Botlr, Aloft Hotels' robotic butler Photo: Courtesy of Aloft Hotels

Aloft Hotels, the innovative hotel brand for today's hyper-connected global travelers, announced on August 20 that its second robotic butler, Botlr, is officially reporting for full-time duty at Aloft Silicon Valley in the US, effective immediately. This is the brand's second full-time cyber associate, following the debut of the company's first robotic butler at Aloft Cupertino last year. Additionally, starting August 27, the original Aloft Botlr will hit the road, rolling across the US to Aloft Miami South Beach, and will later be transferred to the new Aloft Manhattan Downtown - Financial District for a short stint this fall.

Aloft made history last August when it became the first major hotel brand to hire a robot for both back and front of house duties. This omnipresent operative became an instant overnight sensation and travelers from around the world have flocked to Aloft Cupertino to watch it in action.

The second robot will officially be on call full-time as the able android of Aloft Silicon Valley, where it will assist Aloft employees delivering amenities to guest rooms. Smartly dressed in a custom uniform and nametag, Botlr autonomously transports everything from toothbrushes to the day's paper as it navigates the 172 rooms and five floors of Aloft Silicon Valley with ease. Like its predecessor, it accepts tweets in lieu of tips, and during its training period it rolls around the hotel's lobby obliging guests. This newest Aloft associate not only frees up existing employees' time, allowing them to create a more personalized experience for guests, but enhances the hotel's current tech-forward offerings.

"We embarked upon this robotic experiment years ago, and it has proven what we suspected all along - humans and robots can co-exist and work side by side to elevate the guest experience," said Brian McGuinness, global brand leader of Starwood's Specialty Select Brands which owns Aloft Hotels. "Botlr has been an integral part of the Aloft Cupertino experience, and the demand from guests and associates around the world to interact with our biotic bellhop has been astounding. As we add our second Botlr to the Aloft team and transfer our first Botlr to new hotels around the country, we know they will continue to not only make hospitality history, but, more importantly, memories for our guests," he said.

Botlrs represent yet another forward-looking milestone for Aloft. Aloft's recent innovations include SPG Keyless, the world's first mobile, keyless entry system, piloting Apple TV services, and mobile-controlled guest experiences.