Discussion: Module 3 – AIML-April-2026

[Craig]

– Insight 1, I have learned that chatbots are also utilizing AI to improve and try and ensure they are helping the hospitality journey become less stressful and reduce frictions for lets say basic hospitality requests…. Now i write this while acknowledging that i am the guest who will just write Agent multiple times until it skips over the chatbot and gets me a real person, We will talk more about that a little later 😉

– Insight 2, Guests still particularly older who travel more are very distrusting of surveillance and perceive AI, ML and Chatbots to be exactly this and therefore are very resistant to change, luckily younger generations are much more accepting to the changing technology and are the future.

– Insight 3, TBA

– Curiosity 1, Continuing from my Insight 1, how can AI / Chatbots in hospitality scale personalization and accuracy to capture the buy in for people like me that does travel often, unfortunately hits issues from time to time and therefore has experienced early versions and just lost trust and enthusiasm with speaking with a chatbot especially when something is going wrong. My personal experience is a person can help me out way quicker and better than a chatbot or AI and therefore i want to essentially cut out the middleman or in this case Chatbot. Now a nuance here is i have never been provided a goodwill gesture when there has been a service failure however when i speak to a person the majority of the time they do end up correcting the issue quicker and always end up providing a recovery goodwill gesture. So my curiosity is once someone like myself has lost his enthusiasm and just frantically types AGENT multiple times, how do you win me back?

– Curiosity 2, What is the right balance between relying / leveraging AI and Humans. Currently i am a Bonvoy Ambassador status holder so i actually prefer to check-in with a person despite the fact i could save a few minutes and go straight to my room with the digital check-in. I like being recognized as an Ambassador member with a personal greeting and also receiving the goodies that go with it. I am essentially foregoing efficiency, frictionless technologically advanced check-in experience and instead favoring the past. How will the wider hospitality industry work to get people like me onboard?

– 1 Fascination, The absolute trove of data that is being collected is fascinating and I’m excited to see how this data which is the past experiences in most cases will be used by hospitality providers to change direction, fine tune offerings and further enhance their products. The opportunities are endless and I expect to see a huge shift in more personalization based on my past chats, requests etc as things progress.

How satisfied would I be if I had a pop up from the Bonvoy app chatbot saying – Mr. Jarrett there is a queue at check-in due to a large group so I have virtually checked you in and issued you a digital key. Not only that I managed to get you an upgrade to the room you stayed in 2 stays ago and mentioned it had the view you really liked. Then when I enter the room the temperature is the perfect 71 I always set my room too, the TV is on HGTV which is my go too and the light setting is what I typically like my room being at. If a hotel company was to invest in this type of AI / Chatbot then I think more people will get onboard as then it becomes a service, efficiency and way to save me time.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 4 weeks ago by  Craig.

[Craig]

– Insight 3, Not specifically an insight but rather an observation or comment related to the number of companies out there currently working within the Hospitality Industry. I guess i didn’t know about so many smaller companies led by people with hospitality background experience like Fetch, Intico, GuestOS, HiJiffy,Asksuite. There are such a large number of opportunities for companies that you would never know already building and supporting our industry which is very exciting.

Sorry for the piece meal response i was flying while replying studying.

[Miranda]

Hi Craig,

Great point on the “AGENT.” Honestly, I think a lot of us do the exact same thing when something goes wrong.

You made another great point about trust. It’s not that people hate chatbots, it’s that early experiences didn’t deliver when it mattered most. Once that trust is gone, it’s hard to get it back.

Your question about winning guests like you back is a good one. I think the answer isn’t better chatbots alone, but better handoffs. If AI can quickly recognize frustration and get you to a real person faster, while giving that person all the context, that could start to rebuild confidence.

I also liked your Ambassador example. That really highlights something tech can’t replace, which is feeling recognized. Some guests will always prefer that human touch, and I think the future is giving people the choice rather than forcing one experience.

[Craig]

I just listened to the Ryan Daniel EVHA interview, and he names the AGENT frustration is called Machine rage!!! I’m sure each and every one of us have had it, but it seems with the technological advances it should get less and less.

[Rachel]

Hi Craig! I really enjoyed reading your post—I’ve had many of the same insights so far as well.

I’m especially interested in your idea for the Marriott Bonvoy app. There are so many technical considerations that would need to be worked through. For example, certain cities mandate an in-person ID check at check-in (and honestly, all hotels should do this for safety, security, and fraud prevention). This makes me wonder how a fully mobile or contactless check-in process would align with maintaining brand standards. To pass a Marriott brand QA during check-in, specific service elements are required. For instance, I would need to say, “Welcome, Mr. Jarrett. Thank you for being a Marriott Ambassador Elite member,” and I would need to state the guest’s name at least three times during the check-in process. Beyond verbal standards, there are also detailed behavioral and presentation requirements, such as:

• Making eye contact and smiling at 15 feet and maintaining eye contact at 5 feet
• Maintaining good posture, attentive listening
• Providing a warm and sincere closing
• Mentioning at least two membership-level-specific benefits during the Marriott Bonvoy conversation
• Confirming check-out time at check-in
• Reviewing room type and special requests
• Confirming the number of keys and discreetly showing the room number on the key packet
• Providing directions to the elevator and/or room
• Offering additional assistance
• Completing the entire check-in process within required timeframes

While mobile check-in is already widely used, I wonder how a significant shift away from in-person check-in would impact the brand voice, consistency, and the personal guest experience that Marriott is known for. If fewer guests interact directly with front desk associates, how do we ensure those brand standards and that sense of recognition and personalization are still delivered at the same level?

[Craig]

You know i didn’t give much thought to the security verification so you have a point, however i think maybe the hotel brands could take the airline approach with a TSA pre-check type approach or similarly to when we were all in Covid and we had to use the third party approval for verification of our covid shots… Maybe this is the AI tool we should build Rachel 😉

[Rachel]

Seems like we have potential for a new business opportunity!!

[Craig]

lets do it!!!

[Jack]

Thank you Craig for the detailed and authentic submission.

I agree that it is often a bit annoying to have a circular and non-personal greeting when contacting an organization. For me, the frustration is that the technology is not yet perfected to the point that it seems to be “double-work.” We are likely at the crossroads of this fine line of needing to push through the struggles and refine our automation to be more efficacious and constituent-friendly! I just completed international travel where the technology has yet to catch up with current availability (e.g., room keys and no updated room sensors ( IoT–internet of things). I fear that the family-owned international venues may be hard hit with an inability to embrace technology due to costs. I wonder if we might see some type of tech co-operative where scale could be arranged to level the playing field a bit for the smaller players at a reasonable cost and entry into the market. It almost feels like small farmers and where agri-business has grown! The small personal touch made the international travel special and memorable! Thanks again for your insights and contribution.

Best, Jack

[Craig]

Thanks Jack, you nailed it, its a combination of once bitten twice shy, stubbornness and also smaller businesses not having the means. Great seeing your insights and experience also.

[Kimberley]

Perceived surveillance makes the AI in customer service off putting to guests I believe.

[Miranda]

Here is a polished, natural-sounding discussion post you can submit:

<hr>

Hi everyone,

Three insights:

First, chatbots are no longer just basic FAQ tools. In many hospitality settings, they can handle real-time guest requests such as room service orders or maintenance issues, which helps reduce wait times and allows staff to focus on more complex, high-touch interactions.

Second, personalized guest services powered by AI rely heavily on data integration across systems. When guest preferences, past stays, and behaviors are connected, hotels can offer more tailored recommendations, which can significantly enhance the guest experience and increase loyalty.

Third, AI does not necessarily replace employees, but instead supports them. For example, AI-assisted responses can help staff respond faster and more consistently, while still allowing for a human touch when needed.

Two curiosities:
One question I still have is how hotels balance personalization with guest privacy. At what point does data collection begin to feel intrusive rather than helpful?

Another question is how smaller or independent properties can realistically adopt these technologies. Is AI becoming accessible enough for them, or will this remain a competitive advantage primarily for larger brands?

One fascination
What fascinates me most is the idea of AI empowering employees in real time. The ability for staff to receive suggested responses or recommendations while interacting with guests has the potential to elevate service quality while also building employee confidence, especially for newer team members.

Looking forward to hearing everyone else’s perspectives!

[Craig]

Thanks Miranda,

I think you hit the nail on the head with the question about smaller / independent properties being able to learn and adopt this type of technology. Its a concern or maybe an opportunity that i also have been thinking about and was also a motivator for me joining this course. Once complete im hoping it arms me with further knowledge to try and build some tools that are simple and useful for those smaller businesses that cant afford to have a AI chief officer or such.

I’m sure this course will help get many student that will be stepping up to try and build things that will help demystify AI and make it more approachable for all.

Maybe its this cohort 😉

[James]

Your curiosity point was well taken. I completely understand why hotels want to collect data, but there is also a balance as well. There will be certain customers who would want to keep their information private. Hotels just need to make sure they don’t go overboard with customers information.

[Rachel]

Hi Miranda! I share a lot of the same insights as you as I am learning throughout this course. I agree with your curiosity of at what point does data collection begin to feel intrusive rather than helpful. I also wonder how people react to this there are some people extremely against adapting to ai and having their personal data shared.

[Jack]

Thanks very much Miranda.

My recent international travel confirms several of the issues you raised. I am especially wary of sharing much personal information as I travel into unknown territory. Privacy and personalization balances are touch to strike!

Education and training are mutual needs for both providers of hospitality services and guests’ expectations. The pressures of travel are often taken out on the wrong persons due to the high stressors placed on the traveler. Worker well-being/ responses and guest expectations are variables that contribute to the experience. One of the observations I have made about the guest experience is the frequency and timing of customer touches with companies like Viking Cruises. The checklists and timing of communication reflect an intentionality of applied aggregated data analytics that seem to have been refined and iterated to high levels of satisfaction and repeat business. Viking and Disney are, in many ways, organizations of benchmark excellence for customer experiences!

Gratefully,

Jack

[Rachel]

Insight 1: I never really considered how chatbots can be used to automate everyday tasks and reduce the volume of guest requests hotel staff deal with. When I worked the front desk, it would’ve been amazing to have an AI chatbot or AI phone assistant handle simple requests like “Can I have five towels sent to room 501?” or “My toilet is clogged.” That alone could have saved staff so much time and stress.

Insight 2: I was really intrigued by the idea of in-room smart features, like automated temperature control and personalized room settings. This is something I’ve honestly never seen or experienced in a hotel before, but it makes sense. Having a room automatically adjust to a guest’s preferences feels like a next-level personalization opportunity.

Insight 3: AI-driven guest services depend a lot on how well hotel data is connected. When systems can link things like guest preferences and past stays, hotels are able to make smarter, more personalized recommendations. That personal touch can go a long way in improving the guest experience and building long-term loyalty.

Curiosity 1: How long will it take before all major booking platforms fully implement advanced AI chatbots? For example, Expedia already uses a virtual agent that partially relies on AI starts every chat with ” Hi, I’m your Virtual Agent. 👋 I’m here to help with your travel plans. Just to let you know, I sometimes use AI to answer your questions” But how soon will we see a chatbot capable of handling something like, “Book me a flight to Las Vegas with a three-night stay at ___ hotel”? That level of automation would make booking extremely easy but I also wonder if it might make people a little too reliant on AI.

Curiosity 2: Are we losing social interaction in the process? I think many guests prefer online check-in or chatting with a virtual agent instead of interacting with hotel staff. While this can improve efficiency, I worry it takes away from the core meaning of hospitality and service. There’s definitely a fine line between enhancing the guest experience and replacing human interaction. As someone from a younger generation, I see how heavy the reliance on AI has become and how face-to-face interaction is sometimes avoided.

Fascination: I’m extremely fascinated by the idea of hotel reviews potentially becoming AI-generated. In my job, I do marketing for 11 hotels and closely monitor reviews across third-party sites, brand websites, and basically anywhere the hotel’s name appears online. I spend a lot of time reading guest reviews. Most of the time when it comes to hotels people spend the time writing a review if they had a really positive experience or a really negative experience. I think AI could be incredibly helpful in analyzing review data and summarizing key trends or recurring concerns. However, I don’t think fully AI-generated reviews are a good idea. Reviews are personal, emotional, and often detailed, and switching to AI-prompted reviews could take away that authenticity. Guests’ real voices still matter, even as AI plays a larger role behind the scenes.

[James]

Great curiosity point Rachel. Even though customers might prefer virtual check in, this could possibly take away the social and human aspect away. Within the hospitality industry customers still want that warm greeting when they arrive at their destination.

[Miranda]

Hi Rachel,

I really enjoyed reading your post because you brought up such a balanced perspective on AI in hospitality. Your example from working the front desk was so relatable. Having AI handle simple requests like extra towels or maintenance issues really would take a lot of pressure off staff and give them more time to focus on guests in a more meaningful way.

I also liked your point about losing social interaction. I think that’s something a lot of people are starting to think about, especially in hospitality where personal connection is such a huge part of the experience. Convenience is great, but there’s definitely a fine line between making things easier and making experiences feel too impersonal.

[James]

First: There’s real-time personalization at scale. Chatbots assist hotels to work personalization across thousands of guest by integrating with CRM systems and property management systems. This allow chatbots to access guest history and tailor responses accordingly.

Second: Around the clock service. Chatbots allow reduced friction and provide instant responses any hour. This helps with pre-arrival inquiries, in-stay requests, and post-stay follow-ups. This can reduce the workload on front desk staff and concierge teams.

Third: Upselling and revenue opportunities. Chatbots can use behavioral data to deliver targeted upsell opportunities in a conversational format.

Curiosity 1: In a service heavy industry, guest may choose staff over chatbots to make sure they get clarified information. For example, a guest who stay at a certain often, might get certain benefits or a special room rate.

Curiosity 2: Personalization could possibly backfire if it’s too accurate. For example, if was waiter says “You ordered whiskey last time-want it again?” can feel unsettling.

Fascination: Something interesting with chatbots is how they blur the line between automation and human like service. Not only can they answer questions, they can simulate attentiveness. A well equipped chatbot remembers preferences, anticipate needs, and responds instantly.

[Kimberley]

I find it so creepy that the chatbots can seem like genuine human attentiveness.

[Rachel]

Post was meant to be responses to Craigs post. Reposted under his post.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by  Rachel.

[Kimberley]

AI in Hospitality: Enhancing Customer Experience<div>

Self-check-in kiosks really so cut the friction of being a tired traveller and having to stand in a long line in a hotel lobby, as it is fast and private. Personalized recommendations tend to feel thoughtful when they’re accurate and we tend to feel more appreciated when the system remembers our preferences across visits.

Three Insights

1. Chatbots work best as filters, not full replacements. Their real value is absorbing high-volume, routine, non-reservation inquiries and they free staff for the interactions that need human judgment. Efficiency gains come from redirecting attention, not eliminating people.

2. Personalization is only as good as data integration. Effective guest personalization depends on unifying data across systems (PMS, POS, CRM) rather than any single source. Fragmented data produces shallow or inaccurate recommendations that can feel intrusive rather than helpful.

3. Timing and restraint matter as much as accuracy. Whether it’s upselling or local recommendations, the technology that performs best is the one that understands delayed upselling to avoid feeling transactional, or recognizing repeat guests rather than pushing generic offers.

Two Curiosities

1. How do hotels measure the fine line between where a guest shifts from appreciating personalization to feeling surveilled by it?

2. As AI-driven discovery (guests finding hotels through AI assistants rather than search engines) grows, how will that reshape the relationship between guest experience personalization and marketing/visibility strategy?

One Fascination

The idea of AI recognizing patterns across repeat stays is interesting because it starts to resemble what a great long-tenured hotel employee does like recalling a guest’s usual drink order, but at a larger scale which no single staff member could sustain across thousands of guests.

</div>

[Samir]

Three Insights: Share three things you’ve learned about chatbots and personalized guest services in hospitality. Consider how these technologies can enhance both service efficiency and guest satisfaction.

Chatbots have been in use decades but it’s acceptance and credibility was not to the level it is now with generative AI driven. Earlier they were simple rule-based system that followed predefined scripts. And answered basic queries

Today it’s widespread with 24/7 availability, especially for hotels they are lead generation tool as well. This cuts down on response time by being instant and real time. That’s positive for both guest and Hotel.

However, so often we tend to skip and want a live person to validate. From a recent personal experience, I reached out to Westin to confirm on 4 rooms we had reserved however automated system was more inclined to resolve the situation but path it followed was sending a link to mobile for me to login, which totally defied the need of instant response and solution. Consequently, it raised frustration level

Two Curiosities: Pose two questions that remain for you. These might be related to challenges, potential future developments, or practical applications you wish to understand better.

Can Chatbots handle privacy with legal guidelines?

Can Chatbots raise guest satisfaction rather than being a block or filler?

One Fascination: Highlight one aspect of AI in hospitality that intrigues you the most. This could be a particular technology, a case study, or an envisioned future application.

I believe AI can raise the bar and make hospitality industry leisure again regardless of the location or size of the property as long as refreshed and less overwhelmed hotels staff can provide icing on top with a final human touch and experience. 98% of hospitality operations can be AI driven backed by humans and 2% just humans change the entire nomenclature of hospitality industry