YY Group and Keenon to deploy service robots across Southeast Asian hotels
November 4, 2025
YY Group has signed a partnership with Keenon Robotics to bring AI-enabled service robots into hotel operations across Southeast Asia. The move follows a memorandum of understanding between the companies in August 2025 and targets reliability and uniformity in day-to-day tasks.
Robots will support events, cleaning, and related operational duties. The aim is to ease workforce shortages, lift efficiency, and keep hospitality service standards intact by pairing robots with on-property teams rather than replacing them.
What this means for hotel and event leaders
- Core use cases: public-area cleaning, back-of-house support, and event logistics (moving items, simple dispatch, repetitive runs).
- Staff support: free up teams for guest-facing moments, service recovery, and upsell opportunities.
- Consistency: standardized task execution, scheduled runs, and fewer gaps across shifts.
- Coverage: helps address hard-to-fill roles and peak-period pressure without stretching teams thin.
Where and how the rollout starts
The initial deployment focuses on YY Group's client base in Southeast Asia, with solutions adapted to each property's requirements and local conditions. Pilot implementations have already begun with selected partners, laying the groundwork for broader expansion.
YY Group will also extend robot-enabled solutions into its integrated facilities management and workforce services network, offering flexible options for different sites and budgets.
Human + robot: a practical operating model
- Robots: repetitive routes, scheduled cleaning runs, back-of-house transfers, and basic dispatch tasks.
- People: complex setups, service recovery, guest interactions, exception handling, and supervision.
- Leads/supervisors: set SOPs, monitor fleet status, assign tasks, and review performance data.
How to prepare your property
- Task audit: list duties that are repetitive, time-consuming, or low variance (ideal for robots).
- Infra check: reliable Wi-Fi, elevator integration (if needed), charging locations, storage, and safe routes.
- SOP updates: who dispatches, who restocks, cleaning schedules, handover rules, and service recovery steps.
- Change management: brief teams early, clarify roles, and provide hands-on training.
- Guest comms: set expectations with signage and staff scripts so tech feels helpful, not intrusive.
- Compliance & safety: risk assessment for public spaces, crowd flow during events, and emergency procedures.
- Data & privacy: confirm what's collected, who can access it, and how long it's stored.
Metrics to watch
- Room or area turnaround time
- Banquet setup/tear-down speed
- Public-area cleanliness scores and re-clean rates
- Overtime hours and agency spend
- Robot uptime and task completion rate
- Cost per task and cost per occupied room
- Guest feedback tied to waiting times and cleanliness
Procurement essentials
- SLA clarity: response times, spare parts availability, preventive maintenance, and software updates.
- Integration: property systems, elevators, access control, and incident reporting.
- Scalability: ability to start with a pilot, then expand property-wide or across the portfolio.
- Total cost: upfront vs. subscription, training, maintenance, and end-of-life plans.
Executive perspective
Mike Fu, CEO and executive director at YY Group, said, "This partnership reflects YY Group's commitment to leveraging smart technologies to empower businesses and workers globally. By supporting human staff with robotics, we can enhance productivity and reduce operational friction for our clients, driving better unit economics while maintaining high service quality. We are moving rapidly from this agreement with Keenon into execution, realising tangible benefits and creating sustainable, scalable growth opportunities."
What to do next
- Shortlist 2-3 pilot areas (public areas, back-of-house transport, event logistics).
- Run a limited pilot, measure a small set of KPIs, and iterate SOPs before scaling.
- Nominate an on-site "robot lead" to coordinate tasks, training, and vendor communication.
Learn more about the technology provider here: Keenon Robotics.
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