The Hotels Network Introduces KITT: The First AI Voice Guest Service Agent for Hotels

A 2023 global survey of hotel chains indicates that artificial intelligence is expected to lead innovation in the industry over the next two years. This is due to AI’s significant potential in personalizing guest experiences and optimizing hotel operations. By implementing AI, hotels can expect to enhance guest satisfaction, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and drive revenue growth with the help of more dynamic pricing and occupancy management strategies. For hotels looking to adopt AI, moving operations to the cloud is not just an option—it’s a necessity. Cloud technology allows for real-time data processing, which is vital for creating personalized guest experiences. Imagine a guest checking into their room, and within seconds, the AI system has analyzed their preferences, past stays, and even social media behavior to adjust room settings to their liking.

Hotel companies are continuing to game out how the innovations and disruptions brought about by generative AI will impact them. Despegar’s AI Travel Assistant, Sofia, will offer tailored travel assistance to Karisma’s customers. Automated systems can misinterpret data or fail to deliver the intended experience, highlighting the need for careful implementation, ongoing monitoring, and human oversight. It’s not just big portion sizes that are contributing to diners leaving food on their plates. Using Winnow, chefs can see which dishes aren’t going down well with diners, Paul Fairhead, CEO of Guckenheimer, the food services arm of ISS which provides commercial catering, told BI.

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With KITT, we are offering a solution that not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures guests receive seamless service. This is a very practical case of using the new AI capabilities in the hospitality industry.” It’s no longer enough to know your chatbot for hotels guest’s name; today, it’s about anticipating their needs before they even check in. AI-powered tools analyze guest preferences, behaviors, and feedback in real time, allowing your hotel to offer personalized experiences that feel bespoke, not cookie-cutter.

• This might mean suggesting a spa treatment during a guest’s preferred time slot or ensuring their favorite wine is waiting in the room.
• You can also ensure regular guests get their favorite table and even personalize the lighting and music.
• As technologies continue to evolve, I boldly predict AI-driven solutions will become integral to every aspect of maximizing cash flow.

We are delighted to have partnered with Quicktext,” said Ravi Birdy, Executive Director, Roseate Hotels & Resorts. Hotels that hesitate to embrace this technology risk falling behind in an industry that’s rapidly evolving. The future of hospitality lies in creating an environment where AI and human talent don’t just coexist, but actively co-evolve. By embracing the Blue Ocean Fair Process, hotels can navigate this paradigm shift, fostering a culture of innovation that permeates every level of the organization. The integration of AI should not be seen as a threat to human jobs but as a catalyst for elevating the human element of service to unprecedented heights. By tying employee compensation directly to AI advancement, hotels could unleash a tidal wave of grassroots innovation, rapidly outpacing competitors while creating a workforce of empowered, tech-savvy hospitality futurists.

Self-service portal provides greater autonomy for guests while more automation further reduces administration for hotel teams

Available 24/7, this tool quickly responds to guest inquiries and streamlines the booking process, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free customer experience. By automating routine interactions, IHG Assistant allows human staff to focus on providing more personalized service where it counts. If you are a business that is still curious about how impactful AI is in the hospitality sector, don’t worry; we have got you covered in our next section. Here, we will dive into detailed ChatGPT examples from around the globe, showcasing how leading hospitality businesses are effectively using AI to enhance guest services and streamline their operations. These real-world examples will demonstrate AI’s practical benefits in improving the overall business efficiency from behind the scenes. By witnessing AI in action in their operations, you can better understand its transformative potential and how it’s becoming an essential tool in modernizing your industry.

We’ve found the perfect balance between scalability and personalization by using advanced AI to work with vast amounts of data in real-time, which is what makes it possible for us to meet each visitor’s unique needs. Human supervision adds that extra touch, ensuring content not only meets our standards but also aligns perfectly with each hotel’s brand voice. These are essential questions for developing a clear understanding of AI’s role in the future of hospitality. The Fair Process mindset ensures that every voice is heard, creating a collaborative environment where fears are alleviated through education and trust-building.

Automated Hotel Booking

When the volume of job applicants becomes unmanageable, hospitality companies may consider adopting AI to streamline recruitment, employing algorithms to identify promising candidates based on skills and experience. They may consider ensuring that AI is programmed to avoid biases related to age, gender, ethnicity or background that have been found in hiring tools. IHG is developing the tool using the Google Cloud platform for building AI software, Vertex AI, and the AI is derived from Google’s proprietary Gemini model. The partnership between the two companies began in 2022 when IHG migrated components of its data to the Google Cloud database.

The Blue Ocean Strategy is all about creating new market space rather than competing in existing, crowded waters. By integrating AI into hospitality operations, hotels can create their blue oceans, offering unique experiences that competitors can’t easily replicate. A delegation of EHL students attended the 2023 HITEC Conference in Dubai as part of EHL’s Educational Travel Program. The conference, part of The Hotel Show, brought industry leaders together through panels, talks, and seminars. The students had the opportunity to participate in keynotes and discussions and assist with administrative responsibilities.

Personalized Marketing for Guest Loyalty

No guest wants to deal with a broken air conditioner or a malfunctioning coffee machine during their stay. By preventing these inconveniences, AI helps hotels deliver a seamless and enjoyable experience, fostering guest loyalty and positive reviews. AI can manage straightforward, simple, customer requests and questions so hotel staff can focus their time on more detailed conversations by phone and in person.

Your insights not only inspire but pave the way for a future where technology and humanity create the ultimate guest experience. AI isn’t just a tool for automation—it’s a partner in creating unforgettable guest experiences and driving profitability. When combined with Blue Ocean Strategy and Fair Process principles, AI becomes a catalyst for innovation, engagement, and long-term success. AI-driven smart rooms adapt to guests’ preferences for lighting, temperature, and entertainment, creating a seamless, personalized stay. This not only differentiates hotels but also taps into a new demand for eco-friendly and tech-savvy accommodations.

Navigating change in the European hotel investment landscape

Hundreds of Guestline customers are already benefiting from these tools, with the company continuing to innovate and invest in improving guest communications. With digital registration completion averaging 31%, staff and guests alike enjoy much faster check-ins. By collecting up to 100% more real guest email addresses, hotels are also driving more repeat business through their direct channels rather than via online travel agencies (OTAs).

Connie interacts with guests, providing information on hotel services and local attractions. But it doesn’t stop there—Connie learns from these interactions, constantly improving its ability to deliver personalized recommendations. This combination of AI and human interaction leads to an elevated guest experience that not only satisfies but also delights (Canary HMS). One year from now we expect to be using generative AI for … something that has not been imagined yet. We’ve already witnessed AI technologies evolving to anticipate and fulfill our needs before we voice them, and this is a trend we expect to see integrated even more into our daily tools and platforms. These AI systems are set to navigate vast datasets, deliver more personalized experiences, preemptively address issues and optimize our interactions in both digital and physical worlds.

“You should expect a lot more in the travel space,” Carrie Tharp, vice president of strategic industries for Google Cloud, told Skift in early April. At the end of the work session, the top projects are invited to pitch their ideas to Sabre executives. Three of the winners recently presented their ideas to the tech committee of the Sabre board of directors.

By detecting anomalies and predicting potential failures before they occur, AI can alert staff to address issues proactively, preventing costly breakdowns and disruptions to guest services. AI’s impact on the hotel industry will be transformative, driving the need for new skill sets, enhancing customer experiences, and providing opportunities for differentiation through Blue Ocean Strategies. The integration of AI into hotels will necessitate a shift in the skills required for hotel staff. As AI and LLMs transform how hotels operate, employees will need to adapt to new roles and responsibilities.

Another key enhancement to the platform is the inclusion of multi-language AI support, which eliminates language barriers by accurately translating service requests and responses in real-time. Guests can now submit requests, such as dietary preferences or room requirements, in any language, while hotel staff respond seamlessly in their own – guaranteeing guest needs are fully understood and met. To quote an example of a single brand, the business achieved an 85% reduction in billing-cycle processing time by modernizing its loyalty program through AI technologies. Furthermore, the deployment of AI-enabled systems helped reduce missed or adjusted guest stays by 50% year over year within loyalty-member billing. For example, by tracking hotel booking patterns and guest preferences, AI has the power to optimize room assignments and tailor services to individual needs, making each stay a personalized experience.

This eye-opening fictive scenario explores how a mid-sized hotel can leverage a $350,000 AI investment to generate an astounding $855,000 profit in just one year. Morch, a renowned expert in AI Hospitality Insight, breaks down key areas where AI is revolutionizing the hospitality sector, from tireless AI chatbots to mind-reading predictive algorithms. As hotels collect and analyze more guest data to power their AI systems, concerns about data privacy and security are coming to the forefront. Investing in robust cybersecurity measures and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations is crucial for hotels to maintain guest trust and avoid costly breaches. AI systems equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors can predict when hotel equipment and facilities need maintenance before they fail.

All managed hotels in the UK, Ireland, and Nordics are Green Key certified, with initiatives like Meat Free Monday, energy-efficient LED lighting, and a rooftop greenhouse for growing herbs. Carlie Malone recently finished her studies in hospitality management at the University of Arkansas. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. She is now planning to study for an advanced degree in event management at New York University.

Our metasearch and rate tools help hotels offer the best rates with the right messaging when advertising. The tug-of-war between direct channels and online travel agencies (OTAs) has entered a new phase post-COVID. The pandemic initially tipped the scales in favor of direct bookings due to safety concerns and the need for flexible booking options, but inflation has led travelers back to third-party sites in search of better deals. Data shows that direct bookings peaked at 67 percent in March 2021, only to recede to 47 percent in Q3 2023, according to the latest figures from Skift Research. Oracle Hospitality is gradually integrating AI advancements into its hotel tech products, with new features being added in every release.

Leila has significant experience working with international hotel brands, hotel membership organisations, restaurant groups and F&B retail. Prior to Deloitte, Leila spent 6 years at PwC in the Deal Strategy & Operations team, focused on Hospitality. She has also held operational and financial roles at a number of luxury hotel brands, such as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International and Belmond, in the UK and Europe.

One study of over 1,700 hotel guests found that personalization was directly linked to customer satisfaction, with 61% of respondents saying they were willing to pay more for customized experiences. However, only 23% reported experiencing high levels of personalization after a recent hotel stay. Imagine a world where your hotel’s ChatGPT App ability to thrive doesn’t depend on competing for the same slice of pie but on creating an entirely new pie. In 2024, the hospitality industry stands at the brink of a technological revolution—one where AI doesn’t just automate processes but transforms the guest experience, creating value in ways previously unimaginable.