he could walk around in real life to make the robot move around the kitchen or even roll along a guided path for the robot, as a kitchen can get very busy and congested sometimes. Another way that the combination of these components can improve operations of a resort could be by using training simulations. The resort could develop virtual reality simulations for training individuals that are in a different location. Adding cameras and sensors to a robot can allow individuals operating a VR set to manipulate objects to enhance the simulation and better train their employees. By creating interactive and engaging educational content, VR users could learn more in depth to create an even greater understanding. In addition, this can also be used for collaborative virtual workspaces with teams of people. It could be possible to replicate the resort through a Virtual Reality simulation where users in different physical locations would not have to travel and would be able to collaborate together through the virtual simulation. It would be possible for all users in different places to be able to meet in one virtual room to learn new things and collaborate together. This goes the extra mile of putting employees in the actual room together, compared to zoom or video chat based collaborative workspaces. This would benefit the operations of many different departments. For example, housekeepers could gather together in the simulation to efficiently learn new solutions for room cleaning and implement any new practices for the housekeeping department. Engineers, also, could use this combination of technology to improve the operations of the resort. They would be able to simulate and test the behavior of robots in virtual environments before deploying them in the real world. This helps identify potential issues and optimize performance. Overall, Artificial/Virtual Reality and robotics would help hospitality businesses such as resorts better manage, train, and meet by creating more efficient operations and problem-solving techniques.

Sales

The convergence of robotics and Artificial Reality (AR) technologies presents a transformative opportunity for resorts, not only in enhancing the guest experience but also in significantly boosting sales. One notable advantage is the use of AR for the immersive potential of virtual tours, allowing prospective customers to explore resort facilities and accommodations in a lifelike manner from the comfort of their homes. This goes beyond the conventional visual aids of photographs or videos, providing potential guests with a compelling preview that aids them in making well-informed decisions. The result of such would be a higher likelihood of booking a stay, directly contributing to increased resort sales as the influx of guests grows.

Beyond the realm of pre-booking experiences, AR technologies play pivotal roles in the realm of marketing and promotions for resorts. Virtual experiences and AR campaigns can serve as dynamic showcases for special offers, events, and exclusive packages. This might include virtual previews of upcoming themed parties or exclusive dining experiences; It would create a sense of anticipation and exclusivity that appeals to guests seeking distinctive and memorable experiences. The outcome is a heightened ability to attract a diverse clientele, directly impacting sales by catering to the preferences of modern, experience driven consumers (Semicolonweb, 2023).

In addition to the immersive capabilities of AR, the incorporation of robotics further amplifies the resort experience. Imagine robots assisting with concierge services, delivering room service, or providing interactive entertainment. The seamless integration of robotics not only enhances operational efficiency but also adds futuristic and tech savvy elements that can appeal to a broader demographic. This unique blend of AR and robotics creates an unparalleled guest experience, enticing them to explore and spend more, thereby positively impacting overall resort sales.

Taking a closer look at specific applications, resorts can leverage Virtual Reality to create comprehensive virtual showcases of event spaces and wedding venues. Event planners and potential guests like engaged couples can virtually tour these spaces, experiencing the layout and ambiance in a realistic and immersive manner. Meanwhile, AR applications can provide real-time information as guests explore the resort grounds, highlighting promotions and detailing facilities. The inclusion of robotics can manifest in various forms: from automated check-in processes to the utilization of robotic waitstaff in dining areas, further enhancing operational efficiency and guest engagement. Collectively, these innovative technologies create a holistic and futuristic approach to guest experiences, driving upsells and directly influencing sales across various facets of a resort's offerings.

Adding in Artificial Intelligence

AI is a third element that could be added to robotic and Artificial Reality technological inventions in hospitality. AI would benefit these inventions by saving time, energy, and providing adequate customer service. After asking Vercel AI how including AI could do so, it provided explanations on how AI has improved response times, 24/7 availability, personalized interactions, language translation, and insights from analytics. Applying these benefits to an AR Robot technology would help the overall experience have better customer service because of what AI can do. For example, consider the resort tour experience that takes potential guests on a live walkthrough of what their stay would look like. By adding an AI chat bot to the invention, it would be able to be a tour guide for the potential guest. If a guest had a question about the resort, the AI chat could give the person an immediate response so that they would not need to wait for a human to attend to them. AI’s 24/7 availability would also allow for chatbots to provide tours any time of day-even outside of normal operating business hours-which could be convenient for working potential guests. Personalized interactions would occur because AI systems can use customer data to give recommendations and provide the most attractive tour possible based on users’ individual preferences. In addition, most human tour guides unfortunately can’t be multilingual, but an AI tour guide can. AI processing’s language translation can help attract a wider range of international customers because it can communicate in any language providing a service to others that most human guides would not be able to do. Lastly, AI systems could also analyze customer data from their resort tours to identify patterns, trends, and even common issues. Doing so can help the resort improve their experience and make better informed decisions and changes. All in all, incorporating AI in any Robotic and Artificial Reality in hospitality business operations would make services better. By applying this idea to an AR headset robot tour, it shows the benefits that employees and users could have .

Conclusion

In conclusion, robotics, Artificial Reality, and Artificial Intelligence each have their own skills to benefit businesses, specifically the hospitality industry. With robots’ abilities to perform human-like tasks and AR/AI’s electronic realities and information systems, hospitality businesses such as resorts would benefit from combining the technologies into a new invention. Whether it is in marketing, restaurant serving, sales, management, or training, advanced technologies will bring success into hospitality’s economy.

Works Cited
Create - Ai Image Generator: Create art or modify images with ai. OpenArt. (n.d.). https://openart.ai/create

Master. (2023, September 13). 10 tips to attract tourists to your destination. Timely. https://time.ly/blog/tips-for-attracting-tourists-to-your-destination/

SemiColonWeb. (2023, February 20). How hotels can leverage AI to boost sales. mycloud Hospitality. https://www.mycloudhospitality.com/blog/how-hotels-can-leverage-ai-to-boost-sales

Radesh Palakurthi
Professor and Dean, IHG Chair of Excellence Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management University of Memphis
The University of Memphis | Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management