// MARRIOTT BELLHOP_

// OVERVIEW

FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS OR HANDICAPS, TRAVELING WITHOUT A RELIABLE COMPANION CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT. TO HELP MAKE TRAVEL MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE, WE CREATED “BELLHOP,” A VOICE-ACTIVATED, IN-ROOM CONCIERGE BUILT ON THE AMAZON ALEXA PLATFORM. BELLHOP LETS GUESTS VERBALLY CONTROL THEIR ROOM & GET THE MOST OUT OF THEIR STAY. THEY CAN MAKE RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS, CONTROL THE ROOM’S TEMPERATURE, CHANGE THE LIGHTING, SET WAKE-UP CALLS, ACCESS ENTERTAINMENT, RETRIEVE HOTEL INFORMATION & MORE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, BELLHOP LETS GUESTS REPORT EMERGENCIES & CALL FOR HELP WHENEVER THEY NEED IT.

— BELLHOP EXPERIENCE WALKTHROUGH —

// BACKGROUND

IN LATE 2016, THE CM INNOVATION GROUP STARTED EXPERIMENTING WITH VOICE & AI PLATFORMS. AS A RESULT, OUR TEAM DEVELOPED BELLHOP DURING OUR DOWN TIME OF THAT HOLIDAY SEASON. AMAZON HAD JUST MADE A SERIES OF UPDATES TO THE ECHO & ALEXA. SO WE TOOK THAT MOMENT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN EXPLORING VOICE-INTERACTION, SPEECH RECOGNITION & NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING. OUR GOAL WAS TO BUILD A WORKING PROTOTYPE SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR MARRIOTT CLIENT, DEMONSTRATING HOW VOICE & AI COULD HELP IMPROVE A VISUALLY IMPAIRED GUEST'S HOTEL EXPERIENCE. WE HAD 6 WEEKS TO BUILD A FULLY FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPED EXPERIENCE AS A FINAL DELIVERABLE.

I ASSISTED THE EXEC TEAM TO DEFINE THE CREATIVE BRIEF, CONCEPT & EXPERIENCE, ALSO LED A SMALL IN-HOUSE TEAM CONSISTING OF UX, DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT.

// DESIGN

WE DEVELOPED A MINIMAL TV INTERFACE TO COMPLIMENT & SUPPORT THE VOICE-LED INTERACTIONS. THIS SERVED AS AN ONBOARDING TOOL & ALSO AS A FAIL-SAFE METHOD TO ENSURE THE GUEST WOULD ALWAYS HAVE A VISUAL REFERENCE TO REMAIN ENGAGED THROUGHOUT.

— BELLHOP SCREENS —

// BEYOND THE PROTOTYPE

IN EARLY 2017, WE SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED OUR BELLHOP EXPERIENCE PROTOTYPE TO A GROUP OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE MARRIOTT & STARWOOD HOTELS TEAM. IT GAINED ENOUGH INTEREST & TRACTION WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION THAT  THEY DECIDED TO MOVE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN-HOUSE. A YEAR LATER, MARRIOTT ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH AMAZON TO ROLLING OUT  AN INTEGRATION OF ALEXA WITHIN A SELECT ROSTER OF THEIR HOTEL PROPERTIES.

THE MOST GRATIFYING MOMENT FOR US WAS KNOWING THAT BELLHOP WAS THE CATALYST OF THIS MOVEMENT WITHIN THE MARRIOTT ORGANIZATION. PROVING PROTOTYPES AS INVALUABLE & ESSENTIAL TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON BOARD & MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

// PROJECT DETAILS

CLIENT_
MARRIOTT/STARWOOD

AGENCY_
CRITICAL MASS

TIMELINE_
6 WEEKS

// CREDITS

EXEC TEAM_
CONOR BRADY, CCO
GRANT OWENS, CSO

CREATIVE DIRECTION_
PRISCILLA GOMEZ
RICKY BACON

CONCEPT & STRATEGY_
RICKY BACON
SEAN KELLY
PRISCILLA GOMEZ

AD, DESIGN, MOTION_
PRISCILLA GOMEZ
SEAN KELLY

DEVELOPMENT_
ANTHONY TERRUSO
JOSHUA JAFFE

COPY_
GEOFF ROECKER