McDreams becomes Europe’s first hotel group to roll out 100% AI-powered phone system integrated with Like Magic

22.05.2024 - 11:56 / traveldailynews.com / Theodore Koumelis

Germany-based hotel group has incorporated AI system ‘Lisa’ with Like Magic platform.

GERMANY – McDreams has become the first hotel group in Europe to roll out a guest enquiries and bookings phone system powered entirely by artificial intelligence. The AI, which is named ‘Lisa’ and is integrated with hotel employee and guest experience platform Like Magic, is now handling half of routine guest phone calls entirely on its own.

The combination of Lisa and Like Magic has increased the number of guests following an all-digital guest journey by 50% – halving the number of calls to the front-desk, reducing Germany-based McDreams’ overall operational workload by a third and increasing employee satisfaction.

This has enabled the group to reduce the personnel expenses for administrative tasks by 80%, which is projected to generate an astonishing €600,000 in savings this year.

Ralf Bonin, Director of Operations at McDreams.

Ralf Bonin, Director of Operations at McDreams, said: “The combined power of Lisa and Like Magic has been nothing short of transformational for McDreams. “We’ve always prided ourselves on being quick to embrace technology, but nothing comes even close to Lisa and Like Magic’s overall impact – both in terms of enhancing the guest experience and the employee experience.

“Lisa is not your run-of-the-mill automated phone service. She is much more like a living, breathing member of the team who can be entrusted to both communicate with and advise guests, as well as carry out tasks for them. 

“However, the deep and far-reaching automation of various systems and processes by Like Magic is what truly makes Lisa special. Combined, the two have set a new benchmark for efficiency and personalisation across our hotels, unlocking an unparalleled experience for both employees and guests.”

Lisa, which was developed by AI software solutions firm Onsei, is capable of handling fully automated conversations regarding a range of common guest enquiries. These include questions concerning room availability, booking information, check-in and check-out times, as well as requests for information about the local area.

Like Magic’s platform brings a booking engine, guest platform, employee interface and monitoring tools all into one place, creating a center of operations for hotel management. This unlocks a completely digital guest journey for guests if they prefer.

In addition to enabling staff to perform 80% of their daily tasks from one single system, Like Magic also allows guests to carry out a range of actions without staff assistance. These range from checking in, ordering food, requesting additional linen or pillows, and creating keyless room passes – requiring only a smartphone.

The platform allows staff