The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas’s newest employee will probably make you do a double take if you run into her. Vegas may be home to any number of interesting characters but “Pepper” might just be the most interesting of the lot. Why? Because she’s a humanoid robot, officially known as the hotel’s Technical Ambassador. You can find Pepper in the Sky Lobby located on the 23rd floor where she greets guests and provides engaging entertainment.
According to the hotel, this robot has large expressive eyes and lifelike movements and gestures; standing at 4 feet, Pepper can discern a guest’s gender, approximate age and mood and is able to provide personalized communication by detecting facial, body and voice cues. Pepper can provide answers to property-specific questions, give directions, tell stories, dance and even pose for a selfie
“I am delighted to welcome Pepper to the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas team. Luxury is all about choice. Pepper will provide our guests with the option to receive hotel assistance and information in an exciting and innovative way,” said General Manager, Donald Bowman. “Not only can Pepper handle information requests, but will also serve as a source of entertainment that we hope will provide an enjoyable element of surprise for guests of all ages.”
Luxury hotels have always prided themselves on providing personalized service and a “human touch” through an attentive staff. But over the past couple of years robots (see examples here, here and here) are gaining an increased presence in this sector, could this be a sign of changing times for the industry?
