Hotel Jen implements Relay Robots; First in Asia

Hotel Jen today marked a new milestone as the first international hotel brand to use autonomous Relay robots in Asia. Teams at Hotel Jen Orchard Gateway and Tanglin Singapore welcome colleagues, Jeno and Jena at their respective properties. The duo will deliver amenities and local favourites from the in-room dining menu to guests who place the order.

Hotel Jen

“Hotel Jen is proud to be the first brand in the Shangri-La group to introduce this technology. The new “colleagues” will be great team players in getting important things done well and delivered in Jen’s distinctive style. Known to curate playful experiences, Hotel Jen, through the Relay robots, yet again proves that it can surprise and delight urban adventure-seekers,” said Cetin Sekercioglu, executive vice president of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

Both Jeno and Jena stations at the hotel lobby 24/7. They are unmistakable in their bright uniforms and Hotel Jen’s brand colours – turquoise and pink, complete with the signature bicycle image that evokes a sense of travel. Inspired by the concept of a butler, Toby Tan (@tobyato) from Band of Doodlers designed a jacket and tie for Jeno, and a scarf for Jena.

The pair stands at almost one metre tall and comes with the ability to move unmanned around the hotel at a safe speed of 2.5 km/h, half that of the average human walking speed. They can ride the elevators and make phone calls to rooms upon arrival. They also come with sensitive sensors that know to avoid obstacles in its path.

Jeno and Jena integrate with a software system that can easily track their to-do list. Need an extra towel or bottle of water? Guests can expect one of the pair to have these delivered within 15 minutes from the time of the request.

Relay Robots

Designed and built by Savioke, Relay is the first fully-autonomous delivery robot that has been deployed in over 70 dynamic busy environments. Those places include logistics, hotels, office buildings, and high rise apartments. Using advanced technology to navigate around people and objects, Relay delivers items quickly, safely, and reliably. Since initial commercial deployment in 2014, Relay robots have made over 150,000 autonomous deliveries.