Newcastle Hotel Doubles Room Service Revenue with a Little Help from Tim Healy – and a Robot

A pioneering Newcastle hotel has doubled its room service revenue after introducing robotic technology – with a little help from one of Tyneside’s best-known actors.

Maldron Hotel Newcastle, at Newgate Street, became the first hotel in the UK to introduce the ButlerBot W3, an autonomous service robot which delivers room service and guest amenities directly to bedrooms.

And the robot – affectionately known as “Anna Bot” – now has another distinctly local feature: the voice of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Benidorm star, Tim Healy.

Since introducing the robot – which has been provided by North East company, Spark Robotics - the hotel has seen its room service revenue double, while freeing up team members to spend more time looking after guests in the hotel’s bar and restaurant.

Anna Wadcock, General Manager of Maldron Hotel Newcastle, said the results demonstrate how technology can complement rather than replace traditional hospitality.

“Anna Bot has become a real part of the hotel and guests absolutely love her,” said Anna.

“What started as an innovative way of delivering room service has developed into something which genuinely supports our team, improves the guest experience and has had a measurable impact on our revenue.

“The important thing for us has always been that technology should support our people, not replace them. Every room service delivery the robot makes means a member of our team can remain in the bar or restaurant looking after guests rather than leaving the floor.

“And the fact that our room service revenue has now doubled shows that guests aren't just enjoying the novelty – they are actually using the service more.”

The ButlerBot W3 independently navigates the hotel, communicates with the lifts to travel between floors and links with the hotel’s bedroom telephone system.

When it reaches a guest’s room, a very familiar voice calls them to let them know their order has arrived.

“Tim is a regular guest at the hotel through our support for his charity ‘Sunday for Sammy’ and one day asked if there was anything he could do for us,” said Anna.

“We thought it would be brilliant to give Anna Bot a proper Geordie voice, so Tim very kindly recorded it for us.

“Guests get quite a surprise when their bedroom phone rings and suddenly Tim Healy is telling them their room service has arrived.

“The funniest moment is probably when Tim stays with us, orders room service and ends up answering the phone to himself!”

Along with food and drink orders, Anna Bot can deliver additional guest amenities such as towels and toiletries, allowing the hotel team to respond quickly to requests without having to leave other areas of the operation.

The technology has also provided an unexpected benefit for some guests who prefer lower-contact interactions.

Anna added: “One of the things we've learned from introducing technology across the hotel is that guests want different things.

“Some people love chatting to our team and experiencing that warm Geordie hospitality, while others, including some neurodivergent guests, may prefer a more independent or lower-contact experience.

“Guests can use our contactless check-in and check-out options and order room service digitally, with Anna Bot then completing the delivery.

“It gives people more choice over how they experience the hotel, and that's really important to us.

“For us, the best use of technology isn't about removing hospitality – it's about giving our team more time to deliver it.”

Eric Guo, founder of SPARK Robotics, said he was delighted with the positive experience that the Maldron Hotel has had and that it showcased the many useful applications for the robots.

“Hospitality is just one of many industries that can benefit from robots,” he said.

“Logistics sites, shopping centres, garden centres, amusement arcades, care homes and large buildings all manage repetitive work, staff pressure, consistency requirements and high-volume routines.

“Our aim is to help organisations identify where robots can support those tasks in real working environments.

“We work in areas where there are challenges with repetitive tasks, staffing pressures and labour-intensive work and help clients come up with a solution that is right for them.”

For further information visit www.spark-robotics.com