Sponsored content: How Lamington Group uses AI to automate 97% of guest queries

How does as a family-owned accommodation business and coworking brand achieve enhanced guest experience with conversational AI?

Lamington Group, a family-owned business, manages eco-friendly room2 hometels, Lamington Apartments, and the coworking brand Missionworks. As a B-cert corporation, they are committed to sustainability and innovation.

The brand’s gradual rollout of HiJiffy’s AI across its room2 hometels and serviced apartments achieved remarkable results. Starting with a hybrid model, they quickly moved to full automation, transforming guest communication.

At the start of the AI implementation, Lamington Group had the following goals:

• Enhance guest experience: They needed to optimise communication channels and introduce an automated guide to their properties and services.
• Automate guest communications: To efficiently drive direct bookings, handle pre-stay questions, and manage in-stay requests.
• Streamline procedures: Striving to automate promoting online check-in/check-out processes to reduce the team’s workload.

Implementation and adoption

The group began by implementing HiJiffy’s solution at their smallest, unstaffed property. After observing positive results, they expanded to other properties in the following six months. 

Initially, a hybrid model (partial automation) was chosen to address the usual initial resistance that hotel teams can show when a new technology is introduced. By involving staff in setting up the chatbot’s answers to frequently asked questions, confidence grew, leading to full automation.

HiJiffy’s AI was implemented across every touchpoint of the guest journey, including:

1. Answering FAQs: The AI instantly responded to over 200 hospitality-specific topics across web chat, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.
2. Converting Direct Bookings: The AI facilitated bookings by integrating with the booking engine, guiding guests through the process.
3. Online Check-in Campaigns: Automated WhatsApp messages encouraged guests to complete online check-ins, speeding up the process.
4. Increasing Revenue: WhatsApp campaigns promoted services like early bird discounts at the property’s bar.
5. Boosting Loyalty Programme: Automatic messages invited guests to join the “room2 family” loyalty programme.
6. Check-out Campaigns: Automated reminders ensured smooth check-outs.

Alicia van Wyk, marketing project manager of Lamington Group, said: “AI can help establish and maintain a good reputation - right from the first time guests interact with the brand on social media or the website. 

"That’s when the chatbot comes in to convert them into future guests. The chatbot also supports the operational team pre-stay and during the stay with general FAQs. 

"This is greatly supported by a member of staff who can intervene when needed, especially when conversations don’t go as expected or when an action-based task is required.”

Lamington Group found it achieved the below results because of its use of AI:

• 93% automation rate of conversations: In the initial months of rolling out the solution, over 9% of direct bookings on the website were facilitated by conversational AI in the webchat
• 87% WhatsApp campaign open rate: Automated campaigns positively impacted the number of online check-ins and loyalty programme sign-ups.
• 87% CSAT score: Full automation relieved staff from repetitive tasks, maintaining high guest satisfaction.

Lamington Group’s successful implementation of HiJiffy’s conversational AI showcases the potential of AI in transforming hospitality operations. 

Alicia van Wyk added: “Besides seeing the results, the process of gaining trust and confidence is all about learning the wider benefits of AI to support the guest journey.”

The peak season is just around the corner but you can still benefit from HiJiffy’s conversational AI across the guest journey thanks to the easy implementation and integrations with the most popular property management systems and booking engines.

To get one month for free, use promo code TRAV10 when booking your demo with an expert from HiJiffy.