As technology continues to evolve, chatbots are quickly becoming a game-changer, allowing hotels to enhance guest experiences, streamline operations, and drive direct bookings. 

But are you leveraging this technology to its fullest potential? In today’s Hospitality Labs newsletter, we dive into the transformative power of chatbots and explore the critical steps to maximize their effectiveness.

Chatbots are not just a standalone tool; they must be part of a broader, integrated technology strategy. 

While it’s clear that chatbots enhance web interactions, the real power lies in connecting them with every touchpoint across the guest journey. 

This means integrating AI-driven chatbots into reservation centers, group sales offices, and even back-office operations. 

By having a cohesive strategy, hotels can ensure a seamless flow of information, reduce operational friction, and offer consistent service across all departments. But it’s essential to go beyond just the chatbot—hotels must focus on their entire technology stack, creating a holistic ecosystem that ties AI, content management, and automation together. 

This holistic approach empowers teams, streamlines workflows, and ultimately enhances the guest experience at every stage.

I am very happy to introduce our guest contributor Benjamin Devisme , co-founder Quicktext and a renowned expert in the field of AI and hospitality technology. 

Benjamin has extensive experience in helping hotels navigate the complexities of digital transformation, and his insights on the adoption of chatbots are invaluable for anyone looking to stay ahead in the industry.

His expertise will guide us through the practicalities of implementing chatbots in hotel operations and ensuring they contribute positively to the bottom line.

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Lets shape the future of hospitality together with Hospitality Labs.

Fernando Vives

Chatbots for Hotels: What to Expect by Benjamin Devisme 

As hotels are adopting chatbots at a fast pace, let’s explore how to best leverage this new technology.

What benefits can hotels expect from Chatbots?

• Improve Staff Productivity: Chatbots act as a filter and resolve customers’ repetitive interactions. Every guest is unique, but they all tend to ask the same questions.
• Deliver Instant Service: Customers now expect information to be available instantly and on-demand through all digital communication channels. Chatbots deliver consistent information 24/7 in multiple languages across all digital channels.
• Drive Direct Sales: Chatbots guide hesitant customers through the direct reservation process.

Before considering chatbots, you should make sure to have the basics right

• Chatbots do not build traffic; they build engagement. If you have low traffic on your website, focus first on increasing the number of visitors so they can interact with your chatbot.
• Optimize Your Booking Funnel: Even the best chatbot won’t help if your booking engine isn’t user-friendly or if you have price parity issues.

AI is only half of the project; the other half is structured data

• Accurate Data is Key: Your virtual assistant can only answer customer questions correctly if it has access to the right data. Much of the information customers need isn’t typically available in a digital format, so setting up a chatbot requires an effort to structure and update this information.
• Content Management is Crucial: Implementing a chatbot will likely require you to create content and potentially add new tools to book services online, such as spa appointments, restaurant reservations, or event tickets.

AI & Direct Sales: Chatbots are not booking engines

• Measure the Real ROI: Many hotels calculate ROI based on the volume of direct reservations converted in the booking engine after a chatbot conversation. This metric is misleading because there’s no proof customers wouldn’t have booked without the chatbot.
• Focus on Lead Generation and Conversion: Chatbots are excellent for collecting valuable customer information and engaging high-potential leads through proactive sales follow-ups.

 Conclusion and final thoughts

Chatbots have matured into a credible solution for handling the constant flow of customer interactions in the hotel industry, with the added benefit of driving direct revenue. 

AI is here to stay and is evolving rapidly. The hotels that embrace this technology early on will be the ones that redefine customer engagement and lead the industry into the future.

Benjamin Devisme

About Benjamin Devisme 

Benjamin Devisme is a leading figure in the hospitality technology space, known for his expertise in AI and chatbots. As an innovator and thought leader, Benjamin has helped numerous hotels enhance their customer interactions and sales processes through the effective use of technology.

He is a European entrepreneur and investor committed to helping solving e-commerce challenges. He was part of the team that started PriceMatch, their vision being to create a simple and affordable  revenue management solution for hotels. Pricematch was subsequently acquired by Booking.com in 2015.

A passionate advocate of the power of AI within the hotel industry, since 2015 Benjamin has been applying AI to hospitality with Quicktext.

The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely those of Fernando Vives and collaborators and do not necessarily reflect those of any company or organization he works for or is affiliated with, nor those of their partners or suppliers. The data sources used are mostly public, ChatGPT may have been used for research assistance, copywriting or editing. If you find any discrepancies or errors in the data or insights shared, please reach out via LinkedIn for necessary adjustments. Thank you for following and being a part of this community