Hotels in China Boldly Go Into the Future


Have You Heard?

AI Smart Rooms take guests’ orders.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation” fans will remember with blissful nostalgia the vision of USS Enterprise Capt. Jean-Luc Picard demanding a “Tea, Earl Grey, hot.” by calling out to the computer in his ready room. The drink would then miraculously appear from a box in the wall known as a “replicator.” We watched with amazement wondering when, if ever, this technology would be available to us in the real world. Well, today, this dream has come true (partially).

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has collaborated with Baidu to introduce AI Smart Rooms into hotels in China. The technology enables guests to talk to the room for all manner of reasons, say, when they wish to switch it from “work” to “leisure” mode or to order food and drinks from room service.

AI Smart Rooms are initially available to guests staying at InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun and InterContinental Guangzhou Exhibition Centre, but, if successful, you can expect this concept to speed across the planet’s hotel network.

The smart room upgrade, however, does not include replicators.

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