Delhi CEO shares pic of virtual reception in Bengaluru hotel, calls it ‘Peak Bengaluru’ moment | Trending

The trend of virtual hotel receptions seems to be catching on in India too – more specifically in the tech hub of India, Bengaluru. When the Delhi-based CEO of Entourage checked into a Bengaluru hotel recently, she was surprised to find front desk staff replaced a virtual reception, who coordinated everything while sitting miles away. A virtual reception at a Bengaluru hotel coordinates with guests via a laptop(LinkedIn/Ananya Narang) Ananya Narang shared a picture of the reception as she appeared on a laptop screen placed at the front desk of the hotel. The CEO of content-as-a-service platform Entourage called it her very own “Peak Bengaluru” moment, adding that virtual receptions have not yet been seen anywhere else in India. “Peak Bengaluru Moment – A Virtual Reception. Once I checked in, I realised the hotel had no staff except 2 security guards and 1-2 technicians,” Narang wrote in her LinkedIn post. She said that trained hospitality staff, sitting in the head office, coordinated and arranged everything for guests via video conference, there doing away with the need for a reception on location. The “virtual reception” interacted with guests through a laptop placed at the front desk. “Everything was coordinated via trained hospitality staff sitting at their head office simultaneously managing multiple properties,” the entrepreneur said, adding: “You’ll see this nowhere in India yet, except the Silicon Valley.” Innovative or extra work?For a very long time, the hospitality industry was considered one where work-from-home would not be feasible. The concept of a virtual reception seems to be changing that perception. Virtual receptions use technology, like video screens, mobile apps, or AI-powered chatbots, to handle tasks typically performed human staff at a hotel’s front desk. However, Narang’s post drew mixed reactions. On the social media platform X, people debated whether the trend of virtual hotel staff is innovative or just extra headache for guests. “This is a great parable for Indian startups and their ‘innovation’. It worsens the customer experience. It worsens the worker experience. But there’s a shiny tech buffer thrown in for the sake of it,” said X user Vinay Aravind. “Either give me a smiley human interaction, or give me the ability to get the operation done without having to run through some BS that is put in place so your CMO can win a useless award,” another person opined. “This is actually wonderful. We can provide service to all the hotels in the world virtually… I hope something like this takes off,” X user Dhruv countered. Some users pointed out the more obvious flaws in the concept, wondering how guests would check in if the WiFi happened to stop working.