California hotel uses wine-delivering room service robot

Hotel Trio in Healdsburg, California has said its wine-delivering room service robot called Rosé has transitioned “from a novelty to a necessity” due to Covid-19.

Rosé, a three-foot robot which uses sensors to travel in the hotel’s lifts and corridors, can deliver groceries, towels and even pet treats to guests.

The automated delivery bot, which has been working at the hotel since 2018, has come into its own after social distancing regulations were put in place.

Rosé can be programmed to deliver items to different rooms. Once it arrives outside the door, guests receive a call that it is waiting outside. It then returns to base and is sanitised after every delivery.

The hotel stated that owing to Rosé’s lack of arms and the ability to carry luggage, make beds and take reservations, it won’t be replacing human roles.

According to Sonoma Magazine, Rosé was made by Savioke, a San Jose-based company which has sold over 80 of its robots to hotels across the US.

Scott Satterfield, general manager of Hotel Trio, commented: “For guests who prefer contactless deliveries, Rosé provides them with peace of mind as she can deliver items to their suite.

“Guests are in awe when they see her digital eyes blink and hear her futuristic sci-fi sounds as she shimmies on the elevator flashing a digital message, “I’m on a guest delivery.””

Lauren Schechtman, vice president of marketing and sales at Savioke, told Sonoma Magazine that technicians map the facility and program the robots with instructions about where to travel to on each floor.

“Once the robot is programmed, it’s basically self-sufficient until the next software upgrade,” she said. “That’s the beauty of having one of these in the hotel. It’s reliable. It doesn’t take breaks. It doesn’t need health care. It’s a good employee.”

Automation and robotics have become hot topics during the coronavirus pandemic as governments around the world encourage physical distancing. Restaurants are increasingly recruiting robotic waiters, while a team in Israel have constructed a mask with a remote control mouth that lets diners eat food without removing their protective facial covering. 

For more unusual approaches to social distancing in restaurants, please click here.