Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed the way we view the world. With businesses leveraging the efficiencies of technology, the mundane and routine tasks are often replaced with tech. From making a booking to online check-in, it can all be automated with ease.
But should it? The hospitality industry is one which thrives on warmth and genuine connections. As an industry-focused entirely on delivering experiences, it is certainly one that is wary of completely automation taking over everything. After all, this could lead to guests feeling disconnected and unfulfilled.
Owing to the unique predicament faced by the hospitality industry, it needs to toe the line between AI-efficiencies and warmth – and many hotels are nailing just this!
How can AI impact the guest experience?
AI can make every experience and interaction feel seamless. However, when it comes to the guest experience in hospitality, this might not be the easiest to perfect.
After all, the part that wins hearts is often the thoughtfulness of the staff, the warmth of every interaction, and even people’s ability to go above and beyond to make every experience special.
In fact, that’s what makes it memorable, helping hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses stand apart from their competition.
So, where does AI come in? Instead of completely taking over every interaction within the guest experience, AI can be used to enhance each moment. While online check-in will help guests relax at the beginning, a quick follow-up call once your guests settle in can show them that you care.
When you are focused on improving the overall guest experience, it becomes easy to go beyond efficiency to deliver experiences your guests will love.
To dive a little deeper, we explore a few of the ways in which AI can transform personalization within hospitality without taking away from the ethos of the industry.
5 ways AI can improve personalization in hospitality
Apart from seamless check-in and check-out processes, what else can AI do? Turns out, there is plenty! AI can be the differentiator you need, especially for loyal guests who are comfortable sharing their preferences with you, if only it is leveraged correctly.
Here are a few ways in which AI can help heighten every experience for your guests:
1. Smart Room Features
Imagine walking into a room that is set to just the right temperature, playing custom mood music in the background. It would feel surreal, wouldn’t it?
When guests are willing to share this information, AI can make sure it happens every time. Smart rooms can be tailored to guests’ needs and preferences, ensuring that their stay is as comfortable as possible
2. Personalized Rewards
Not everyone values the same things. While some guests would love a 3-night stay, others would prefer complimentary services, or something else entirely. So, how can you ensure that every loyal guest knows that they are equally valued?
Easy: AI!
Your guests are always sharing insights and information about themselves. We often miss these golden nuggets owing to the difficulty of sifting through data and making connections. With AI, this can be a breeze. You can have AI identify this information to provide guests with the benefits they would value the most.
Not only will this increase loyalty, but it will also help your business establish a differentiator in an increasingly competitive market
3. Proactive Service
Will your guests need some extra towels or pillows sent up? Would they want breakfast ready sooner rather than later? Make sure it’s all done before they even ask with AI.
You can train AI to recognize patterns and make predictions accordingly. This can help you stay on top of the game, ensuring your guests feel seen and while also creating a thoughtful experience for them at every stage.
4. Custom Recommendations
What do your guests enjoy? Would they prefer hiking and trekking? Or perhaps they’d like to go to a cooking class.
While you’re still wondering where to begin, AI can take a deeper dive. Based on the activities your guests previously enjoyed or even showed interest in, AI can be apprised of all the latest ongoings nearby and recommend similar activities.
In doing so, your guests will derive more value from their visit while also ensuring they don’t miss out on activities they would love!
Still a little confused? Just think about social media! When you interact with articles and posts you like, you’ll notice your feed suddenly begins to offer you more of the same. As a result, every experience is designed just for you, making it more enjoyable!
5. Personalized Welcome Amenities
The best experiences are the ones that pull out all the stops. Every hospitality business aims to create experiences that leave guests wanting more, and what better way than with the very first in-person interaction?
Setting the stage for the magic to come, let AI help you design a welcome that is perfect for each guest! With training, analyzing trends, and understanding guest personas, AI can recommend welcome amenities (example: chocolate, wine, magazines, etc.) that perfectly aligns with different guests.
This ensures that no matter how indulgent a place is, there will always be a touch of home, thereby bringing additional comfort to their stay.
Ready to AI?
In a world propelled forward by technology, AI is leading the charge on nearly every frontier. However, when it comes to hospitality, it is important to ensure a balance of human and digital. By creating harmony between the two, you can nurture guest experiences that leave lasting impressions.
If you aren’t sure where to begin or how to incorporate AI into your business, there is only one thing to do: ask! Reach out to your guests with your ideas to see which ones resonate the most.
While smart rooms sound amazing, perhaps guests would love custom benefits within their loyalty program more. By reaching out and simply asking, you will be able to unlock a goldmine of data nudging you towards making an informed decision.
Sogolytics can help you capture feedback, analyze guest sentiments, and understand just what matters the most to create unmatched experiences, every time.
