Robots in the HoReCa field

Hotels, restaurants and cafes around the world are increasingly introducing robots into their daily service processes. Until recently, it was perceived as a marketing ploy or an expensive toy, today robotics is becoming part of the standard business process in the HoReCa segment (Hotel — Restaurant — Café/Catering).

"Automation at HoReCa has stopped being an experiment — it has become a necessity"

What does robotics give to an institution?

HoReCa's robots solve several tasks relevant to the modern market at once.:

• replace or supplement the maintenance staff,
• reduce time for routine processes,
• they increase the accuracy and standardization of the service,
• they create a wow effect among the guests and increase loyalty,
• they save resources, especially when there is a shortage of personnel.

The most popular applications are waiter robots, room delivery robots, cleaning robots and reception robots.

Restaurants and cafes: from serving dishes to cleaning tables

Today, robot waiters not only deliver dishes from the kitchen to the table, but can also:

• play voice messages,
• answer simple questions from the guests,
• collecting dishes after eating,
• interact with cash registers and order accounting systems.

Robots make it possible to reduce the number of staff in the hall without losing the quality of service, and in some cases, with its improvement.

"The robot won't forget an order, won't be late, and won't quit before the holidays"

Hotels and hostels: 24/7 service without fatigue

In hotels, robots most often perform the following functions:

1. Towels, drinks and food are delivered to the rooms
2. Transportation of luggage to the elevator and to the floor
3. Cleaning of public areas and halls
4. Work at the reception: greeting, registration, consultations

This is especially true for budget and chain hotels, where it is important to reduce costs and ensure round-the-clock availability of service.

Cleaning in the HoReCa area: clean, fast, economical

Modern professional robot vacuum cleaners and scrubbers are ideal for daily cleaning of restaurant halls, food courts and hotel halls. They can work at night, saving resources and not disturbing guests. Such machines are often integrated with personnel accounting systems or schedule control.

Marketing effect

The appearance of the robot in the hall is of great interest to the guests. Visitors take photos with the equipment, post videos on social networks, and discuss them in reviews. Thus, the business receives:

• free organic social media reach,
• improving ratings in online maps and aggregators,
• growing interest from new customers.

"A robot in a restaurant is not only a waiter, but also a media figure"

How much does it cost and how quickly does it pay off

The cost of implementation depends on the model and number of devices. Approximate price range:

• Robot waiter — from 1.2 to 2.5 million ₽
• Room delivery robot — from 1.7 million ₽
• Robot scrubbing machine — from 1 million ₽

The average payback period is from 10 to 18 months with active operation. At the same time, the robot does not require social contributions, sick leave, or vacations.

Practice: who has already implemented it and how it works

HoReCa robotics has been actively developing in Russia and the CIS since 2022. Among the implementation cases:

• Chain restaurants in Moscow and Almaty that use robots in the evening
• Hotels in Sochi and Krasnodar that deliver champagne by robots to suites
• Large shopping malls where robots wash food courts without human intervention

Owner reviews show that, on average, the robot's performance is comparable to 1.5–2 employees, especially in the evening and at night.

How to prepare for implementation

Before buying or renting robotic equipment, you should:

1. Conduct an audit of the premises: the width of the aisles, the presence of ramps, maneuver areas
2. Set up Wi-Fi or navigation map (SLAM/lidar)
3. Retrain staff to work with a robot
4. Prepare service scenarios and correct positioning for guests

Which robots are the most popular

Among the popular models on the market:

• Keenon T5, T9, T9 Pro — for waiter service
• Pudu BellaBot — with a "face" and emotions
• Whiz from SoftBank — for cleaning
• ORION Mini — for delivery of items at the hotel

"The choice of a robot depends not so much on the budget, but on the tasks of the institution and the use cases"

Conclusion

Robots at HoReCa are no longer a hype, but an optimization tool. The introduction of robotic solutions helps businesses to remain competitive, reduce costs and at the same time surprise guests. With rising labor prices, automation is becoming a new standard rather than a trend.

If an institution is focused on sustainable development, an efficient economy and a positive customer experience, robots become an integral part of the strategy.