‘This is zero hospitality’: Bengaluru hotel’s virtual receptionist takes the internet by storm

Bengaluru, also known as the Silicon Valley of India, is synonymous with its thriving IT industry and startups. Ananya Narang, CEO of Entourage, recently received one-of-a-kind hospitality when she arrived at a Bengaluru hotel. Narang was welcomed by a virtual receptionist at the front desk who attended her through a laptop.

Fascinated by the idea of a virtual receptionist, Narang shared a picture of the same, which has got the internet talking about innovations and ideas in India. The now-viral photo shows the receptionist on a laptop screen placed at the front desk of the hotel. “Peak Bengaluru Moment – A Virtual Receptionist. Once I checked in, I realised the hotel had no staff expect 2 security guards and 1-2 technicians. Everything was coordinated via trained hospitality staff sitting at their head office simultaneously managing multiple properties. You’ll see this nowhere in India yet, except the Silicon Valley,” she wrote.

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The post quickly gained traction with one user commenting, “Progress. But I feel, the in-person touch in hospitality will always be a little more special.” Another user wrote, “People need to understand that the most crucial component of hospitality is the human connection. This is an example of shoehorning technology in a way that’s not a good fit.”

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“This is zero hospitality,” a third user commented. “This is interesting. Will be new normal but in-person thing is always special. You get to check the vibe and service priority,” another user wrote.

A virtual receptionist, also known as an off-site live receptionist, serves a similar role as an in-house receptionist, by answering phone calls, solving queries, setting appointments, and doing the needful.