Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just another passing trend, it’s a strategic evolution.
The hospitality industry has always been built on personal service, human interactions, and creating unforgettable guest experiences. But as guest expectations evolve and technology advances, hotels must adapt to remain competitive. The challenge isn’t about replacing hospitality’s core values – it’s about using technology to enhance, optimise, and elevate those values.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just another passing trend, it’s a strategic evolution. Many industries have already embraced AI driven automation, and hospitality is no exception. The question isn’t if AI will become a standard tool in hotels, but rather how quickly it will be adopted.
For general managers and hotel executives, AI presents an opportunity to improve efficiency, increase profitability, and allow staff to focus on what truly matters, guest experiences. Rather than being a radical overhaul, AI is the next natural step in the evolution of hospitality, one that ensures your hotel remains relevant in an increasingly tech savvy world.
Embracing Change: The Imperative of AI
One of the biggest challenges in hospitality is time. Staff are constantly stretched, balancing guest requests, operational tasks, and administrative duties, often leaving them with little room to personalise guest interactions.
The traditional model of hotel operations, relying solely on front desk staff to handle every guest query, is becoming unsustainable. With increasing labour shortages, rising operational costs, and a demand for instant responses, hotels need to rethink how they allocate their resources.
This is where AI driven conversational solutions like CONVIO AI come in.
By automating repetitive tasks, AI allows hotel teams to redirect their focus to higher value interactions. Rather than being bogged down with routine queries about check in times, WiFi passwords, or room service hours, staff can concentrate on enhancing guest stays, upselling services, and curating memorable experiences.
Hotels that embrace AI today will be the ones that lead the future of hospitality, creating a seamless blend of technology and human service that keeps guests engaged and satisfied.
Practical Applications of CONVIO AI in Hotels
1.Guest Engagement: Driving More Revenue & Direct Bookings
The guest journey starts long before check in. Potential guests visit your website, compare prices, and look for information, all of which shape their booking decision.
CONVIO AI enhances this experience from the very first interaction. Instead of navigating through multiple web pages, guests can ask CONVIO AI questions directly about rooms, amenities, or promotions and receive instant, accurate responses.
By integrating with Property Management Systems (PMS) and booking engines, CONVIO AI can guide guests through the reservation process, making bookings seamless and frictionless.
AI can proactively upsell offering room upgrades, late checkouts, or package deals, maximising revenue per guest without the need for direct staff involvement.
Impact on Profitability:
More direct bookings = fewer OTA commissions.
Intelligent upselling = increased revenue per guest.
Hotels that rely too heavily on third party booking platforms lose a significant portion of their revenue in commissions. AI driven engagement tools help reduce OTA dependency, ensuring more bookings come directly through the hotel’s own platform.
2. Staff Efficiency: Freeing Teams to Focus on High Value Tasks
One of the most significant drains on a hotel’s productivity and profitability is the amount of time staff spend answering repetitive questions.
- What time is breakfast?
- Do you offer airport transfers?
- Can I request a late checkout?
- Is the gym open 24/7?
These are all important questions, but they don’t require human intervention.
By automating guest inquiries, CONVIO AI can:
- Answer common questions instantly, in multiple languages, 24/7.
- Reduce the number of calls, emails, and front desk visits, freeing up staff.
- Allow teams to focus on creating tailored guest experiences rather than managing basic queries.
Impact on Profitability:
More efficient staff allocation = reduced labour costs.
Less time spent on mundane tasks = more focus on revenue generating activities.
Hotels often struggle with high staff turnover. Constantly training new employees is expensive and time consuming. AI provides a consistent level of service, ensuring guest inquiries are handled efficiently regardless of staffing levels.
3. Local Community Integration: Enhancing the Guest Experience
The modern traveller isn’t just looking for a place to sleep, they want to immerse themselves in local culture. They seek authentic experiences, personalised recommendations, and insider tips.
CONVIO AI acts as a digital concierge, helping guests discover and connect with the local community:
- It can recommend top rated restaurants, attractions, and events, enhancing the guest’s stay.
- Hotels can partner with local businesses, offering exclusive discounts or promotions.
- AI driven recommendations create a sense of community, making the hotel a hub for local discovery.
Impact on Profitability:
Engaged guests = higher on property spending.
Community partnerships = additional revenue opportunities for hotels.
Rather than viewing AI as simply a guest service tool, hotels should see it as a business strategy, one that drives revenue by encouraging guest engagement beyond the hotel walls.
Overcoming Resistance: AI’s Role in Future Hospitality
Many in the hospitality industry hesitate to embrace AI because they worry about:
- Losing the human touch
- Job displacement
- AI not fitt ing the hotel’s brand identity
However, AI in hospitality isn’t about replacing human staff, it’s about empowering them.
- AI handles the repetitive, mundane tasks, allowing staff to focus on high value, personalised guest interactions.
- AI ensures consistency in service, reducing the risk of human error or miscommunication.
- AI can be customised to reflect a hotel’s tone of voice, ensuring brand alignment in all guest interactions.
Hotels that refuse to adopt AI risk falling behind competitors that are more agile and forward thinking. Within two years, AI driven guest engagement tools will become the industry norm, hotels that wait too long will struggle to catch up.
The New Way of Working: Evolution, Not Revolution
Hospitality has undergone multiple technological transformations from online bookings to mobile check ins. AI is the next logical step.
Hotels already use AI without realising it for revenue management, digital marketing, and customer segmentation. Now, it’s time to bring AI into guest interactions.
The future of hospitality is not about automation replacing people. It’s about empowering staff to create better guest experiences while using AI to handle the routine.
Hotels that embrace AI today will be the ones that:
- Improve guest satisfaction
- Boost revenue through direct bookings and upselling
- Increase operational efficiency
- Enhance staff productivity and morale
Final Thoughts: The Future is Now
General Managers must challenge themselves, is their hotel keeping up with the pace of change, or are they falling behind?
The best run hotels don’t just react to guest needs, they anticipate and address them proactively. AI provides the tools to do exactly that.
If you could free your staff from repetitive tasks, increase revenue, and enhance guest satisfaction, why wouldn’t you?
The hospitality industry is evolving. AI isn’t a disruptor, it’s an enabler. The only question is: Will you embrace the change, or be left behind?
