The Hotel Room of the Future Will Listen to You

Is the air conditioning turning you into a popsicle? Is the television too loud? Are you hankering for a midnight snack? Don’t just sit there. Tell your hotel room.

Aloft hotels, a brand of Starwood, has unveiled a new service that is straight from the future: voice-activated guest rooms. Aptly-named Project Jetson, the high-tech rooms allow guests to speak their requests and Apple’s voice-powered assistant, Siri, will do her best to make it happen.

Guests can access the system via their own iPhones or an in-room iPad. Once connected, if you want to turn off the bathroom light (for example), simply ask Siri, which is integrated into the room’s lighting systems, as well as the thermostat, sound system, and the local GPS. Guests can also ask their bedrooms for the closest taco shop or pharmacy.

Aloft is planning more features in Project Jetson 2.0, including placing room service orders and more.

Aloft’s Global Brand Manager Eric Marlo told Bloomberg that his vision for the project doesn’t end there. He would also like to see Project Jetson remember visitors’ vacation preferences, whether on business trips, family vacations, or mini-breaks with friends.

The futuristic project is currently available at Aloft’s Boston Seaport and Santa Clara locations. Not all the rooms have the technology, so travelers eager to check it out should contact the hotel to request it.

If you’re looking for an international destination to visit the future, the Clarion Hotel Amaranten in Stockholm has a similar program that uses Amazon’s Alexa to serve their guests.

Project Jetson isn’t Aloft’s first Jetsons-inspired feature: The chain has been a trailblazer in turning hotels from rented bedrooms to techie dream worlds thanks to the robot butler it has on staff at its Cupertino, California, outpost, and mirrors with built-in touchscreen displays that are currently getting a trial run at Aloft’s sister brand, Element in Newark, New Jersey.

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