The Holiday Inn Express & Suites at Orlando's SeaWorld, a bustling 156-room hotel near one of Orlando’s top vacation destinations, was on a mission to enhance efficiency without compromising guest satisfaction. The challenge? Managing high guest expectations in a leisure-driven market.
"Our guests aren't there for corporate business – it's their own money being spent, so their expectations are much higher," said General Manager Mason Caracciolo. "We needed a way to provide better service and free up our staff to focus on the more complex guest needs."
In 2024, the hotel adopted Canary’s AI-powered Guest Management System, which includes AI Guest Messaging, Dynamic Upsells, Mobile Check-In, Smart Checkout and Digital Tipping. In four months, they automated 82% of guest communication, dramatically reducing the time staff spent on answering repetitive questions—like pool hours and early check-in availability.
"The AI takes on so much of that responsibility now – we don't have to answer the same questions 52 times," said Mason. "It frees up our team to be more proactive and provide a higher level of service.”
The hotel has introduced an innovative AI-driven initiative offering guests 500 loyalty points in exchange for forgoing housekeeping services, thus promoting a more sustainable stay. This program has not only appealed to eco-conscious guests but has also led to a 20% reduction in daily room cleanings, significantly alleviating the housekeeping workload.
As noted, “Given the constraints on time for cleaning each room, we are continually seeking ways to enhance efficiency. The reduction in housekeeping demands has notably improved our operational effectiveness. Thanks to AI Guest Messaging, we consistently see 15% to 20% of guests opting for the green stay option.”
In addition to enhancing guest communications, the hotel effectively utilizes Canary’s upselling features to boost incremental revenue. By leveraging the unified Canary dashboard, the hotel successfully promoted add-ons such as champagne, bottled water, and early check-in options, resulting in an additional $1,700 in monthly revenue compared to the previous year.
Mason commented, “The upselling capabilities of Canary have been exceptional. The AI Messaging system effectively promotes late check-outs and early check-ins, reducing the need for manual sales efforts. I’ve never seen such a significant increase in champagne sales over the past few months!”
Beyond the operational and financial benefits, Mason credits Canary with improving overall guest satisfaction. By providing faster, more consistent responses to common inquiries, the hotel has seen a boost in guest service scores by 3% to 5%.
"Guests like the open line of communication. Let’s face it, people don’t like to talk to people anymore. There's a lot more people these days that will talk to you through messaging," said Mason. "We get more feedback that way too, because they're going to share with us in that format versus just walking past the desk."
Overall, Canary’s tools have revolutionized operations at Mason’s hotel, enabling staff to focus on exceptional guest experiences
“I don’t want to exaggerate, but I can't imagine running our hotel without Canary,” Mason said. “It has significantly boosted our efficiency. Our team uses it constantly, which has made our staff more efficient and translates into better service for our guests. It's truly one of the best investments we've ever made.”
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