The hotel industry in the Middle East has always been at the forefront of luxury and customer service innovation. Against that backdrop, seismic shifts are now evident in the segment’s customer relationship management (CRM) processes, driven by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots. Today, AI-driven customer interactions are playing a pivotal part in enhancing guest experiences, optimizing direct bookings and amplifying online reviews.
The advent of chatbots in CRM
Gone are the days when hotel guests would wait for an email response or hold a call to clarify their booking details.
AI chatbots now offer instantaneous responses to customer queries, aiding in real-time decision-making. As well as being available 24/7, their ability to provide personalized solutions based on user data makes them invaluable. This is leading to increased customer engagement, fewer dropped reservations and an improved booking experience for hotels.
Direct booking boost
Third-party booking platforms might have dominated the scene a few years ago, but chatbots and AI-driven CRM systems paved the way for a shift toward direct bookings. Hotels are able to offer customized packages and special discounts, while also upselling additional services, through AI-enabled direct interactions, eliminating third-party commission fees and so making them more profitable.
Amplifying review generation
A hotel’s reputation in today’s digital age largely depends on its online reviews. Hotels can prompt guests for feedback post-stay through AI-powered CRM systems. These systems can identify satisfied guests and encourage them to leave positive reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor, enhancing the hotel’s online reputation.
Several hotel chains are embracing these new ways of working and are now adopting AI-driven CRM, including:
Jumeirah Group: a leader in luxury hospitality, the Jumeirah Group, based in Dubai, has embraced chatbots to streamline its booking process. Its AI-enabled system helps guests with inquiries that range from room availability to dining options. The direct interaction has reduced the workload of their human customer service teams and significantly improved their direct booking rates.
Rotana Hotels & Resorts: with a vast presence in the Middle East, Rotana has been an early adopter of AI-driven customer interaction tools. By integrating chatbots into its CRM, the brand has enhanced the guest experience, from pre-booking inquiries to post-stay feedback collection. This proactive approach has led to a notable increase in positive online reviews, elevating its brand reputation.
Emaar Hospitality Group: another giant on the Middle Eastern hospitality scene, Emaar has made significant strides in digital transformation. Its adoption of chatbot technology ensures guests receive timely and personalized responses. The immediate interaction not only fosters trust, but also encourages potential customers to finalize their bookings directly.
Leveraging WhatsApp’s potential
With its massive global user base, WhatsApp has also emerged as a formidable platform for businesses, especially in the hospitality sector. The introduction of WhatsApp Business
has further streamlined this process, providing tools tailored for businesses to engage with their customers efficiently. In the hotel industry, WhatsApp Business AI chatbots are being used to offer instant communication, manage reservations, answer guests’ queries and more.
Hotels can harness this platform in many ways, including:
Instant communication: WhatsApp’s real-time messaging capability allows hotels to communicate instantly with guests, addressing inquiries or issues in real-time.
Automated responses: with AI-driven chatbots, hotels can provide automated responses to frequently asked questions, freeing up human resources and ensuring that guests receive timely information.
Bookings and reservations: some hotels have integrated their booking systems with WhatsApp, allowing guests to check availability, book rooms or even modify their reservations through the app.
Feedback collection: post-stay, hotels can solicit feedback through WhatsApp, making it convenient for guests to provide their insights and reviews.
Promotional offers: WhatsApp’s status and broadcast features enable hotels to share limited-time offers or promotions directly with their audience.
Several establishments are already leading the way in leveraging WhatsApp Business chatbot for their CRM operations, such as:
Conrad Hotels & Resorts: a part of the Hilton Group, Conrad Hotels & Resorts launched its Conrad Concierge service, which integrates with messaging platforms, including WhatsApp. Through this service, guests can make real-time requests, book spa appointments and even order room service.
The Four Seasons: recognized globally for its high levels of guest service, The Four Seasons utilizes WhatsApp Business to ensure that guests can communicate about a broad range of issues via WhatsApp, from making a special room request to a dining reservation.
Dorsett Hospitality International: this Hong Kong-based hotel chain, with properties across Asia, offers a Dorsett Connect service. Through this initiative, guests can use WhatsApp to interact with the hotel’s chatbot or human staff for a range of services that includes booking shuttle services and requesting local travel tips.
New security solutions are now also available through which machine-learning and AI can scan hotel video feeds and provide impressive security features. These include automation of facial recognition with AI – useful for security – and scanning for illegal and concealed weapons in public places like hotels. These security solutions, which offer hotels enhanced security capabilities and enable them to support local law enforcement efforts, are currently being rolled out in several hotels in the UAE.
As hotels in the Middle East continue to embrace technological advancements like adopting AI-driven CRM tools and WhatsApp for Business AI chatbots, they will set new standards in customer engagement, direct bookings and online reputation management. The current trajectory suggests that AI and chatbot integrations are not just trends, but essential tools for future success in the hotel industry. As guests increasingly demand seamless and personalized experiences, hotels that invest in these technologies will undoubtedly earn themselves an advantage.
Lovetto Nazareth,
managing director
Prism Digital
@prismsocial
