Nightfood Holdings: Checking In with the Future of Hotels

Technology has been transforming the hotel experience for years now. When’s the last time you used a metal key to unlock a room door? Key cards are ubiquitous now, but they’re on the verge of being out of favor now with the rise of smartphone entry.

Operators were early to the AI trend, using data to adjust room prices in real time to optimize profitability. Now, they’re using chatbots to answer prospective guest questions—and handle questions of the guests currently staying with them, avoiding any potential customer service snags when the front desk is otherwise occupied.

Though many operators already use these tools, Nightfood Holdings (NGTF) is taking hospitality technology to the next level, using automated assistants to transform hotel operations completely. The vision is to integrate advanced robotics with strategic property purchases that have an immediate need for labor or profitability solutions.

But it raises the question: will NGTF be focused too much on the tech, and too little on actual hospitality? Based on their product lines—and vision to create scalable solutions—we think they’ve found the perfect balance.

Part of Backhouse’s mission is to make new equipment discoverable for the foodservice industry, so we’re excited to share three NGTF robots that will support better experiences for hotel guests, employees, and operators.

Support for Service Staff

Just in the past year, we’ve seen a lot of understaffed hotel bars and restaurants. Usually, one employee is taking orders for the kitchen, making drinks, then running both drinks and food to tables of thirsty and hungry guests. What’s the solution when staff needs support but labor is limited?

NGTF’s Servi+ acts as an extra set of hands (or, in this case, wheels). The robot is programmed by staff to run drinks and food so items can be delivered to tables without delay. Plus, when tables are finished dining, the Servi+ acts as a busser. Guests simply load their empty dishes and glassware on one of the robot’s trays. Weight sensors determine when the table is clear so the Servi+ can return to the kitchen to be unloaded.

The base model can run for 12 hours on one charge, so it’ll be ready to keep the energy up for the busiest breakfasts and latest nights. Sounds like a pretty perfect coworker!

Room Service by Robots

With warm drinks and cold entrees a problem when dining in a hotel restaurant or bar, what happens when they get delivered? Room service adds an additional complication to the labor shortage facing hotels: it’s an important amenity, but it’s all too easy to deliver a disappointing experience.

TechForce Robotics, a NGTF company, is transforming room service so guests can enjoy a fresh meal from the privacy of their room without sacrificing quality. Their Concierge assistant has different compartments for hot and cold elements and uses AI to navigate to the correct room.

The Matradee mechanical helper takes the concept a step further, folding out into a full dining surface so guests don’t have to tidy their personal belongings around the room for a full-fledged meal.  When staff can’t leave the desk to deliver or need to stay in the kitchen to expo plates going to the dining room, TechForce’s devices can continue running room service without a snag.

A Profitable New Path

NGTF’s first hotel purchase was completed in mid-September, so it’ll at least be a quarter until the impact of their operational updates can be assessed. But with consumer expectations and labor pressures high, we won’t be surprised if their property enjoys an immediate boost to the bottom line.

With equipment that goes beyond the standards and goes into service, NGTF is well-positioned to automate and simplify time-consuming, labor-intensive tasks that are vital to hotel operations and profitability.

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