China’s service robots take lead with world’s first hotel using humanoid and specialized robots

China's service robotics industry has achieved a new global milestone, with a domestic robot maker partnering with a luxury hotel group to create the world's first intelligent hotel powered by both general-purpose and specialized robots.

Keenon Robotics told the Global Times in a statement on Tuesday that its humanoid embodied service robot XMAN-R1 has officially been deployed at the Shangri-La Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai under the Shangri-La Group.

As China's service robots draw heightened attention at the 138th China Import and Export Fair, leading enterprises are accelerating real-world deployment and commercial expansion.

The cooperation makes the hotel the first in the world to employ humanoid robotic staff and the first to achieve coordinated operations between general-purpose and task-specific robots in hotel services, according to the statement.

Robots will assist across multiple scenarios, including guest reception, room cleaning, food and item delivery and luggage handling.

Classified as "employees" by the hotel, XMAN-R1 interacts with guests through natural language and human-like gestures, proactively greeting arrivals, answering inquiries and delivering welcome gifts. Keenon said that the robot's smooth and intuitive services create an immersive experience infused with a strong sense of futuristic technology.

Insiders noted China's service robotics sector is rapidly moving from pioneering prototypes to large-scale commercial deployment, reshaping real-world service scenarios with accelerated innovation.

At the recently concluded first phase of the 138th China Import and Export Fair, a dedicated service-robotics zone invited dozens of leading firms to showcase their latest innovations — such as humanoid robots, exoskeletons, spherical inspection bots, photovoltaic-cleaning robots and educational robots — mixing technological foresight with proven commercial readiness, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Delegates from global business associations and major procurement players attended the event for on-site meetings and deal-making, facilitating efficient matchmaking and order conversion, according to the report.