Alibaba's futuristic hotel opens amid concerns

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It's a smart hotel largely powered by artificial intelligence. Chinese Internet giant Alibaba this week opened the FlyZoo hotel in China's Zhejiang Province. You can check in, walk into your room, and even get room service without talking to a person. But will all the digital features compromise your personal information?

Opening a door with your face... And controlling the room's lights, television and curtains via a smart speaker… 25-year-old Sam Wang could not wait to try the tech amenities at this futuristic hotel.

Sam Wang and his grandparents are among the first group of lucky guests. /CGTN Photo

Sam told CGTN that this hotel is very convenient, they don't have to waste time waiting in lines. Many services like check in can be done with a mobile phone. And he feels more secure with the help of the technology and smart facilities.

Aside from the mobile phone option, customers can also check in via the automatic machines in the lobby.

Other robots are deployed to serve dishes, cocktails and coffee. /CGTN Photo

Robots take care of room services like meal delivery. So, will all these robots put the human hotel staff out of their jobs? Sun Xiaotong, a hotel staff member told CGTN that she is not worried about this. Machines and robots can only do some repetitive and programmatic work. The robots can save them a lot of time so that they can provide more quality and customized service to customers.

On the FlyZoo hotel's first day, staff say most of the 290 rooms have already been booked. Facial recognition is widely used in this futuristic hotel. You can enter this fitting room with just your face. Many customers say technology is making hotels more convenient and upgrading their services.

Some customers say information safety and privacy are major concerns staying in such a futuristic hotel. /CGTN photo

Sam follows hotel trends very closely. He said many technological advancements often come with risks. He told CGTN that this kind of smart hotel faces risks of customer information leakage. Hotels would never leak or sell personal info, but some hackers may attack the network and steal the information.

Many hotels across the world are now teaming with tech companies to upgrade their facilities with AI and Internet of Things technologies.

FlyZoo hotel's CEO says safety and service will always be their top priority. /CGTN photo

Andy Wang, FlyZoo Hotel's CEO, told CGTN that they are already concerned about this kind of issue. First, they will completely comply with local government policies and laws. Secondly with their system capabilities, because all their systems are cloud-based, they have stronger capabilities in protecting their guests' data.

Andy Wang said this hotel was 1.5 times more efficient than its competitors. As hotels become smarter and more automated, customers now expect more quality and customized experiences.

(Top photo: Alibaba's first future hotel FlyZoo officially opened on December 18 in Hangzhou. /CGTN Photo)