Hotel tech: Are hotels getting too smart?

From robot butlers to smart showers, hotels are racing to upgrade their rooms with tech - though not every guest is ready for the upgrade...

Checking into a hotel used to be as simple as grabbing your key card and working out how the shower knobs worked. Now? Half the time it feels like you’re starring in Black Mirror: Holiday Edition.

Hotels.com 2025 Hotel Room Innsights survey of more than 450 hotels worldwide reveals that 56% of properties feel under pressure to keep upgrading their tech. From robot chefs to AI-powered concierges, the race to stay “smart” is on – though not all of us are keeping pace.

So much so that more than half of hotels (52%) now offer a verbal “tech walk-through” at check-in to explain how to connect the Wi-Fi, dim the lighting, or convince the smart TV to stop recommending children’s cartoons.

But don’t panic – the robots aren’t taking over just yet.

The rise of comfortech

While a handful of hotels are experimenting with robot butlers and facial recognition check-in, most are investing in what’s been dubbed ComfortTech. Think smart TVs, Bluetooth speakers, mobile check-in, and in-room controls that actually make life easier rather than turning bedtime into a button-pushing puzzle.

The survey highlights the most common upgrades already appearing in rooms worldwide:

In-room entertainment: Streaming-ready smart TVs and Bluetooth speakers.

Sustainability tech: Energy-saving systems, water-efficient showers, and even food-waste reduction.

Efficiency updates: Mobile check-in/check-out for when you’d rather skip the queue.

AI services: Chatbots and concierge features that (mostly) know the answer to “Where’s the nearest gay bar?”

The smartest room in the house? The bathroom?

Hotels aren’t just decking out bedrooms. Bathrooms are becoming hotbeds of innovation:

- Smart mirrors with live weather and news updates.

- Digital water temperature controls and motion-sensor faucets.

- Shower heads that change colour depending on water usage.

- Japanese toilets and smart bidets (insert your own joke here).

- Voice-activated bath filling – because who has time to turn a tap?

- Accessibility features like bathtubs that lower for wheelchair users.

Basically, the loo is levelling up – and we’re not complaining.

The fine line between smart and too smart

For every intuitive lighting system, there’s an overly complex air-con that guests can’t figure out. Hotels admit guests most often struggle with entertainment systems, Wi-Fi, and lighting – all those things meant to make life simpler.

Some properties have even scrapped their experiments with robots, pulling back after guests found them confusing or just a bit… creepy. And through it all, the human touch still matters: 70% of hotels say guests prefer a real conversation at check-in. Or, as one hotel explained: “Warm, personalised service fosters real connections and allows us to address guest needs with empathy and care.”

The hotel room of the future

Innovation isn’t slowing down. The Innsights survey shows hotels are eyeing bold new tech:

AI-powered services: Concierge apps, energy-saving automation, real-time translation.

Robotics: Cooking, luggage delivery, housekeeping, even outdoor maintenance.

Guest enhancements: Voice-controlled rooms, sleep monitors, and smart mirrors that double as personal stylists.

Some of this sounds like sci-fi – but it’s already here.

Tech’d out stays

Hotels around the world are going all-in on high-tech stays:

Hotel EMC2 (Chicago, US): Boutique chic meets science museum, with robotic room service. From £151 per night.

Grand Hyatt Jeju (South Korea): Smart rooms, robot butlers, and facial recognition. From £128 per night.

FlyZoo Hotel (Hangzhou, China): Built by Alibaba, this is peak AI hospitality. From £54 per night.

CitizenM New York Bowery (US): Tablet-controlled rooms and screen-mirroring – a business traveller’s dream. From £142 per night.

Pullman Singapore Orchard (Singapore): QR-powered “transforming rooms.” From £181 per night.

The Thief (Oslo, Norway): Ultra-stylish with smart check-in and mirror-integrated TVs. From £301 per night.

Delicate balance

As Hotels.com’s VP of global PR Melanie Fish puts it: “There’s a sweet spot when it comes to smart hotel rooms: intuitive and personalised, but still easy to navigate.”

Translation: give us fast Wi-Fi, a comfy bed, and mood lighting we don’t need a manual for. And please, make sure there’s still a human at reception when the robot concierge insists the best gay bar in town is a Subway sandwich shop.

By Markus Bidaux