Battery II in Southside will feature Birmingham’s first automated hotel

Since it opened in 2018, The Battery in Birmingham’s Automotive Historic District has been a hit. Battery II, the 40,000-square-foot extension of the development, will include an automated hotel. Not sure what an automated hotel is? We looked into it—here’s what we found out.

Battery II, coming soon to Southside

• The Battery is located at 2201 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233

Battery II is the second phase of The Battery, a popular development in Southside that is home to Gus’s World Famous Hot Chicken, Birmingham District Brewing Company, Magic City Flower Market, True40 and Wasabi Juan’s.

Developer Ward Neely with Property Parters recently acquired several buildings across the street, including the historic Eyers-Raden Building, to be part of Battery II. With a little over 40,000 square-feet of space for retail shops, restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, bars and more, the $10 million Battery II development will be a wonderful addition to the area.

Battery II’s Automated Hotel

On Wednesday, June 10, the Birmingham Design Review Committee approved the plans for Battery II, including an automated hotel. What is an automated hotel, you ask?

Well, overall hotels are moving towards an automated future. When it comes to basic things like checking guests in, making reservations and more, computer programs and smart systems can accomplish these tasks just as well as a human employee, so it makes sense to automate these duties.

But automated hotels are much more than that. Here are some examples I found from automated hotels around the country:

• One automated hotel in Dubai automatically adjusts room temperature and lighting before guests arrive. These smart features are eco-friendly and save energy.
• Another hotel allows guests to turn on lights, adjust AC, set wake-up reminders and more all from a smart console in the center desk.

Automated hotels allow staff to focus on more important tasks, while automation takes care of the busywork. Instead of checking guests in, a hotel employee could be helping a guest with dining recommendations for a night out on the town! Automation opens up new possibilities, and I, for one, am very excited to see all the features in Battery II’s upcoming automated hotel.

Excited to see an automated hotel in Birmingham? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know!