Going above and beyond guest expectations has always been what separates the good hotels from mediocre ones. While having a full suite of amenities or a trendy in-house restaurant are good attractions, hotel clients are more likely to make multiple bookings where they can expect exceptional service. From the placement of their reservations right up to getting assistance during check-out, many hotel guests expect to get a smooth and quick response when interacting with hotel personnel. And if their experience is unpleasant, these customers won’t think twice about writing an unsavory online review.
To meet their guests’ requirements and stay one step ahead of their competitors, hoteliers are looking for new solutions that can enhance customer experience and improve their business operations. One solution is to implement artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in various aspects of their business. Though it may not be immediately obvious, there are many ways for AI applications to improve guest experiences, whether they’re staying at a hotel in Pasay or a resort in Boracay. If you are a hotel operator, here are four ways adopting AI technologies can improve your hotel.
AI Streamlines the Booking Process
Booking a room is the first encounter that guests will have with a hotel, but this process is oftentimes frustrating to do. Even if you’ve designed your hotel website to be user-friendly, filling out various forms can be time-consuming on the part of the customer. This is where AI technology can come in and smoothen the entire process.
With AI technology, you can make your hotel’s booking process easier and more flexible. For example, instead of having your guests type their booking information into your website, your guests can interact with AI-based chatbots and use various apps to speed up the booking process. For example, you can use AI with voice user interface (VUI) systems, so hotel guests can book a room by simply using their cloud-based voice service’s booking feature.
Additionally, you can use AI technology to remember a returning guest’s details and room preferences to speed up the booking and check-in processes. This can help build customer loyalty because it makes future reservations more convenient for your regular guests.
AI Provides Virtual Assistance
Even if you want to provide each guest with a dedicated customer service representative to be at their every beck and call, the logistics of making that happen can be challenging and expensive. And even if you do manage to pull that off, it can feel intrusive and prevent your guests from being able to fully relax during their stay. In this case, it’s better to have AI provide your guests with 24/7 assistance because it offers the benefits of ensuring guest privacy while offering lightning-fast response.
Installing voice-enabled AI-powered devices in each room will allow guests to get quick answers to frequently asked questions, like what time the breakfast buffet closes or what floor the spa is on. It can also be used to facilitate requests, so hotel guests won’t need to call the front desk for a new set of towels and to have their toiletries restocked.
AI Personalizes Each Guest’s Hotel Experience
Another thing that AI-powered devices can do is customize a hotel guest’s stay to their exact preferences. Since this technology is connected to your hotel’s internal system, it can prepare a room’s environment before the guest even checks in.
AI can set the room’s temperature, lights, and music according to the guest’s preferences, so they will immediately feel welcome and at home the moment they enter their room. Your guests can also configure their room’s settings by using the AI’s voice command or touchscreen feature. This technology may even be able to save these settings together with other customer data to ensure that the room will always be perfect for when your guest returns for future stays.
Aside from preparing a room’s environment, AI technology can also be used to add more personalization when offering recommendations to your guests. It can be used to create a list of nearby restaurants, attractions, and activities that can make a guest’s visit more pleasant and memorable. More importantly, AI can take note of these preferences and build a database that hotel operators can use to inform pricing decisions and marketing promotions.
AI Streamlines Business Operations
One of the best things about AI technology is that it simplifies the completion of small tasks. When you let AI handle basic functions such as answering frequently asked questions, noting a guest’s request to have their room cleaned, or setting the room’s temperature, your human staff will have more time to focus on higher-value, high-touch tasks. This allows your employees to enhance their knowledge and performance in the industry, while providing a human element to where they will be most effective and appreciated.
When your hotel staff works hand in hand with AI technology, you’re streamlining your business operations. This reduces the friction in your guests’ experience, providing them with a pleasant stay in your hotel as a result.
Hotel guests will always demand attentive service and efficient response, and instead of wholly placing this responsibility on human customer service, hotel operators can use AI to meet these expectations in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. By continuously improving guest experiences and encouraging customer loyalty, you can stay ahead of the competition and ensure the profitability of your hotel operations.
