Hotel Concierge Solutions to Enhance Guest Experience

With changing guest expectations, hotel concierges have evolved into different forms - from mobile apps that guests use to make requests like calling housekeeping, to voice-activated devices installed directly in their rooms. But what if you don't have such virtual assistants?

Result – long waiting times, poor guest experience, more operational cost, less productive hotel staff. In this blog, let's find out what digital concierge is, and how it enhances guest experience along with a few examples.

What does digital concierge at a hotel mean?

A hotel digital concierge is a type of virtual assistant that can handle reservations, accept guest requests, and provide them with recommendations. Such digital technology uses artificial intelligence to communicate with guests on the go without requiring a front desk.

From reserving a table at a restaurant to guiding them about local recommendations near the hotel to providing information about hotel amenities, it does everything an experienced human concierge would do.

It makes the check-in and check-out process smooth and hassle-free for guests. This virtual assistant is available 24/7 for them to handle multiple requests simultaneously, and that's completely automated with no reliance on human personnel.

Not only does it assist guests at every stage of their journey, but it also brings more revenue opportunities for hoteliers through upselling and cross-selling.

How does the hotel's digital concierge enhance the guest experience?

Digital concierge is transforming the way hotels interact with guests:

1. Available for them anytime and anywhere

Unlike traditional concierge, virtual concierge solves guest queries on the go.

No matter whether they use a smartphone or in-room device to raise a request, they can access information about hotel amenities or anything without needing to wait in line or contact hotel front desk staff.

2. Providing personalized recommendations to guests

A virtual concierge can even remember the taste of guests; for instance, if a particular guest prefers vegetarian food, it suggests vegetarian-related cuisines.

Wouldn't that be surprising enough if you’ve your digital assistant which already knows what guest loves to eat and enjoy? This allows hotel owners like YOU to customize their stay experience by suggesting nearby restaurants or recommending activities based on their interests.

3. No more waiting times at the front desk

Guests no longer need to wait in the queue at the front desk through contactless check-in system before they arrive at your hotel. Theyare not required to fill out those lengthy forms.

Hotel concierge software allows guests to make requests for amenities and get everything done at their fingertips.

4. Speak to guests in their preferred language

Often hoteliers face challenges in hiring personnel who can speak multiple languages and can fulfill the needs of international travelers.

For instance – Freddie, an AI-powered chatbot, comes with multilingual capabilities, meaning it can answer guest queries in their native language.That’s how digital concierge solutions makes the life of hoteliers and their guests easy peasy.

5. Increase your hotel revenue

Not only do hotel concierge solutions enhance guest experience, but they also help hotels generate revenue by promoting their services such as special packages, spa treatments, or any other room upgrade.

What are the MUST-HAVE features in virtual concierge solutions?

Here are a few features that a digital concierge solution should have:

1. Contactless check-in/check-out

Gone are the times when guests had to physically fill out forms and submit documents to check in at the hotel. At the same time, front desk staff had to be physically present there.

Now, contactless check-in software has come which automates the guest journey from check-in to check-out. They can complete their registration process, submit documents digitally, and do the pre-arrival check-in.

This reduces the back-and-forth hassle for guests to share their credit card details or ask for room keys; they can simply head over to their rooms.

2. Direct messaging with hotel staff

Integrating a virtual concierge solution is a game changer for hotel staff. Through this hotel management software, guests can connect with hotel staff anytime and anywhere.

They can have a real-time conversation with a chatbot, request services, and adjust their stay. From pre-arrival text to post-stay surveys, guests can feel that their responses are heard.

Whether they request an extra pillow or a room upgrade option, digital concierge solution provides them a speedy service.

3. Generates automated receipts

Generally, guests want proof of purchase after they book a stay at your property. While sending manual payment receipts can result in more paper wastage and waste your time. That's where digital concierge can be a game changer.

You can send automated bill receipts through email mentioning that their booking is confirmed. You can even share promotional offers or incentives such as discounts or coupon codes to convince guests to come back.

4. Supports integration with PMS

The virtual concierge solution you choose for your hotel should be seamlessly integrated with the property management system.

When the digital conciergeis in sync with hotel PMS, it will automatically pull data from PMS, reducing the need for manual data entry. This frees up the front desk staff to focus on things like enhancing guest experience and greeting them in a better way.

What are some popular examples of hotel concierge solutions?

Here are a few examples of digital concierge solutions for hoteliers:

1. BOTSHOT

BOTSHOT provides hotels with virtual concierge solutions to enhance their guest experience and automate their booking journey from check-in to check-out.

• By using eFrontDesk, hoteliers can provide express check-in/check-out facilities so that guests can bypass front desk staff. 

They can check in and complete their registration process digitally before they arrive at the hotel.

• Freddie is an AI-powered chatbot that provides round-the-clock support to guests as it never gets tired or feels burnt out.

This chatbot comes with multilingual capabilities so this means you can serve guests from any corner of the world.

• Heda, a feedback management system, takes feedback from guests by sending in-stay and post-stay surveys.

Let's say guests are highly dissatisfied at your property because of housekeeping staff, then the feedback management software tracks those negative complaints and sends the ticket to the right department(housekeeping department in this case).

2. LoungeUp

A platform that more than 3000 hoteliers use to manage guest interactions across various channels such as WhatsApp, SMS, or Facebook Messenger.

This hotel management software has several use cases; it can be used for sending automated messages and managing check-in requests. You can even check guest arrivals and departures.

Their mobile app acts as a bridge between front desk staff and guests. Guests can request amenities and get everything at their fingertips.

They no longer need to call housekeeping or front desk staff every 5 minutes to provide them with the requested service.

Wrapping up

From providing check-in facilities to providing information about hotel amenities and even recommending local attractions to guests based on their preferences, digital concierges provide a memorable stay experience to guests.

But virtual concierges aren't confined to enhancing guest experience; they also help hoteliers to increase their revenue through upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

For instance, by analyzing guest preferences, it can suggest a room upgrade option or recommend a spa treatment, resulting in an overall increase in spending per guest.