Hotel chains in China sign up for biometric check-ins, AI-powered personalization

Alibaba will provide facial recognition for biometric check-ins for in-country travelers at two Marriott International hotels in China, reports industry publication Hotel Management.

Fliggy, Alibaba’s travel service platform, will be deployed during July, with a future global rollout planned.

Traditional hotel check-ins take three minutes, even if there is no line-up, according to Marriott. The self check-in process, consisting of an ID document scan, personal information entry and facial recognition check, takes less than a minute before keys are dispensed.

Alibaba Group has also unveiled a “future” or “Flyzoo Hotel” in Hangzhou. A 1-meter robot with facial recognition capabilities acts as receptionist.

In a similar vein, Tencent has formed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts that Hotel Management writes in a separate article will see artificial intelligence technologies and advanced social network and payment tools implemented for guest convenience and personalization.

The company operates more than 100 hotels and resorts around the world.

For Tencent, the deal is an opportunity to test its smart hotel technologies in an operational environment.

The Australian edition of Hotel Management reports that Mövenpick is planning to roll out 400 smart hotels with facial recognition for check-ins and room access across China. The rollout is being made possible through a partnership with Sunmei Digital Intelligence Group.

The use of facial recognition in China’s hotels is already widespread, with previous reports indicating Marriott is already using it in lobbies, as is fellow U.S. brand Days Inn.

Biometric technology is also being deployed in more hospitality settings in other regions.

Incode was selected by Emirates-based Jumeirah Group in May to provide automated services with biometrics, for example, and has been partnering up with hospitality technology providers.

Article Topics

AI  |  biometrics  |  China  |  facial recognition  |  hospitality  |  personalization  |  travel and tourism