Skift Take

Maybe hotels should focus first on the basics, like getting on the cloud and ditching cable TV. But having fun products like robots is, at the very least, good for marketing.

Series: Travel Tech Briefing

Travel Tech Briefing

Editor’s Note: Exclusive reporting on technology’s impact on the travel industry, delivered every Thursday. The briefing will guide executives as they decide if their companies should “build, buy, or partner” to stay ahead.

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There are nearly 350 exhibitors showcasing hospitality tech products this week at the HITEC conference in Toronto. Property management systems and new door locks are critical for business.

But those aren't the displays drawing crowds. It’s, of course, the robots and the holograms. Because even in a giant room full of hoteliers serious about finding the best products, everyone loves a good robot. 

Below are some of the most unique products from HITEC. 

Robotis 

A crowd was gathered around the Robotis booth this week to watch a robot called Gaemi wheel around a model hotel. 

The robot, complete with an AI-enabled arm for pressing elevator buttons and knocking on doors, was demonstrating its ability to find its way through a hotel to deliver wine directly to a guest’s room. 

Robotis is a public company based in South Korea that has been making humanoid robots for 20 years. Now, the company is rea