Amazon in hospitality industry; Alexa will now butler at Marriott hotels

Amazon.com has partnered with Marriott International Inc to help increase guest access to amenities with Alexa, through its voice-controlled device Echo, in an attempt to expand its presence in the hospitality industry, reported Reuters.
 
According to the report, Alexa for hospitality would assist in providing services ranging from ordering room service to requesting housekeeping or calling the concierge for dinner recommendations without picking up the phone.
 
Amazon said that this partnership will start this summer at Marriott`s select properties and the service will be available by invitation to other hotel chains.
 
As per several media reports, Marriott had tested both Apple Inc`s Siri and Amazon`s Alexa to select what was best suited for its hotels. 
 
Marriott did not comment specifically on Apple, but said it has "great relationships with a number of technology companies and is always open to exploring opportunities to innovate and better the guest experience," as cited by Reuters.
 
Amazon did not ever have revealed the exact sales figures for its Eco device. However, the company in January said it sold "millions" of Amazon devices and that the Echo Dot device was the best-selling product among Prime members.
 
The Reuters report also stated that the company`s move to tie-up with hotels is another strategy to woo more users for its Echo devices. Amazon Echo owners spend an average of $1,700 a year on Amazon, more than the $1,300 Amazon Prime members are estimated to be spending a year on the e-commerce site, CNBC reported earlier this year, citing a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.