Marriott International to Trial Facial Recognition Technology

Marriott International is partnering with Alibaba Group to test facial recognition check-in technology at two of its properties in China.

The technology, being created by Fliggy, Alibaba’s travel service platform, reduces check-in time to less than one minute, according to Marriott.

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“Marriott International has a track record of embracing cutting-edge technology to create memorable experiences for guests,” Henry Lee, chief operations officer and managing director of Marriott International Greater China and Board Member of the Joint Venture, said in a statement. “With technology, our hotel associates can work more efficiently to do what they do best – delivering personalized service to our guests.”

The pilot is slated to kick off this month at Hangzhou Marriott Hotel Qianjiang and Sanya Marriott Hotel Dadonghai Bay. If all goes well, there will be a global rollout across all Marriott International properties in the future.

The technology allows guests to simply scan their IDs, take a photo and input contact details on a self-help machine. The intelligent device then dispenses room key cards after identities and booking information is verified.

The fact that Marriott is rolling the technology out in China likely has much to do with market research from Ipsos showing that Chinese travelers have a strong interest in new technologies in hotels. In fact, more than 60 percent expressed a preference for facial recognition technology.

The new announcement is just the latest example of the impacts of the Marriott and Alibaba partnership.

The joint venture between the two companies was created in 2017 and since then, the hotel company has begun using a comprehensive matrix of digital travel solutions and consultancy services, including digital platform consulting and management, customized marketing, business intelligence and service innovation.

The Marriott storefront on Fliggy (marriottcn.fliggy.com) is now managed by the joint venture and serves as a Chinese booking gateway featuring multi-faceted offerings in one platform.

Guests can access to approximately 6,000 hotels from across Marriott International’s global inventory of 30 brands and choose Li Yu certified hotels, presented in a Chinese traveler-friendly layout.

“We are proud to have a hand in supporting Marriott International to redefine the experience of Chinese travelers with innovative services,” David Chai, CEO of the joint venture, said in a statement. “These accomplishments thus far are testaments to our solid expertise of providing effective solutions and services across the entire journey of a traveler, and we look forward to continuing reinventing and showcasing our expertise.