How Bebot Assists Guests at one of Japan’s Most Luxurious Hotels
Why does your hotel need a chatbot?
Bebot has been an integral part of Hotel New Otani’s operations since 2018 and has smoothed out hotel operations while providing guests with a better and more relaxing experience. With a chatbot, a hotel can automate simple requests such as directions, restaurant hours, check-out times and more that shouldn’t be taking up hotel staff time— all while helping to collect previously unknown, valuable guest insights.
Using Bebot for guests makes good sense for many reasons: people like to text, it’s easy and quick; our advanced travel-focused natural language processing removes cumbersome language barriers, and they can ask questions wherever they are whether it be from the hotel lobby, in their room or at a restaurant.
Why Hotel New Otani?
Hotel New Otani is one of Tokyo’s most luxurious and historic hotels. The hotel first opened in 1964 to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics. Now ahead of the 2020 Olympics, Hotel New Otani has launched Bebot, to assist guests in and outside of the hotel. Valuing interpersonal communication, Hotel New Otani has made its concierge staff threefold in response to the booming inbound population. However, guests still had to line up for simple queries, which motivated the hotel to introduce Bebot.
How has Bebot been helping the daily lives of hotel staff?
“Since its introduction, Bebot has been covering restaurant reservations requests, which previously took up much of the hotel staff’s time. Bebot now frees up hotel staff’s time, saving them from contacting, confirming and modifying restaurant reservations. Furthermore, many guests comment that they are satisfied with Bebot’s performance, which altogether suggest its usefulness.” — Mr. Kataoka & Mr. Yumoto
Common queries include…
- Restaurant dress code? The restaurants at the hotel are upscale and guests often ask if the restaurants have a dress code. Bebot not only answers the guest’s question, but makes sure to pursue any upselling opportunities, such as asking if the guest would like to make a reservation.
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- Pool open, price? Many guests ask when the outdoor pool will be open/available or if it’s free for hotel guests. Some guests may not be keen to pay extra, but by highlighting unique aspects of the hotel’s facilities, Bebot can encourage guests spend to a bit more on amenities.
- Private airport transport? Being a high-end hotel, many of the guests prefer private transportation to arrive from the airport. Through identifying the high demand for private transport by analyzing chat history, we have another upselling opportunity for the hotel. Therefore, we put the private option at the top of the list in the bot’s answer.
