'Hire Americans': Video of US hotel’s virtual Indian receptionist sparks backlash amid job crisis

A video showing a virtual front desk check-in at a Miami hotel has triggered a wave of outrage across US social media, with many accusing the hotel of outsourcing American jobs to India. The clip, originally posted by TikTok and Instagram user Pete Langs (@languageguy1), shows him checking in via a video call with a remote receptionist who appears on a screen at the front desk.

“Do you need one room key or two room keys?” the virtual receptionist asks, before guiding Langs through the check-in process and generating a registration form. Langs captioned the video: “Miami virtual check-in at hotels!”

The video was soon reposted on X, where it triggered a firestorm. “Miami hotel has outsourced their front desk to India,” one user wrote. “More American jobs outsourced overseas. At some point, this should just become illegal. If you make money in America, you should hire Americans.”

While the video does not confirm the location or nationality of the receptionist, many viewers assumed—based on appearance and accent—that he was Indian. The backlash quickly turned xenophobic, with some users blaming Indians for “stealing” jobs. Others raised concerns about data privacy and customer rights. “Where is the sensitive information stored? Does the hotel have information leaflets for customers before signing away their rights?” asked @KimFuller144672.

Indian users pushed back. “We are the cheapest tech labour you can find in the world,” wrote @StockGauge. “India’s talent is redefining hospitality global front desks,” added @India_RisingNow.