9 Key Benefits of adding a Hotel Chatbot to your business

by Vaibhav Jaiswal Professional Blogger - Digital Marketing Manager

In today’s digital world, “patience is a virtue, but only a few people have it!” In a world that cannot wait, hotel chatbots have become hoteliers’ best friends in providing excellent services to guests while increasing direct hotel bookings and additional revenue. Using a chatbot in the hotel industry is also a great way to streamline booking processes, right from responding to an inquiry to completing the booking.

Despite the advantages of chatbot technology, many hoteliers have yet to recognize hotel chatbot benefits. This article will discuss why chatbots hold great importance in the hospitality sector and the benefits of bringing this technology to your hotel business.

What is a Hotel Chatbot?

In simple words, it is like having a personal concierge that can respond intelligently to human interactions. The application of these advanced technologies is becoming increasingly common in hotels and resorts worldwide, mainly due to their ability to assist guests 24/7 and simplify basic operational processes.

For example, they can manage simple tasks like booking reservations or providing

information about hotel amenities without human intervention, thereby allowing hotel staff to focus on other complex tasks that require human assistance.

9 Key Benefits of Hotel Chatbot

Hoteliers benefit greatly from chatbots as they increase direct hotel bookings by automating customer service and streamlining other administrative tasks. This way, they improve customer engagement and satisfaction.

Furthermore, the personalized offers and recommendations provided by chatbots in the hotel industry improve the guest experience and simplify the booking process, driving more conversions while increasing guest satisfaction.

1. A Boost in Direct Hotel Bookings

When guests plan a vacation, they might have many questions before making their final booking, such as about the destination, hotels, amenities, and more, including whether there is a swimming pool or if pets are allowed. Adding a chatbot can make it easy for guests to get real-time information for the queries that are bothering them.

By integrating a chatbot with the booking engine, hoteliers can provide users with relevant answers related to availability and pricing directly through these virtual assistants. These virtual assistants can guide guests through the entire booking process, provide real-time information, thereby driving more conversions and increased revenue.

2. Personalized Experience

By analysing guests' preferences and behaviour, chatbots provide personalized service to every guest. By using this real-time data, chatbots can recommend personalized services such as any room upgrade from regular to deluxe, or offers that are specific for each individual guest.

AI chatbots enable guests to order their favourite dishes without needing to make a phone call. Ordering guests' favourite food is just a click away with AI Chatbots. Chatbots can give personalized recommendations for outdoor activities and tourist attractions. If a guest enjoys cultural experiences, the AI Chatbot can suggest local museums, galleries, or cultural events happening nearby.

3. 24/7 Availability

Chatbots provide round-the-clock support and assistance to the guests by replying to their queries instantly and resolving them in real-time. This is beneficial for hotels and resorts catering to a global audience and have guests from multiple time zones who want assistance outside normal business hours.

For instance, an AI Chatbot is able to respond to queries about hotel amenities, best dine-in options, provide location, and other tourist attractions nearby the hotel. To make the guests satisfied, hotels should choose a chatbot that provides 24/7 support.

4. Eliminates Language Barriers

The hospitality industry operates globally, so language can’t be a barrier if a hotel wants to stand out amongst its competitors. AI chatbots are multilingual, which means they can communicate in any language that the guest wants.

By understanding and responding instantly to guest queries, these chatbots make the guest feel valued. This unique ability makes international guests feel more understood, as they receive real-time information in the language they prefer.

5. Fosters Automated Personalized Upsell Opportunities

Chatbots can provide opportunities for upsell and cross-sell by conveying and suggesting additional services or amenities to guests based on their behaviour and preferences. Chatbots use customer data to suggest relevant upsell opportunities, thereby improving guest experience and boosting the hotel’s revenue.

This might include room upgrades (from normal to deluxe at a slightly higher price), special spa packages, and late check-out options.

6. Cost-efficient

Implementing chatbots in your hotel business can be a cost-effective solution compared to hiring and maintaining a large customer service team. A chatbot is capable of handling multiple inquiries simultaneously, which reduces the workload on human staff and enables them to focus on more complex tasks that require human intervention.

7. Easy Integration across Multiple Channels

Modern guests are tech-savvy and search for hotels and resorts through social media platforms or other messaging apps. Therefore, hoteliers must be available on all these digital channels to offer 24/7 assistance to the guest on their preferred channel. It increases your brand’s visibility and improves its image.

AI chatbots can be easily integrated across multiple digital channels such as Whatsapp, Instagram, Google My Business, Google Maps/Pages, WeChat, Viber, etc. These chatbots can handle bookings round-the-clock, which means that hoteliers will not miss out on any potential reservations that come outside of normal business hours.

8. Timely Feedback Collection for Continuous Improvement

A strong reputation in the online world can attract new guests, improve occupancy rates, and drive major conversions. Positive reviews and high ratings can improve your hotel’s visibility across various search engines, thereby building your hotel’s credibility.

Chatbots can collect timely feedback from guests during and after their stay. It can ask specific questions based on guests' stays and overall experience, leading to more meaningful feedback and enabling the hotel to tailor its services more effectively in the future.

This rapid mechanism ensures that guest’s feel that their concerns are addressed and answered promptly, which further mitigates any frustration and prevents negative reviews from the guests.

9. Streamlined Booking Process

Chatbots streamline the booking process by guiding guests through a conversational

interface, making booking as straightforward as chatting with a friend.

This ease of use can significantly enhance the user experience. By providing a seamless booking experience, hotels can attract more direct bookings, reducing reliance on third-party platforms and improving profit margins.

In a Nutshell

Although hotel chatbots aren’t new, they are gaining immense popularity in the hospitality sector. An AI chatbot can provide quick and personalized assistance to guests, enhancing the effectiveness of hotel operations, and reducing the workload on frontline hotel staff, which can further improve customer experiences.

To gain a competitive edge in the hospitality sector, hotels should harness the power of AI chatbots and integrate them into their operations. Investing in these virtual assistants will help your hotel reap the above benefits, including increased direct bookings, higher conversions, and happier guests!

So, what are you waiting for? Give it a thought!