Hotel Jen a group of hotels around Asia today marked a new milestone as the first international hotel brand to use autonomous Relay robots in Asia. Teams at Hotel Jen Orchardgateway and Tanglin Singapore welcome colleagues, Jeno and Jena at their respective properties. The duo will deliver amenities and local favorites from the in-room dining menu to guests, when an order for them is placed.
“Hotel Jen is proud to be the first brand in the Shangri-La group to introduce this technology. The new “colleagues” will be great team players in getting important things done well and delivered in Jen’s distinctive style. Known to curate playful experiences, Hotel Jen, through the Relay robots, yet again proves that it can surprise and delight urban adventure-seekers,” said Cetin Sekercioglu, executive vice president of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
Stationed at the hotel lobby 24/7, both Jeno and Jena are unmistakable in their bright uniforms and Hotel Jen’s brand colours – turquoise and pink, affixed with the signature bicycle image that evokes a sense of travel. Inspired by the concept of a butler, Toby Tan (@tobyato) from Band of Doodlers designed a jacket and tie for Jeno, and a scarf for Jena.
The pair stand at almost one metre tall and come with the ability to move unmanned around the hotel at a safe speed of 2.5 km/h, half that of the average human walking speed. They can ride the elevators, make phone calls to rooms upon arrival, and are equipped with sensitive sensors that know to avoid obstacles in its path.
Jeno and Jena are both integrated with a software system that can easily track their to-do list once an order is placed. Need an extra towel or bottle of water? Guests can expect one of the pair to have these delivered within 15 minutes from the time of a request. Midnight hunger pangs can be eased from a supper menu featuring local flavors from midnight to 6 am.
Designed and built by Savioke, Relay is the first fully-autonomous delivery robot that has been deployed in over 70 dynamic busy environments such as logistics, hotels, office buildings, and high rise apartments. Using advanced technology to navigate around people and objects, Relay delivers items quickly, safely, and reliably. Since initial commercial deployment in 2014, Relay robots have made over 150,000 autonomous deliveries.
