A Marriott hotels pilot is replacing desk clerks with automated kiosks

Desk clerks are poised to become the latest coronavirus casualty at some Marriott hotels.

The world’s biggest hotel chain said it is testing automated kiosks equipped with touch screens that can check in guests and spit out room keys, as well as giant vending machines it calls “grab-and-go marketplaces” that can dispense everything from coffee to breakfast sandwiches and cereal. The new kiosks are being tested at two New York City hotels — the Moxy in Times Square and the Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East. They also are being piloted at the TownePlace Suites in Monroe, Louisiana. A test also is scheduled for the Moxy in Miami.