Strategy call: a Google smart speaker program for hotel guest rooms

Should Google put Google Home smart speakers in hotel rooms for guests to use during their stay? Give a recommendation and the reasoning behind it. ```hint Three parties, one room A device in a guest room has to work for the guest staying there, the hotel that installs it and Google. Work out what each would gain and what each would worry about before weighing the decision. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Would Google give the devices to hotels for free, sell them, or offer a paid service with the hardware included? - Should I focus on one type of property, such as large hotel chains or independent hotels, or on the strategy overall? - Is Google's priority hardware revenue, more people using Assistant, or a foothold in hospitality as a business? - Would the device connect to the hotel's own systems, such as room controls and front-desk requests, or offer only the standard consumer features? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Why Google would want this, tied to its goals for Assistant and its home devices, and to the competitive landscape - The needs and concerns of guests, hotel operators and staff, and Google - How privacy for a listening device in a room shared by a stream of strangers is handled, and how that shapes guest trust - A clear recommendation with a business model, and the conditions that would change it - How a pilot would be judged for guests, hotels and Google ### Follow-up Questions - How would you make sure nothing a guest says is tied to their identity or kept after they check out? - If hotels are happy but guests rarely speak to the device, would you keep going? - How would your rollout differ between a large chain and independent hotels?