Bengaluru hotel's virtual receptionist goes viral, internet is excited but not convinced

The concept of virtual hotel receptionists appears to be growing on in India, particularly in Bengaluru, the country's innovation hub. When the Delhi-based CEO of Entourage checked into a Bengaluru hotel recently, she was astonished to discover front-desk staff replaced by a virtual receptionist who handled everything from afar.

Who shared the image of Bengaluru's virtual receptionist?

Ananya Narang tweeted a photo of the receptionist appearing on a laptop screen at the hotel's front desk. The CEO of content-as-a-service company Entourage dubbed it her own "Peak Bengaluru" moment, noting that virtual receptionists had yet to be seen anywhere else in India.

"Peak Bengaluru Moment - A Virtual Receptionist. Once I checked in, I realised the hotel had no staff except 2 security guards and 1-2 technicians," Narang wrote in her LinkedIn post.

She stated that professional hospitality workers sitting in the headquarters organized and arranged everything for guests via video conference, eliminating the necessity for a receptionist on-site. The "virtual receptionist" communicated with guests via a laptop located at the front desk.

"Everything was coordinated via trained hospitality staff sitting at their head office simultaneously managing multiple properties," the entrepreneur said, adding: "You'll see this nowhere in India yet, except the Silicon Valley."

Virtual receptionists use technology such as video screens, smartphone apps, or AI-powered chatbots to accomplish activities that would normally be performed by human front-desk workers.

How did people on the internet react?

However, Narang's post received varied comments. On the social networking site X, users questioned whether the trend of virtual hotel workers is innovative or simply an inconvenience for visitors.

Some commenters pointed out the concept's more obvious problems, such as how guests would check in if the WiFi stopped working.