Personalization in hotels is no longer about broad demographic categories. I’ve seen how a more refined approach, centered on understanding the context of each guest’s experience, is taking precedence.
NB: This is an article from Shiji
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This means focusing on what guests are actively experiencing and expressing in real-time. Simple demographic data alone no longer provides a complete picture. Live review data and direct feedback have become invaluable, offering the most dynamic and immediate insights into the guest experience. This powerful “voice of the customer” directly informs better service delivery and communication strategies.
The future of effective content personalization, in my view, hinges on our ability to interpret this rich, real-time data. It’s not just about who the guest is, but what they are reacting to during their stay. This provides a detailed understanding of their preferences, challenges, and moments of delight, enabling us to tailor our interactions meaningfully.
Unlocking AI’s potential with rich, structured feedback
AI is playing an increasingly significant role in both personalization and content creation. However, AI can produce generic and unimpactful output without the proper guidance. I believe the true power of AI is unleashed by high-quality, structured data, including well-organized review and survey information. This data must be appropriately categorized, cleaned, and readily accessible, often through APIs. When AI models are fed this rich and timely context, they can generate highly tailored content for specific guest segments, addressing particular stages of their journey, and even aligning with their current sentiment.
Essentially, detailed guest review data provides the “soul” for AI personalization, transforming generic messages into genuine connections. This shift allows us to move beyond assumptions and base our strategies on actual guest experiences, leading to more effective engagement and greater guest satisfaction. As I stated at RADFEST, “Personalization today is less about demographics and more about context, and the most dynamic source of that context is live review and feedback data, what guests are saying right now about their experiences.”
Scaling authenticity through smart automation
A common industry belief is that automation clashes with authentic communication. However, I’ve seen a new perspective emerging: thoughtful automation can actually amplify authenticity. The key lies in grounding automated processes in genuine guest context derived directly from their live reviews, immediate survey responses, and social media comments. When this feedback is systematically structured, it becomes a potent resource that can be integrated into creative workflows. AI tools can then leverage these insights to help brands craft messaging that truly reflects guest sentiments, creating a continuous cycle of listening and responding that makes guests feel valued and understood.
