A reception robot greets visitors, answers common questions, guides people to the right place and promotes services, without getting tired at the end of a long shift. In Europe, where a single hotel lobby or airport hall can welcome guests in a dozen languages, multilingual reception robots are becoming a practical addition to front-desk teams.
This guide covers what reception robots can do, where they work best, how the Alpha Robotics and OrionStar models compare and what European rules on data and AI mean for deployment. For other business robots, see our business robot buyer’s guide.
Contents
What does a reception robot do?
Typical tasks include greeting visitors as they arrive, answering frequently asked questions by voice or touchscreen, escorting guests to rooms, desks or departments, showing promotions and wayfinding information, and collecting visitor registrations. Newer models use large language models for more natural, multi-turn conversations.
Where reception robots work best
1Hotels
Welcoming guests, explaining facilities and guiding them to restaurants or meeting rooms, especially outside peak desk hours.
2Offices and headquarters
Visitor check-in and escorting guests to meeting rooms, integrated with calendars and access control.
3Retail, banks and shopping centres
Product information, queue guidance and promotions on screen.
4Airports, stations, hospitals and public services
Multilingual wayfinding and frequently asked questions, freeing staff for complex requests.
5Exhibitions, museums and schools
Guided tours, presentations and engaging younger visitors.
Reception robots compared
| Model | Size and weight | Highlights | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| OrionStar GreetingBot Mini | About 100 cm | 30+ languages, 10.1-inch touchscreen face, autonomous navigation | Offices, retail, exhibition halls |
| OrionStar GreetingBot Nova | About 160 cm | LLM-based conversation, 40+ languages, dual screens, LiDAR SLAM, about 10 h | Hotels, corporate lobbies, airports |
| Alpha Robotics Timo | 120 cm, 19 kg | Compact AI service robot, voice and touch, guided tours | Schools, care homes, retail |
| Alpha Robotics Snow | 112 cm, 30 kg | Friendly design, voice commands, navigation | Education, retail, family venues |
| Alpha Robotics Alice | 150 cm, 45 kg | Humanoid reception robot, up to 10 h | Corporate reception, public services |
| Alpha Robotics Amy | Large-screen model | Facial recognition, explanations, navigation | Stations, airports, banks, hospitals |
Specifications come from Robots Europa product pages and may vary by configuration.
The models in detail
OrionStar GreetingBot Mini and Nova
GreetingBot Nova is a full-height reception robot of about 160 cm with LLM-powered conversation in 40+ languages, a 15.6-inch face screen and a 10.1-inch information panel, LiDAR SLAM navigation with escort mode and about 10 hours of operation with auto-docking. It can integrate with CRM, hotel property management, calendars, access control and digital signage, and supports brand skins and white-label personas.
GreetingBot Mini is the compact version at about 100 cm, speaking 30+ languages with real-time switching, from German and French to Polish and Dutch, and using a 10.1-inch touchscreen face. It suits offices, retail chains and exhibition halls that want a consistent multilingual welcome.
Alpha Robotics Timo, Snow, Alice and Amy
Alpha Robotics Timo is a compact AI service robot (46 x 46 x 120 cm, 19 kg, up to 1.2 m/s) for reception, voice interaction and guided tours in schools, care homes and retail. Snow has a softer, cute design that works well with children and families.
Alice is a 150 cm humanoid reception robot weighing 45 kg with up to 10 hours of endurance, designed for corporate reception and public services. Amy is the large-screen model for stations, airports, hotels, banks and hospitals, combining welcome reception, voice interaction, explanations and navigation.
GDPR and the EU AI Act
Reception robots often include cameras, microphones and sometimes facial recognition. Under GDPR, video of identifiable people is personal data, and facial recognition used to identify individuals involves biometric data, which needs a specific legal basis and is best left switched off unless you have one. Display clear signage, minimise what is stored and involve your data protection officer.
The EU AI Act adds transparency duties: people should be told when they are talking to an AI system rather than a person, and certain uses, such as inferring emotions in workplaces and schools, are prohibited. A short on-screen notice and a voice introduction usually cover the first point.
Getting the most from a reception robot
1Write the content first
List the top 20 questions visitors ask and the answers, in every language you need. The robot is only as useful as its content.
2Integrate with your systems
Calendar, visitor management and access control integrations turn a novelty into a working receptionist.
3Plan the hand-over to people
Make it easy for the robot to call a staff member for complex requests.
4Measure usage
Track interactions, languages used and common questions to improve content over time.
For greeting robots that also deliver, see our robot waiter comparison; for events, our trade fair guide.
Referral note: When you request a quote from Robots Europa, mentioning Dijipedya and referral code 08AF5658 helps your enquiry be tracked correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Can a reception robot speak several European languages?
Yes. OrionStar GreetingBot Mini lists 30+ languages and GreetingBot Nova 40+, with real-time language switching.
Is facial recognition on reception robots allowed in the EU?
Identifying people by their face involves biometric data under GDPR and needs a specific legal basis. Many businesses switch it off and use the robot without identification.
Can a reception robot escort visitors?
Models with autonomous navigation, such as GreetingBot Nova and Alpha Robotics Alice, can guide visitors to rooms or desks.
Do I need to tell visitors they are talking to a robot?
Yes. Under the EU AI Act, people should be informed when they are interacting with an AI system.
Compare reception and greeting robots and request a quote for delivery in Europe.
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