A hotel in Sauerland relieves staff with robot waiters—an innovative response to the workforce shortage in the hospitality industry.
In many hotels and restaurants, there is a shortage of workforce, posing a challenge to the industry. A hotel operator in Sauerland has introduced two robots, Lotte and Bella, as a solution to serve guests and relieve the staff. The robots can carry up to 40 kilograms of dishes, assisting in serving and clearing tables. Employees feel particularly relieved with heavy loads, as robots take on physically demanding tasks. The programming of the robots took only one day, according to hotelier Josef Nieder.
No trend towards the use of robots in the hospitality industry in sight
Despite successful implementations, experts from the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) don't observe a general trend toward robot use in the industry. The investment costs are still high, and not all businesses can afford them. Nevertheless, robots could be a response to the labor shortage by handling specific tasks and relieving the staff. Hotel guests have mixed opinions, with some preferring human contact and expressing concerns about complete automation.
Significant labor savings and better guest communication
The hotelier sees the introduction of robots as an efficient solution to the staff shortage and plans to deploy more robots, including for room cleaning. The investment of approximately 17,000 euros per robot is considered worthwhile, providing significant labor savings and enhancing communication with guests.
