Leonardo Hotels save 14,000 hours using HiJiffy's conversational AI

The Amadeus Advisor chatbot builds on the strategic partnership formed in 2021 between Amadeus and Microsoft to foster innovation across the travel sector. Background MOXA Bucharest Boutique Hotel located in Bucharest, Romania, ChatGPT sought to increase its direct bookings and enhance guest engagement while reducing dependency on third-party booking platforms. They aimed to provide a more personalized booking experience and improve operational efficiency.

• The hotel PMS is an ideal destination for the specific, granular insights gathered by AI and pattern recognition tools.
• Instead, the PMS is emerging as the one system, dashboard, and control panel they can rely on to provide necessary incites to drive hotel operations.
• This will help the hotels in optimizing everything from energy use to staff allocation.
• While the guidelines presented here aren’t exhaustive, they are instrumental in striving towards excellence.

Today's podcast looks at the ups and downs of the global hotel industry's year, Priceline's new AI integration, and Klook's plans for the next ten years. This approach would transform the workforce into a hotbed of innovation, with housekeepers potentially becoming AI workflow designers, and receptionists evolving into natural language processing experts. Imagine a hotel where every employee is not just a worker, but an AI innovator and stakeholder in the company's technological future. In this bold new paradigm, hotels could implement an "AI Idea Market" where staff at all levels can propose, develop, and implement AI solutions. This article explores how hotels can leverage the Blue Ocean Fair Process to navigate this transformation, embracing AI-driven innovation while prioritizing the human touch that remains at the heart of exceptional service. Marriott’s Renaissance Hotels brand plans to expand its RENAI concierge service more widely in 2024, the company said, including to more than 20 properties globally by March.

However, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the prospect of Bard having access to all my personal accounts even though I know, logically, that my personal accounts are already being shared across Google’s suite. It’s nothing new, but telling a human-sounding chatbot to retrieve my personal information feels quite intrusive. We have to give kudos to hospitality tech vendors for the speed with which they have implemented AI in their existing technologies. User feedback will help determine how the tool evolves, whether that’s focused more on hotel information and insights, or more on local events and attractions and entertainment.

AI-Powered Chatbots for Customer Service

Another potential drawback of a chatbot is AI hallucinations, which is when the chatbot provides false information. The same way I bet that people in the 1890s could never envision that in 30 years, there’ll be these manned machines in the air flying around. So, in terms of valuation, I’m not going to try and make a guess about whether it is a bubble or not. I do know in the 2000s, there were a lot of people who said the internet is a fad. I’m excited for the stories of people trying to jailbreak the AI agents and make them get angry with them. They encounter these chatbots, and their first instinct is to break them in that way.

We have all of those verticals, and that goes into our whole idea of what we call our connective trip. It’s really stitching together all elements of a trip so that we can provide a great service to them. And as people use our services, we learn more about what they really prefer. We’re able to personalize and provide better services to them so they then feel a need, a desire, to come back to us.

Priceline Releases New AI Platform and ‘Penny’ the Chatbot

If somebody doesn’t want to work with us, that’s a perfectly reasonable thing. But if I can provide incremental value to them, they will generally want to do business with us. They can convert the money into Swiss francs and probably do some [foreign exchange market] leveraging and arbitrage — they’re big enough to compete with you on the services that you say you’re providing. So, really, at the end of the day, it’s “what does the customer want? ” That’s what our job is — to provide them what they want, and we’ll provide them the value so they can get it better from us than they could other ways. Because let’s face it, as I say, what we’re doing is an information transaction, and going out and getting information is very, very inexpensive nowadays.

Expedia also used additional algorithms and AI functions to limit the conversations to only travel booking. The beta version of the plug-in uses the latest GPT-4 technology and is now available for all iOS users of the latest version of the Expedia app. In the current beta version of the plug-in, ChatGPT will recommend and save three to five different hotel options per search. In the future, Murthy says the aim will be to have the tool consistently offer five recommendations for each search as the technology becomes more accurate. Despite the exciting potential of Penny and AI integration, Priceline faces notable challenges, particularly in refining Penny’s ability to handle the wide array of nuanced customer queries.

Hilton to expand Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton brands in Asia-Pacific

Priceline's initial Google Cloud generative AI deployments will begin rolling out this summer, the company said. In addition to the customer-facing enhancements, Priceline is internally integrating AI technology to expand its information search and software production capabilities to improve developer productivity, automation and internal database mining tools. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. You can offer unique amenities and services that will appeal to their wants and needs, make informed suggestions from the travel/concierge desk, and so much more. It’s all about creating a unique experience that’s tailored to each guest or family.

Plus, this week's news from Red Sea Global, Oyo, Musafir, and other regional companies. The company is running a number of pilots using all the available sources of generative AI, he said. TUI Group in April started an internal “AI lab,” where TUI departments can brainstorm how the latest AI technology could be incorporated into what they do.

The outputs would be too generic and unreliable, and the risks of misinforming guests too high. The language model, an artificial intelligence program, learns to comprehend and generate human-like text based on patterns observed in data sourced from a vast array of text sources. This allows the model to learn grammar, vocabulary, and contextual information, generating coherent and relevant text. In addition to being able to access the travel agency and corporate booking data available in Agency360+, hoteliers can use Amadeus Advisor to enter data requests and receive answers in natural language. There has been a lot of buzz and heated discussions about the role and impact of AI in the hospitality industry and travel in general.

With Penny leading the charge, Keller envisions a future where travelers interact with AI at every step of their journey—from initial trip planning to managing last-minute itinerary changes. “We are at the cusp of a new era in travel, and AI is going to be a key part of that evolution,” Keller said. He believes that as AI continues to advance, the technology will enable even more customized and predictive experiences, where travelers’ needs are met before they are even expressed. Beyond linguistic challenges, maintaining the balance between AI integration costs and the service benefits is another key focus for Priceline.

Unlike Google, where minimal effort is required when conducting a search, the opposite is true with ChatGPT. This is why there is a new role through various industries called "prompt engineers". These are people that know who to create prompts that yield valuable output.

And to imagine that a generative AI, human-like agent will be able to deal with all these things and all its possibilities tomorrow is not real. Yeah, I think we’ll get there; it’s just going to take some time. Of course, there are some natural monopoly type things that people think they should...

No, we are far and above where we were in 2019, before we went into the pandemic. As I mentioned, $151 billion of travel, that is a very large number. In the $130 billion market capitalization, these are enormous numbers for most companies, but it’s compared to the scale of the opportunity because travel is so big. Yeah, the tech stacks are very different, and they’re built up differently.

Implementation of Quicktext Velma Le Boutique Hotel Moxa implemented Quicktext Velma, an AI-powered communication platform designed to interact with hotel guests through natural language processing. Velma was integrated into the hotel's communication system to handle inquiries via the hotel’s website, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS. IHG Hotels & Resorts has taken significant strides in sustainability by implementing an AI-driven system across its Avid hotels to optimize energy use. This system uses sensors and AI algorithms to adjust heating, ventilation, and air conditioning based on real-time occupancy and environmental data, drastically reducing energy waste.

Our home business is approximately two-thirds the size of Airbnbs, and that’s just our home business. Now, what a lot of people also don’t know is that we’ve been growing ai hotel chatbot very rapidly in that area and expanding. The reason they don’t know is because in the US, we’re not as big in the homes area as we are in other parts of the world.

What’s interesting about regulations, I’m in favor of regulations in general. Look, everybody wants to be able to make sure that their customers come to them, and they don’t want it to pay for how they’re going to get there. But the nature of competition is such that if somebody doesn’t put money into Google, they’re going to lose out on business.

By automating routine interactions, IHG Assistant allows human staff to focus on providing more personalized service where it counts. This simplifies the booking experience and also optimizes occupancy rates and revenue by dynamically adjusting offers and promotions in real-time to fill rooms more efficiently. In addition to this, AI-driven analytics can predict peak booking times to help hotels prepare for high-demand periods, ensuring a smooth operation and enhancing guest satisfaction. AI-powered hotel booking software has the power to streamline the reservation process by offering guests a seamless interface to view room availability, make reservations, and even modify bookings.

Independent hoteliers must find ways to foster cooperation among technology partners to help create this unified system, or our industry will be the last to innovate while their competitors grow in sophistication. Today’s most sought-after PMS technology providers are prioritizing such partnerships. This ChatGPT App approach is separate from a hotel’s technology integration strategy, but the ethos is similar. As such, operators must find ways to coax partners into working together or find new partners. This technology is poised to bring innovation to hospitality and all other industries and is waiting for no one.

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. This radical model doesn't just adapt to the AI revolution – it puts employees in the driver's seat, steering the very course of technological evolution in the industry. Guests can start a conversation requesting information on local experiences, dining and more. Then, the “virtual concierge” will respond with its recommendations, which are vetted by the brand’s human Navigators. The technology can also identify deals on restaurants, tours and more.

“We want to reach a point where Penny is almost like a personal travel concierge, offering suggestions and making recommendations even before the customer asks,” Keller revealed. The Google Cloud technology is expected to make for a more personalized, seamless trip planning experience and reduce user frustration while on the Priceline platform, the company announcement said. In addition to juggling all of these tasks, employees are expected to be courteous, kind, to verify guest documents thoroughly, provide their undivided attention, and answer questions promptly. Since human beings are not actually able to multitask, how do you ensure that all of these things happen simultaneously and correctly? Google has released an updated version of the Bard generative AI chatbot that includes extensions with real-time travel data for flights and hotels. Google Cloud is the new way to the cloud, providing AI, infrastructure, developer, data, security, and collaboration tools built for today and tomorrow.

Operating in 123 destinations in and around Europe with a portfolio of 282 hotels offering more than 50,000 rooms, Leonardo Hotels stands out as a distinguished brand. Each property is centrally located and renowned for its high-quality service standards and stylish interior design reflecting regional charm. A recent report by CBRE Hotels Research revealed U.S. revenue per available room would grow roughly 1% for the full year.

However, as AI continues to evolve, hotels must focus on AI readiness, ensuring a harmonious integration that enhances service delivery without displacing the human touch that remains at the heart of hospitality. Since its launch in February, Xiao Xi has replied to more than 50,000 customer inquiries, with a 94 percent customer satisfaction rating, which far surpasses the average performance for a general AI chatbot. At present, Xiao Xi is available 24/7 via Hilton China mobile apps – including iOS, Android, and the WeChat Mini Program. Global hospitality brand Warwick Hotels and Resorts has selected Velma, Paris-based  Quicktext’s AI technology, to streamline guests’ interactions. Consumers expect the businesses they interact with to personalize all communications.

The technology can also translate spoken words to help travelers converse with others. Like voice-assisted technology, AI converts spoken words into text and can translate them into the desired language. The text can be read on a device or spoken using text-to-speech technology. One use of AI in travel and beyond is real-time translations that can make understanding a different language much easier. Whether written or verbal, AI can translate any language into another without manually inputting any text.

So, just for example, at the very beginning, you had Priceline and Agoda have what’s known as a merchant model, in which case people would pay upfront for their reservations. Booking.com started off in a different way, where they took no money upfront; you paid, for example, at the hotel, and then Booking.com got paid a commission after you left. Now, of course, we want to try and do things where we can actually get some synergies. Procurement is done across the entire organization, but of course, there can be different needs. So, you want to try and get volume scale benefits, but in the end, there are times you say, look, we’re not going to try and do this one-size-fits-all because they’re different needs, and that comes on a case-by-case basis. But we are seeing people are beginning to pick up this idea of doing attractions and doing “what to do there,” and it is something that we are growing.

Hotels should build AI software or chatbots to handle routine tasks and queries, freeing up staff to engage more personally with guests. This strategy ensures that AI enhances service delivery without replacing the value of human interaction. The initial costs of artificial intelligence in the hospitality industry, which include purchasing, integrating, and training, can be high, discouraging some hotel businesses from adopting it. The hospitality sector, which is always a step ahead when it comes to redefining “comfort and luxury” for its users, the adoption of AI is fundamentally transforming the very notion of hospitality. Simply put, this approach paves the way for a broader industry trend toward elevating service delivery while optimizing operational efficiencies. In addition to the chatbot, Amadeus has upgraded its iHotelier Suite in April 2024, delivering a comprehensive set of customisable solutions to enhance the hotel tech stack experience.

"There will always be people who say I want the human touch, I want to talk to people," he added. Google, meanwhile, highlighted its travel planner prominently at its I/O Developer conference on May 14. It will be part of an update to its Gemini Advanced AI offering that is expected later this summer. "How can you personalize, how can you be efficient and convenient for customers, and in the end, how can you reduce costs?" he told Investor's Business Daily. Beyond that, there is the fear that "if you don't use it now, you are actually going be far behind." AI can optimize energy efficiency and sustainability by adjusting thermostats in guestrooms and adapting lighting and artwork to craft a bespoke environment.

The generative AI essentially has access to all of the training materials for Sabre’s hotel software products. The user asks the chatbot a question in everyday language, and then the chatbot draws upon the training materials to provide an answer. Sabre wanted to know how generative AI could improve the customer-service experience for hotel operators, so the company made that topic a category for an internal innovation competition last August. “With over two decades of industry-leading technology innovation and price negotiation, Priceline remains the trusted travel partner for millions of travelers around the world when booking their most complicated trips,” said Priceline CEO Brett Keller. During the initial launch, Penny is only available for hotel bookings and can be accessed within the ‘Guest & Payment Details’ section of the booking path.

Change Chen from DoubleTree by Hilton Shiyan took the top prize, while Issa Li from Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund and Vicky Li from Hilton Chengdu took second and third place, respectively. The competition, which was open to all guests and Hilton Team Members, drew extensive attention from the industry, with about 60 percent of designs submitted by Hilton guests. While the chatbot will help users ideate a trip, booking a specific hotel or flight will still happen directly through Expedia’s website, Murthy noted. The online travel companies are the first major players in travel to partner with OpenAI’s ChatGPT to facilitate trip planning. As AI continues to evolve, this personalization will become even more sophisticated, with Penny able to anticipate user needs based on preferences and behaviors. This opens up the possibility for more dynamic interactions, where Penny could recommend upgrades or additional services based on the user’s travel habits.

These AI systems learn from each interaction, continuously improving to offer guests dining options, local attractions, and customized hotel services. This enhances the overall guest satisfaction and also takes away the stress of handling routine inquiries from human staff, allowing them to focus on more complex guest needs. To maintain the effectiveness of AI in hospitality, continuous evaluation is crucial. This ongoing process ensures that AI tools and systems remain relevant as guest expectations evolve and new technologies emerge. Regular evaluation helps identify areas for improvement, whether in the AI applications themselves or in how staff interact with the technology. Additionally, this stage encourages innovation by highlighting opportunities to expand AI use into new areas of hotel operations.

This includes understanding the capabilities and limitations of generative AI, learning how to create effective prompts, and staying updated on the latest developments in the field. Providing team members with the knowledge and tools to navigate this new technology will help ensure that the company can maximize the benefits of AI integration. It’s funny how the opening lines in Yury Pinsky’s (Director, Product Management, Bard) official Google blog post has the words “trip planner” in it. As we move forward, let us embrace this vision of a hospitality industry where every employee is an innovator, every guest experience is extraordinary, and where the harmony between AI and human touch sets new standards of excellence. Now, most companies say that, and everybody goes by that old saying that “in God, we trust; everybody else, bring data.” But we really live it. A lot of people were doing stuff where it was the old style based on the highest-paid person’s opinion — we never believed in that.

The hotel sector’s current approach to artificial intelligence is very much driven by potential savings and the opportunity to replace team members. This means a focus on chatbots, with technology standing in for people and performing basic tasks, leaning on the artificial aspect of AI, rather than the intelligence. AI-powered apps will be able to analyze online behavior and booking history to create personalized marketing messages that are more likely to convert past guests into repeat customers. The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology will enable a network of devices to communicate and operate together, making hotel rooms smarter. For example, IoT can adjust room lighting, temperature, and even window shades automatically based on guest preferences that have been learned with the help of AI.

• In September, Wyndham launched a guest engagement platform featuring AI-driven messaging that allows guests to text hotels directly with any questions about their stay.
• This simplifies the booking experience and also optimizes occupancy rates and revenue by dynamically adjusting offers and promotions in real-time to fill rooms more efficiently.
• The plug-in then automatically saves ChatGPT’s hotel recommendations to users’ profiles in the Expedia app, so they can continue their trip planning by searching check-in dates, room availability, and flights on Expedia’s platform.
• As part of the deal, Cathay plans to move the majority of its IT systems to the AWS cloud.
• Simply put, this approach paves the way for a broader industry trend toward elevating service delivery while optimizing operational efficiencies.

Well, I think the way you phrase that may not be the way I would look at it. Booking.com is based in Amsterdam, and Europe’s big new tech law, the Digital Markets Act, classifies it as a gatekeeper just like Apple or Google. Glenn is not thrilled about that, as you might expect, but at the same time, it means competition with Google might be on a more even playing field. Priceline and Google Cloud’s partnership announcement comes several weeks after Expedia and Kayak separately announced partnerships with OpenAI’s AI-powered ChatGPT, which will be used as a virtual travel assistant. Nine Indian airports will benefit from a partnership between SITA and Airports Authority of India (AAI)., which will see SITA’s contactless boarding pass system improve passenger flow and airport efficiency. In short, AI is vital to being able to maximize your revenue while automating mundane tasks and reducing the amount of human effort required (and the number of errors caused by humans, as well).