We just got some great coverage on eHotelier, who have published our latest article on the rise of personalisation and AI and what this means to the hotel industry.
Personalisation is everywhere. We experience it every day, even if we don’t notice it. From personalised ‘My Mix’ playlists on YouTube and Spotify to recommended upsells on Amazon and eBay. Our online experiences have become tailored to our individual interests and buying habits, so much so that we’ve come to expect it. And as hospitality is an industry that prides itself on excellent personal service, it should come as no surprise that digital personalisation is one advantage hoteliers and other accommodation providers cannot afford to avoid. Indeed many big players in the hospitality industry are upping their game in digital personalisation and are starting to apply machine learning to engage customers more effectively.
Take the Marriott International, for example, who have applied excellent personalisation strategies to delight their guests and keep them loyal. The Marriott does this mostly through their app, which they have updated with personalisation and geo-location technology to deliver a tailored experience for each guest from booking to post check-out. Guests can check-in and unlock their room with the app and the Marriott can use the guest data gathered through the app to offer relevant actions (such as booking a service, class or activity, dining at the hotel restaurant or leaving a review).
Digital personalisation is not just trending among large hotel groups and brands. Ninety per cent of hoteliers say their guests will expect stays to be personalised by 2020 (Grant Thornton). The truth is, more and more interactions, which were once made face to face or over the phone are now managed online and customers have come to expect the same level – if not a higher level – of personalisation online as they would when talking to a concierge at the front desk.
See the full article here.
