A web chatbot driven by generative artificial intelligence (AI) has just been developed by The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a lodging business unit completely owned by CapitaLand Investment, to improve the travel planning and booking stages as part of the guest journey. The chatbot, named Cubby after the mascot of Ascott, is intended to act as a “travel buddy” for all visitors. Cubby is prepared to offer travel information, such as highlights of a trip, choices for lodging, must-see landmarks, ideas for shopping and adventurous activities, as well as the finest “Instagram-worthy” spots, to name a few.
Built with Azure Services and Microsoft OpenAI, the ChatGPT-powered chatbot. In order to provide a better, more technologically advanced guest experience, Cubby also makes use of real-time data, utilizing Bing search, Azure Map (Nearby API), Azure Map (Weather API), and other Azure services, as well as data and insights obtained through Ascott’s global website DiscoverASR.com. This revolutionary endeavor, which is now in the test-bedding stage when learnings are still crucial, is a part of Ascott’s thoughtful adoption of AI-driven guest-centric technologies to support its rapid growth trajectory.
Ascott’s Managing Director for Brand & Marketing, Tan Bee Leng, said: “With the trial launch of Cubby, where innovation meets warm and cuddly hospitality, Ascott takes its first step into the future of customised travel exploration. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), Cubby can quickly analyze travel preferences, trends, and recommendations. It can do everything from propose hidden gems to create itineraries that are tailored to a user’s interests. Every encounter with Cubby is going to open up a world of almost endless possibilities in AI-driven trip planning as we travel with our valued visitors on this shared voyage of experimentation. Ascott is committed to fostering Cubby’s development and giving it the tools it needs to provide more interesting and personalized experiences with each contact.
Making Use of New Technology to Create an AI-Powered Ascott Web Chatbot
To begin with, Cubby will assist Ascott’s live chat representatives so that the representatives can concentrate on handling more complicated concerns that call for a deeper and more in-depth interaction with visitors. Cubby may create custom itineraries based on user input for visitors who prefer having a live-streaming AI travel companion. The itineraries can be altered and customized in accordance with the chosen destination(s), duration of stay, travel preferences, and other factors. Some of the additional information Cubby is able to impart includes travel suggestions, health and safety information, guidance on visa needs, trip budgets, and packing checklists.
Among the various jobs Cubby has been taught to perform are supporting the booking step of the customer journey, suggesting lodging possibilities, and helping customers book their favorite homes via deep links within the website booking engine.
Cubby said, immersed in the pervasive realm of technology: “Hello, dear travelers! Your friendly travel companion powered by OpenAI ChatGPT, my name is Cubby. I’m excited to be a part of Ascott’s foray into artificial intelligence, helping to organize your incredible vacations, create lasting itineraries, and even help you make hotel reservations. I’m still a young, inquisitive cub, discovering more and more about this amazing planet with every interaction we have. I pledge to put in additional effort each day to get better! So let’s set off on this expedition hand in hand and create lifelong memories! Let’s work together to design vacations that will make you smile like a jubilant teddy bear and warm your heart.
Cubby, the Ascott Web Chatbot’s upcoming phase
In its later stages, Cubby will become multichannel and seamlessly integrate with other applications for better convenience, anticipating changing guest expectations. Additionally, enhanced language capabilities will be added to guarantee that Cubby is prepared for regional use. With the help of this connection, Cubby will be able to answer to enquiries from guests quickly across all channels in their desired language and on their preferred platform.
accelerated check-ins
With ambitions for a global roll-out, Ascott is testing the usage of self-check-in kiosks in Singapore at a number of its hotels. These kiosks are outfitted with face recognition technology that makes use of computer vision AI. These kiosks analyze face features quickly and securely and compare them to passport photos. The procedure has been shortened to make checking in quicker for customers and to give the staff members working the front desk more opportunity to interact with visitors in more meaningful ways.
Improved Hotel Experience
Building brand loyalty and improving stay experiences both depend heavily on customer input. Ascott intends to use natural language processing AI this year as part of its pipeline to do sophisticated sentiment analysis by understanding nuanced language. Prior to its global rollout, the tool will undergo test deployment in a few selected regions. This AI invention will produce precise and helpful ideas for every Ascott property to improve visitor pleasure and give the hospitality firm crucial information when constructing future properties.
Developing its People’s Potential
With the ability to automate repetitive chores, improve decision-making, and free up work time for more intuitive participation in higher-level initiatives, AI has become a more potent ally. It is essential that Ascott’s employees join it on this journey as it ramps up its technological initiatives and promotes even deeper levels of innovation. Plans are in place to make accredited training and courses available to upskill its employees so they may utilize the most recent technology to its fullest extent and operate more effectively.
Tan continued, “Ascott recognizes the critical role of AI technology in defining the future of travel experiences, from computer vision to natural language processing. We were able to launch our ads more quickly because to the use of generative AI tools, and the creation of a chatbot increased the depth of our interaction with visitors. We have made a commitment to future-proof Ascott and establish a new paradigm of individualized engagement with our esteemed guests by providing our employees with knowledge and competence in AI. This commitment goes beyond simple financial investment. Empowering Ascott to learn, adapt, and change with the times, so that genuine hospitality and cutting-edge innovation can coexist together, embracing AI humbles us in the face of technology’s tremendous possibilities.
Source – Travel daily