How can hotels use AI to boost direct bookings and upselling?

By Maciej Czajka, Senior Content Specialist

An AI-powered Guest Communications Hub is a powerful tool for hoteliers to automate more than 85% of their guests' queries, but it is just as effective in increasing revenue from direct bookings and ancillary services.

How is it possible, and how does it work exactly?

Let’s start by taking a step back and looking at the essential guiding principle: the right message at the right time at the right channel.

What do you mean by “the right time”?

Actually, there are several “right times” across the entire guest journey, and the Guest Communications Hub covers all of them. Let’s take a closer look at the pre-booking phase first.

From the moment prospective guests visit your hotel’s website, HiJiffy’s AI trained in hospitality is ready to answer most questions they may have instantly (or, in other words, in a jiffy). If all doubts and information requests are resolved at the peak of the interest in booking a stay at your hotel, the travellers are more likely to go ahead with the reservation.

Can the AI agent assist with the booking process too?

It excels in doing so. Once guests decide to make the reservation, the AI-powered assistant will guide them through the chat-based booking process in a user-friendly and seamless way thanks to integrations with the most popular booking engines.

How about “the right channel”?

It all comes down to talking to your guests on their preferred messaging apps and social media channels.

HiJiffy’s conversational AI can engage with your guests on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Google Business, SMS, email, and more… Different channels may be preferred at different times.

For example, in the pre-booking phase, the guests may want to ask for information through the website chat widget or Instagram if they come across your hotel there, but WhatsApp may be the most convenient option during the stay.

But we don’t have time or enough staff to monitor all those channels…

That’s understandable, considering 1.2m staff shortages in the hospitality industry just in the EU. That’s why the Guest Communications Hub streamlines conversations happening on all those channels into one centralised inbox. It’s an efficient and user-friendly omnichannel solution.

Speaking of efficiency and increasing revenue, one of HiJiffy’s client’s hotels reported a 70% reduction in incoming calls while increasing direct bookings and hotel restaurant table reservations. In short: more revenue, less repetitive tasks.

And how can “the right message” boost revenue?

First, let’s explore the most straightforward examples – room upgrade campaigns before guests arrive at the hotel or upselling services - such as spa treatments and the hotel restaurant offers – during their stay.

Using HiJiffy’s Guest Communications Hub and taking advantage of integrations with powerful PMS, CRMs, and upselling tools, you can automate and personalise those revenue-generating campaigns and also reach your guests at immediate channels with high open rates, such as WhatsApp, to increase chances for conversions.

There are also indirect ways Guest Communications Hub can boost your revenue, thanks to its positive impact on guest satisfaction.

Use it to offer convenient contactless procedures, such as online check-in and check-out, send automated welcome messages, enable the AI agent to process in-house requests, monitor guest experience with satisfaction surveys, and collect guest reviews as part of your reputation management.

In the long run, this will translate into more bookings from both new and returning guests.

Sounds intriguing! I’d like to see how it can work for my hotel. How do I book a demo?

Visit hijiffy.com to learn more about the Guest Communications Hub and book a personalised demo with a dedicated team