The new roaming assistants being piloted by Marriott Hotels & Resorts are part concierge, part front desk clerk and part waiter/waitress—kind of like freelance butlers, tending to just about any need of the lobby-going guest.

The concept has debuted at the recently renovated Marriott Minneapolis City Center, where guests rave about the resulting shorter check-in lines and all-encompassing service. The assistants wander about the hotel lobby answering questions and taking food and beverage orders via touch-screen, handheld POS systems.

The idea for the roaming assistants came from Marriott's regional headquarters with the goal of encouraging guests to spend more time in the hotel's great room-style lobby.

General Manager John Buntemeyer says the initiative is an absolute hit. “I've never seen anything so successful in such a short period of time,” he says. “It makes you smack your forehead and say, 'Duh, why we didn't we do this before?'”

With feedback like that, Marriott is considering deploying the roaming assistants at other properties later this year.