The latest development in reshaping the industry is the deployment of service robots. Although robots are appearing in a range of guest-facing and back-of-house functions, many hotels begin their automation journey with cleaning technologies.

A Strategic Entry Point: Cleaning Services

Housekeeping remains one of the most resource-intensive functions in hospitality. It demands significant labor, carries high turnover rates, and involves repetitive, physically demanding tasks. For these reasons, cleaning has become the most logical entry point for robotics adoption. Autonomous cleaning robots are now capable of vacuuming carpets, scrubbing hard floors and even sanitizing high-touch surfaces.

Their benefits are multifold:

• Consistency of Standards. Robots operate to programmed specifications, ensuring uniform cleanliness levels across lobbies, corridors and public spaces.
• Operational Efficiency. Machines can work long shifts without fatigue. This enables faster coverage of large floor areas and frees housekeeping staff to focus on detail-oriented or guest-facing tasks.
• Workplace Safety. By assuming tasks that involve repetitive motion, heavy lifting or exposure to strong cleaning agents, robots help reduce employee injuries and health risks.

“Robotics in hospitality is no longer an experiment - it’s a proven solution,” said TAILOS CEO Micah Green. “Properties deploying Rosie are realizing measurable P&L benefits, freeing staff to focus on higher-value tasks and driving noticeable improvements in cleanliness scores.”

Building Guest Confidence and Satisfaction

For guests, visible cleanliness remains a top priority, especially in the post-pandemic era where hygiene is closely linked to trust. Robots contribute to this by maintaining high cleaning standards in common areas. At the same time, their presence often adds an element of novelty and innovation – factors that can differentiate one hotel brand from another.

Some properties have extended robotic services beyond cleaning, deploying units that deliver amenities to guestrooms, assist with contactless service requests or provide concierge-style information. These applications are designed to support, rather than replace, the personalized service that defines hospitality.

Operational and Financial Considerations

From management’s perspective, robotics offers practical advantages in addressing structural challenges within the industry:

• Mitigating Labor Shortages. Robots can alleviate persistent staffing difficulties, particularly in housekeeping, by supplementing humanteams.
• Cost Optimization. While the initial investment is significant, robots reduce long-term expenditures tied to labor, recruitment, and training.
• Unique language skills. Some concierge or guest engagement robots can translate questions and provide answers in a variety of languages. Many hotels may have a small number of staff who can provide limited translation. Since there may be a translation needed once or twice a month, this enables the hotel to help the guest almost immediately, providing a unique blend of technology and hospitality. Sustainability Goals. Many robotic cleaning systems are designed with efficiency in mind, using less water, energy, and cleaning solutions – aligningt with the industry’s broader environmental commitments.
• Potential Reduced Capex. Regular robotic carpet cleaning maintains surface cleanliness by removing loose dirt, dust and pet hair. This consistent upkeep prevents particles from getting embedded deep in carpet fibers and reduces premature wear.
• Data collection. As robots interact with guests, they can collect information and help hotels better understand guest behavior and expectations.

Jan Lucas, vice president strategic sourcing and partnership at Sage Hospitality Group, commented that her hotel group started using robots about three years ago. The ROI for a cleaning robot at one property was $5.20 an hour, compared with more than $20 an hour for a person to complete the task. Most of the time, the robots clean at night. There are fewer carts, less guest traffic and the robots are quiet. Team members interact with the robot, based on text messages.

Rajiv Castellino, CTO at Marcus Hotels & Resorts piloted robot use about five years ago. Piloting and working with the staff at the different locations helped the group understand the obstacles, service-level factors and the best way to leverage robotics in their group.

Some properties use robots to deliver towels to guests or restock housekeeping supplies. Or when the night auditor is alone, send toothbrushes or other sundries to the room. This means that the delivery time may be longer than a person walking to the room and back. Sometimes, robots have to use back-of-house elevators. They also stop if an obstacle is in front of them. Generally, they move slower than a person.

The Human-Robot Balance

Critically, the role of robotics in hospitality is not to diminish the importance of human service. Instead, it’s to create a balanced environment in which automation supports operational consistency allowing staff to focus on what they do best: delivering empathy, personalization and cultural context. “Robots are coming to hospitality – not to replace people, but to empower them,” said Tangible Robots CEO Bipasha Sen. “The future of hotels is humans and machines working side by side.” The hospitality sector thrives on human connection, and robots function most effectively when positioned as complementary tools rather than replacements.

Biggest Hurdles for Implementation

Convincing hospitality owners to invest in this new technology can be difficult at times. Pilot robotic projects completed seven or 10 years ago may have failed and they may be reluctant to try again. Technology continues to evolve and the robots are more robust and now provide updated sensor technology, better navigation features and better ways to interact with staff and/or guests. It may be time to look at the updated technology again!

Robotic Companies at HITEC 2025

At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, an education session reviewed robots in use today, discussing the opportunities and possible issues encountered. In addition, the following vendors were on the tradeshow floor: DYNA Robotics, Intbot, Richtech Robotics, Tangible Robotics, To Do Robotics and Urbot Robotics.

Keys to Success

As technology evolves, evaluate your own environment and understand the interaction required between the hotel team and robotics. Sage set out to be the best hotel owner and operator in the business, and robotics are helping make that possible. “Robots allow our team to focus on higher-value work. And with robotic vacuums, we’re also seeing added benefits – they help extend the life of the carpets and deliver a cleaner product,” Lucas said.
Castellino said, “At Marcus Hotels & Resorts, we believe the future of hospitality lies in the synergy between people and technology. Robots allow us to streamline routine tasks, while empowering our associates to focus on what they do best – creating meaningful, personalized experiences for our guests. By integrating innovation with human touch, we’re building smarter operations and elevating the standard of service.”
Robots perform specific tasks like vacuuming the hallways but may need assistance moving to a different floor or replacing a battery after vacuuming three floors. Various text messages and metrics are shared with the team daily on the robotic tasks to understand and measure success, as well as how the robot fits into daily operations.

Launching a successful hotel robotics project requires more than just buying the latest technology.

• Define clear use cases and ROI expected.
• Position robots as assistants to staff, not replacements.
• Secure stakeholder buy-in.
• Balance novelty with true service value and brand alignment.
• Integrate robotics with current systems to provide ease of use for the associates and avoid complicating daily operations.Start with a pilot program.
• Measure actual ROI and then scale based on data and feedback.

Looking Ahead

As technology advances, the scope of robotics in hospitality will continue to expand – from luggage transport, restaurants, and room service delivery to multilingual guest assistance. Robots can handle repetitive, dangerous or physically demanding tasks, freeing human workers for more strategic and fulfilling roles.

While the idea of robots once seemed futuristic, today they are becoming a practical reality. Robots can now be spotted in shopping malls, office buildings, airports and restaurants worldwide. Different departments may find practical uses for robots.

They may not define the essence of hospitality, but robots are becoming an indispensable part of its future and reshaping hospitality. The winning formula is clear purpose, seamless human-robot collaboration, guest-first focus and thoughtful integration into daily operations. For early adopters, the integration of robotic systems offers a competitive edge, signaling innovation, operational resilience and a commitment to evolving guest expectations.

Previous articles published in Hospitality Upgrade over the past few years provide deeper insights into specific robot features and their history in the hospitality world. Meet Your Future Staff Members! (Part One)