It’s no secret that guests expect quick, personalized service during their hotel stay—but any experienced hotelier knows that providing this consistently is easier said than done. From answering booking questions to accommodating in-room requests, there are some things you probably wish you could just…delegate.

Good news: You can! The advancements of artificial intelligence in the hotel industry have opened new doors for hoteliers to automate repetitive tasks. This gives you and your staff more time to focus on great stays. Here are eight easy ideas to enhance the hotel guest experience using AI.

AI in hospitality research
Key highlights:

• AI makes it possible for hotels to deliver curated experiences at scale
• Top AI guest engagement solutions include chatbots, smart room technology and digital concierge tools
• By automating routine tasks, AI frees hotel staff to focus on high-touch interactions

Understanding guest engagement
Hotel guest engagement is how you connect and interact with your guests, starting from the moment they discover your property and extending well beyond their stay. Done right, it’s a smart way to enhance the guest experience and keep them coming back. Doing it wrong? That’s how you turn a potential brand advocate into an active detractor.

It’s a lot of pressure to put on hotels, but luckily, this responsibility doesn’t have to fall squarely on your staff’s shoulders. AI tools are changing the way hotels and guests interact for the better, making high-quality, personalized service possible to provide at scale.

Top 8 ideas to enhance hotel guest experience with AI tools
Below, we’ll explore how to engage with hotel guests using AI. With the right hospitality-focused AI solutions, your efforts will unburden your team, drive repeat bookings and increase revenue.

1. Personalized Welcome Messages Using AI Tools
   Whether it’s a text or email, reaching out to guests before they arrive sets the tone for their stay. It also communicates essential booking details and gives them a chance to ask any questions before they arrive on site.

Manual, one-off pre-arrival communication strategies aren’t realistic for busy staff. With the help of AI, you can automate welcome messages via email and text. Here’s how that might look:

• An automated welcome message the day before arrival that details essential information such as check-in time, their booking confirmation and how to get in touch
• A post-welcome message sent an hour after check-in establishes a connection with on-site guests, giving them the chance to get questions answered and purchase add-ons
• A pre-checkout message sent the night before departure that details checkout procedures and offers a late checkout for a fee.
• A post-departure message the day after the guest leaves to ask for feedback, thank them again and send out an offer if they’d like to visit in the future.

Did you know: 90% of people respond to SMS messages within 30 minutes? This means texts are the best way to share time-sensitive promotions, and Canary’s AI-Powered Guest Messaging solution makes it easy for this to happen at scale.

2. Chatbot Messaging and Virtual Assistants
   Fast response times mean current and future guests get instant answers right at their fingertips. This is especially powerful for increasing direct bookings, as AI-powered website chatbots engage potential guests before they have a chance to explore competitors. Simple questions, like pet policies or breakfast hours, don’t require them to wait for a response.

Utilizing AI during the stay keeps this communication cadence going. When a busy hotel adopted Canary’s AI Guest Messaging system, it automated 82% of communication. The result? A dramatic reduction in time spent answering repetitive questions and more opportunities to introduce personalized service.

3. Smart Room Technologies
   Think about it: Many homes are outfitted with smart thermostats, speakers that talk back and screens that put the internet at your fingertips. Hotels that offer this same tech boost satisfaction by appealing to the 65% of travelers who want the technology in their hotel to be even more advanced than what they have at home.

Here are a few ideas for including smart tech in your hotel rooms:

• Smart thermostats: Allow guests to adjust the temperatures in their rooms automatically according to their specific comfort level.
• Intelligent room management: Introduce extra convenience features like smart curtains, smart lighting and smart showers so guests can tailor their stay to their liking.
• Smart TVs: Let guests easily stream their own content from Netflix or Hulu, just like at home.
• Wireless charging stations: Eliminate the need for cables and cords by letting guests charge their devices on charging pads located throughout the room.
• Mobile keys: Allow guests to use their smartphones to unlock their rooms to enhance security and streamline remote check-in and checkout processes.
• In-room tablets: Provide a digital way to control room features, order services and get hotel information.

And because many of these services can be boosted with AI, you can create an even more modern guest experience for tech-savvy travelers.

4. Voice-Activated Services
   Properties that add voice-activated controls to their tech stack allow guests to control things like lights, temperature, and TVs just by speaking. With just a few short commands, guests can turn up the heat or request a wake-up call.

Some hotels even use smart tech that lets guests order room service or ask for hotel info with simple voice commands. By offering these kinds of hands-free conveniences, your hotel becomes more than just tech-savvy—you build a guest experience that’s personalized and fun.

5. Multilingual Customer Support
   Modern guest engagement solutions speak your guests' language—literally! If you want to attract global travelers, you'll need to be able to communicate in many languages. And that many bilingual staff members are hard to find.

AI-powered hospitality chatbots and virtual assistants translate and communicate in multiple languages, offering instant, multilingual support around the clock. Providing this kind of support shows guests that their satisfaction matters, no matter where they’re visiting from.

6. Mobile Check-In and Checkout
   More hotels are eliminating front desk friction with digital check-in and checkout processes. Travelers have come to expect this type of efficiency from their hotel, but you can take it one step further by tailoring this experience with AI. How does it work? Here are a few examples:

• If a guest writes in asking about pool hours or amenity info after check-in, AI can automatically answer.
• AI can send offers based on customer information taken at check-in, such as if they have children in their party or are celebrating something special
• If a guest has a question about checkout times, AI will give them the details and offer a late checkout for a fee

7. Digital Tipping
   Research shows that guests want to tip hotel staff, but only a few carry the cash to do so. Digital tipping makes it easy for guests to reward staff with just a few taps on their phone. This reward system greatly improves staff morale, which in turn improves guest satisfaction.

For example, when Hyatt Place Durham Southpoint implemented digital tipping software, they saw an improvement in staff retention and their cleanliness score jumped six points. When staff are incentivized to go above and beyond, the service they provide is unparalleled.

8. Virtual Concierge
   AI guest communication tools also act like a digital concierge, offering guests curated recommendations. Unlike your human concierge team, digital concierge services are available 24/7 to provide instant help, such as:

• Making transportation arrangements
• Building itineraries based on local attractions and events
• Planning on-site activities and experiences like spa treatments or yoga classes
• Recommending dining or bar experiences
• Responding to guest requests (i.e., room service, housekeeping, checkout)

The biggest benefit of virtual concierge services? Timing. These AI tools respond to requests without any delay, empowering your team to promote timely offers throughout the guest’s stay.

AI in hospitality research
Choosing the right guest engagement strategy
When you find ways to communicate with guests intentionally and consistently, you build loyalty because guests feel understood and valued, translating to more memorable experiences. Here’s how to start brainstorming an engagement strategy that works for your hotel:

1. Know your guests inside and out: Figure out who your typical guests are, what they like and where they find you. Understanding your guests opens up all new ways to connect in the ways that resonate most.
2. Identify points of friction: Audit your existing guest experience processes to highlight areas that hold you back, like if your guest reviews frequently mention slow response times. Knowing where you need to streamline communications will help you identify how AI can help.
3. Mix high-tech with human touch: While chatbots and messaging systems are great for quick questions, guests still need a real person for bigger issues requiring a more personal connection. Find the right balance between using technology and having staff available.
4. Leverage data for better experiences: From booking patterns to guest preferences to feedback, data insights help you identify trends and drive revenue. Your AI tech stack should integrate with your PMS software or CRM to make the most of the data.

4-Step formula for hotel guest engagement

Improve your guest engagement with Canary
Hotel guest engagement doesn’t have to be 100% human. Let AI elevate your hotel experience and handle every interaction with the level of care and attention guests expect. Canary’s guest experience platform integrates seamlessly with AI chatbots, virtual messaging systems and concierge tools, freeing up your team to connect with guests.

To learn how Canary can help your staff deliver personal touches that build real loyalty, request a demo today.