'Peak Bengaluru Moment': Virtual hotel receptionists make their debut in Bengaluru

The trend of employing virtual hotel receptionists is gaining traction in India, particularly in its bustling tech hub of Bengaluru. Ananya Narang, the CEO of the content-as-a-service platform Entourage, recently experienced this innovative concept during her stay at a local hotel, where she encountered a surprisingly high-tech front desk staffed only by a virtual receptionist.

Narang shared her experience on LinkedIn, showcasing a picture of the virtual receptionist on a laptop at the hotel front desk.

"Peak Bengaluru Moment - A Virtual Receptionist. Once I checked in, I realized the hotel had no staff except for two security guards and one or two technicians," Narang described in her post, highlighting the absence of traditional hospitality staff on-site.

Instead of the usual front desk personnel, a team of trained hospitality professionals coordinated guest interactions remotely, utilising video conferencing technology. Narang stated that this was a unique experience that she had not seen in other parts of India, likening it to the high-tech environments typical of Silicon Valley.

“Everything was coordinated via trained hospitality staff sitting at their head office, simultaneously managing multiple properties,” she noted. This innovative system aims to streamline operations, allowing hotels to function without onsite receptionists.

While some view this move as a groundbreaking step for the hospitality industry, others express concerns over its impact on customer experience. 

Reacting positively to the post, one user commented, "Wow, that's amazing! I guess the hotel staff is now just a click away. Who needs a physical receptionist when you can have a virtual one? Welcome to the future of hospitality!"

Another user said, "Great! Visualising exclamatory experience of yours and many more to be experienced by you and all of us in future."

Another user against this technological advancement commented, " People need to understand that the most crucial component of hospitality is the human connection. This is an example of shoehorning technology in a way that's not a good fit."