Saudi’s Almosafer Trials AI-Powered Chatbot and Voice Search

IHG continues to explore how secured technology innovation can drive increased investment returns for hotel owners, and better experiences for guests. “We’re thrilled to work with Priceline to help them build an AI-powered booking experience for their customers.”Priceline initially launched Penny as part of a suite of “Trip Intelligence” tools in June 2023, built on technology from OpenAI and Google. In February, Priceline updated the suite using OpenAI’s GPT-4 Turbo and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI. Maestro is the preferred Web Browser based cloud and on-premises PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. Maestro’s sophisticated solutions empower operators to increase profitability, drive direct bookings, centralize operations, and engage guests with a personalized experience from booking to check out and everything in between.

There could also be integrations from third-party travel companies for products like events and attractions bookings. Weiss expects IHG to test several companies to see how their products integrate with the app. With a 93% automation rate, the implementation of the HiJiffy solution demonstrated its ability to overcome the challenges of answering guest questions 24/7 and streamlining these overall properties. The initial challenges of reducing front-office workload, improving efficiency, and enhancing guest experience with higher service quality were successfully addressed and resolved. Through these strategic implementations, Leonardo Hotels has significantly increased guest satisfaction and optimised operational efficiency, reinforcing its commitment to exceptional service and seeking innovative solutions in the hospitality industry.

These successful apps demonstrate our ability to deliver solutions that provide maximum ROI and are highly valued by our clients, making us a reliable partner in your AI transformation journey in the hospitality sector. Inspired by how these brands leverage AI to optimize operations and drive revenue growth? Well, integrating AI in the hospitality industry does come with a set of challenges.

Sabre doesn’t have anything that formal, Wilson said, but its couple of hackathon events each year are meant to encourage innovation. By the time of the release, the tool’s answers were accurate around 93% of the time, he claimed – though Skift hasn’t tested the product. The AI comes from Sabre’s ongoing partnership with Google, which has developed the Gemini generative AI model. Priceline is gearing up for a busy summer of travel with the introduction of its new AI platform, Trip Intelligence. The announcement comes a day after sister company Booking.com entered the AI game. Priceline expands into AI-powered travel assistance, just one day after Booking.com.

With one of the youngest and most modern fleet of 411 aircraft, Turkish Airlines increased its fleet size and workforce by 10 percent compared to the same period last year. In the first quarter of 2023, the airline carried over 17 million passengers in total, with a domestic load factor of 80 percent and an international load factor of 81 percent. Turkish Airlines was one of the few airlines in the industry that exceeded its 2019 international capacity by 26 percent. If ChatGPT drives gains for Saudi’s largest travel player, companies worldwide will take note.

Priceline Bets Big on AI: How Penny, Their OpenAI-Powered Chatbot, is Revolutionizing Travel

User feedback will play a crucial role in shaping the tool’s future development. 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. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. And several online travel companies have integrated AI chatbots to help travelers create personalized trip itineraries and book hotel stays. Its solutions include AI chatbots, digital vouchers and e-gifts, digital compendium, and venue booking systems, which are designed to “enhance operational efficiency, guest experiences, and revenue generation for hotels and resorts worldwide”. For example, the new version of the Maestro PMS booking engine can make suggestions on room selection or upsell amenities based on type of room, length of stay, and the types of amenities and experiences guests prefer. In the hospitality industry, where personalized guest experiences and operational efficiency are paramount, to say the least, the integration of Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept but a present reality.

• That puts the latest version of Bard in direct competition with ChatGPT Plus, which has a marketplace of more than 200 third-party plugins that users can enable to access real-time information when interacting with the chatbot.
• The internal teams are already utilizing it, so it is crucial to ensure everyone is using it correctly to maximize profits and productivity.
• The coach is setting up a structure and hiring great talent and making sure that great talent then goes out and executes to their best.
• Businesses can expect AI systems to adjust room environments, entertainment options, and dining suggestions in real-time based on the customer’s immediate needs and external factors like weather.

What we may be underestimating, though, is just how vast this evolution is in terms of rethinking what’s capable for the website experience and how these tools can drive direct bookings. Chatbots and virtual assistants have become an essential part of the customer service world and can often help improve customer satisfaction. According to a study from Tidio, 62% of customers say they would rather use an online chatbot than wait for human assistance. Rather, consult with technology partners to integrate with other solutions, identify focus areas, and devise a plan to modernize your tech stack and build a unified data strategy.

Industry Intel

As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel. We understand that time is the greatest luxury, which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal, a drink, or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world. Using ChatGPT to help book your next vacation just became a reality.

The airline, the second-largest carrier in Abu Dhabi by seat capacity, currently has 400 aviation professionals employed locally. “We encourage our aviation colleagues from Go First who want to continue their careers in a financially stable, ever-growing airline to apply,” Eidhagen. Like other companies, TUI Group is using generative AI products like Microsoft Copilot to make internal productivity more efficient.

AI tools can automatically analyze feedback from multiple channels, including social media, review sites, and direct guest feedback. This comprehensive analysis helps hotels quickly identify and address service issues, uncover trends, and make informed decisions to enhance their quality of service. It allows hotels to stay responsive to guest needs and continuously improve their offerings based on actual guest experiences. AI technology can use its analysis to forecast and predict behaviors based on historical data and current trends. For travelers, AI can predict future prices for flights and hotels, which can help users find the best deals based on its predictions.

JARO Hotels Improves Employee Communications Using Maestro PMS Integration with RoomChecking

That means online travel agencies, or OTAs, often pay to appear in those results via sponsored listings. Analysts with Morgan Stanley estimate that travel is among the top five sources of paid search revenue for Google. For instance, Facebook parent company Meta says its chatbot can find flights and recommend ideal times to travel. Google’s Gemini chatbot similarly can offer things like restaurant recommendations, along with hotel and flight information.

• 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.
• This involves fine-tuning the technology to better serve guests’ needs and operational requirements.
• AI is especially valuable for complex tasks like reconciling revenue from multiple disparate sources.
• But the company has broader plans, including creating the “ultimate concierge,” Chesky told analysts.
• Like when we came out of the pandemic, there was that revenge travel surge, which is fantastic.

The parent company behind Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo described Romie as putting trip planning on “autopilot.” Well, no, we are making huge investments because you won’t be able to create these without working on it to make it happen. Some of our customer service stuff is already going through, so we’re able to do simpler things with that.

This may involve investing in training programs or partnering with educational institutions to create customized courses. A Generative AI strategy should encompass a plan not just for implementation but also for ongoing monitoring and optimization. This involves consistently reviewing the data and insights generated by the technology and making adjustments as needed. Unlike a prompt, a specific instruction described above, an AI agent is a self-contained program designed to carry out tasks with little or no intervention from humans.

Hotels should conduct regular security assessments and updates to their AI hospitality systems to safeguard guest data. Maintaining the essential personal touch in guest interactions while implementing AI can be tricky, as over-reliance on automation may lead to a less personal guest experience. The new dedicated kerbside Uber pick-up zone features Uber’s PIN technology which allows Uber driver-partners and riders to be connected via the app with a PIN rather than by a rider finding a pre-assigned vehicle. The growing wealth gap, the report notes both challenges and opportunities for the experiences sector, potentially necessitating a shift towards catering to the preferences of affluent travellers.

Operators Who Ignore New Tech Will Be at a Severe Competitive Disadvantage

Today, Expedia rolled out a new plug-in in its app that utilizes the latest version of the buzzy AI chat technology to help recommend prospective hotels for your next trip. Velma, the virtual assistant for hotels globally, is based on Q-Brain+, the hybridisation of classic conversational AI and generative AI to provide multiple AI solutions. AI-connected remote check-in systems can allow guests to check into their rooms remotely via a smartphone app and never need to stop at the front desk to begin with. The user can start with a prompt for a flight, hotel, and itinerary for a specific destination, for example. The “@” symbol can be used to ask Bard to reference a specific extension. With the Flights and Hotels extensions activated, the chatbot responded with five options for each with links for booking.

Because it’s cheaper to get the electricity from the utility, right? Well, we provide customers that they would not be able to get, or if they could, it would cost a lot more than us providing it for them. And yes, really what I want to do more of — and we’ve done some, but I want to do even more — is the cross-fertilization of people, having people move from one of the companies to the other ones. We have not done as much of that as I would like; we’ll do more of that in the future, I think. It’s really giving people new opportunities and different opportunities that would be an important thing, I think, for a lot of people. Plus, I think people also enjoy new challenges and coming up with new things.

Hilton Introduces AI Customer Service Chatbot as Part of New Move in Digital Strategy

Decades ago, Gartner introduced the Hype Cycle to map the maturation process of emerging technologies. The model is intended to help people and companies separate the hype from commercial viability and avoid adopting technology too early or too late, giving up too soon, or hanging on too long. To create a program capable of conversing with humans, the AI must learn to choose the right words. This process involves machine learning, a technique pioneered by Claude Shannon.

At Booking.com, I’m the one who’s responsible for that, so I guess I have conversations with myself about that. But the thing is, at the end of the day, and I say, it’s how do we make decisions? We make decisions, as I said, on data, but also, what’s really important to me is listening — really listening. And just because I have the title of CEO doesn’t mean I know everything.

Long-term, Cathay plans to sell the products it develops to other commercial airlines. A chatbot is an artificial program that simulates textbooks or voice dispatches used in one-on-one exchanges. Recently, the Transportation Security Administration ChatGPT began using AI for facial recognition and ID verification in airports across the United States. Facial recognition technology uses biometrics to analyze facial features, fingerprints and iris patterns to verify a person’s identity.

The pair signed a pact that aims to drive tourism development in Thailand and Vietnam through strategic promotions, enhanced services and the creation of tourism products. “Travel may come to rely on more and more dollars coming from a smaller subset of travellers. These travellers are especially hungry for experiences — however, their preferences may differ from the general traveller, meaning some operators may need to adapt their offerings to attract these travellers.

The guest is happy, but you have added a level of complication for the kitchen, for your supply chain, multiplying the number of problems that you had before. Richard Clarke, an analyst with Bernstein, wrote in a recent client note that “almost every major travel brand has announced some form of AI (powered) advisor, but most have struggled to integrate generative AI into a compelling use case for customers.” A recently announced ai hotel chatbot update to Google’s Gemini AI chatbot promises to pull flight times and hotel check-ins straight from your Gmail inbox to instantly build an itinerary. Similarly, Expedia Group’s (EXPE) newly unveiled Romie promises to build travel schedules and even offer tips within text group chats with friends. Booking Holdings, for its part, earlier this year rolled out several upgrades to its Penny AI assistant on Priceline.

Myma.ai, which supports hotel operations with AI-driven solutions, has embarked on a campaign to build up adoption across Asia-Pacific, with one of its first initiatives being an in-person trade engagement in Singapore. Get in touch to equip your hospitality business with software that meets current technological standards and sets new benchmarks for personalized service. Our portfolio includes innovative projects for brands like KFC, IKEA, and Adidas, which have witnessed massive results in the form of awards, number of downloads, and high conversion rates.

But, just because we’ve become accustomed to it, does that mean it’s the best possible experience? Chatbots, booking portals, smart apps / appliances, and even a few robots all work together to create the ideal hotel environment for guests. Imagine a world where AI-powered virtual assistants handle hotel bookings and curate personalized experiences for guests. Or where LLMs seamlessly bridge linguistic divides, offering instant translations for travelers.

Global B2B travel technology company, HBX Group has launched Marketing Suite in its quest to become the primary retail media network within the travel industry, serving as a point of reference for hotels, DMOs, airlines, mobility providers and others. Revenue management is absolutely critical for hotels, but it’s one of the easiest processes to get wrong. AI can help ensure that you’re able to get it right while also improving efficiency and accuracy. It’s baked into your smartphone, your desktop and laptop, your virtual assistant, your smartwatch, and so much more. It’s also found in digital marketing, in business software, and everywhere else.

How has it affected the industry and how will it continue to do so into the future? And, like a concierge, Romie can troubleshoot — meaning the virtual assistant can monitor weather changes and last-minute disruptions, as well as offer alternative plans when existing ones are impacted. With the Youtube extension, users can ask for videos about topics like hidden gems in certain destinations or travel tips for first-timers. While the content that Bard generated was not always entirely accurate — same as every generative AI technology today — we didn’t encounter any errors that disrupted the user experience.

Here are some groundbreaking AI statistics for hotels:

These includes advanced analytics, innovative advertising platforms, and “digital tools that enable HBX Group to achieve measurable and impactful results for its clients”. Digital Marketing Agency.is focused on tailor-made strategies developed by expert travel marketers to accelerate business growth within the B2C audience. Services include B2C digital campaign management, marketing advisory, insights, creative services and brand management.

In addition to improving the speed of customer support, AI will allow 24/7 service availability, ensuring that customers can receive assistance at any time, no matter where they are in the world. “There’s a huge volume of interactions every day, and AI is key to managing that,” Keller stated. This increased efficiency not only benefits customers but also reduces operational costs for Priceline. Penny can also suggest hotels and packages for travelers when they search for vacation options, modify itineraries, connect travelers with an agent and check on refund status.

IHG sees investments in its One Rewards app and other tech that supports its loyalty program as “critical parts of IHG’s efforts to grow customer loyalty and engagement,” according to the company’s release. Choosing Google Cloud as the company’s AI innovation partner will allow it to “move quickly to deploy features loved by guests,” it said. The revenue for 3-to 5-star hotels in Oman went up to $191 million in March 2023, compared to $127 million last year, according to data from ChatGPT App the National Centre for Statistics and Information. During the same period, the number of hotel guests in star hotels increased by 26 percent, reaching 522,753 in March 2023 from 416,287 in March 2022. Omanis remain the top guests with 181,369 visitors, while visitors from Oceania saw the highest growth of 210 percent. Europeans were among the top nationalities that visited the country in March as 169,334 travelers from the continent visited Oman, compared to 119,432 in 2022.

Through ChatGPT, Khalid, Almosafer’s virtual travel advisor, will be empowered to become a more holistic travel consultant with the necessary knowledge and expertise. AI is poised to revolutionize the hotel booking engine process, offering enhanced personalization, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Firstly, AI-powered algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data, including user preferences, booking history, and market trends, to provide tailored recommendations and customized experiences for guests. This level of personalization not only improves user satisfaction and loyalty, but it increases conversion rates and revenue for hotels. Google Cloud became IHG’s cloud provider in 2022, when IHG migrated components of its data to BigQuery, a fully managed, serverless data warehouse.

If so, we invite you to review our editorial guidelines and submit your article for publishing consideration. These transformations might appear to unfold at a gradual pace, seemingly detached from your hotel’s operations. Nevertheless, it’s happening; generative AI is here to stay and here for taking.

Security is a top concern for many travelers, especially in airports and other populated areas. As the weather gets warmer and the school year comes to a close, many families are gearing up for travel this summer. But the emergence of AI in travel has significantly changed the travel experience. Google famously encourages employees to spend about one day per week experimenting with tech.

With future advancements, the tool could complete tasks for the customer instead of just sharing information, he said. Some hotels have asked about the possibility of licensing the product as a guest-facing tool, though he did not say if there are plans for that. While this is a huge development, Priceline and other online travel players have been using AI in the online booking system process for years. The use of generative AI, however, is new as it employs large language models. As AI technology overcomes its limitations (or finds workarounds) and more users and companies integrate AI tools into their workflows, genAI is poised to go mainstream. It’s not enough for a hotel to simply plug into an LLM and call it an AI chatbot.