Portugal: Aplysia from HiJiffy is an AI communication system enabling hotels to speak with their customers pre, during and post-stay.
The artificial intelligence software used to build Aplysia is the result of six years of training. It enables the system to respond to a request that hasn’t been previously encountered, analysing similar questions that have arisen in order to find the most appropriate response.
Over time, Aplysia will be able to learn from interactions and develop accordingly. This applies to understanding and addressing different emotions too. The technology will be able to understand the tone of messages based on syntax and semantic analysis, with certain conversations prioritised and escalated to the relevant department.
Aplysia OS covers the entire guest journey 24/7 across most social media platforms and messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Google for Business and more. It connects guests to different hotel management systems including booking engines, property management systems and customer relationship management databases.
From a management perspective, Aplysia features a console which can be viewed via desktop, browser, or Android and iOS apps. Users will be able to manage, automate and measure all aspects of guest communication, with all channels unified and accessible to all teams.
As a cloud-based solution, it also gives hoteliers the flexibility to log in and connect with the business anywhere at any time.
José Mendonça, HiJiffy’s chief technology officer, said: “Aplysia OS is being developed to solve today’s problems while already thinking about the challenges of tomorrow. The lab style setup of the OS allows hoteliers and the team at HiJiffy to anticipate customer requirements and trends in real time, noting new trends and responding appropriately. That is why Aplysia is more than a technology; it is a vision which will allow the industry to adapt and evolve far faster than has ever been possible previously.
“Aplysia is different from most current approaches regarding the development of new hospitality-focused technologies. It is not static, it is a ‘living technological being,’ meaning it will never be finished. Because both the hotel and guest needs are constantly changing, there will always be new improvements to be added every day.”
Aplysia OS is available for existing and new HiJiffy clients. Some features are currently in Beta testing in a small number hotels and will soon be made available for roll out across all clients.
HiJiffy’s global portfolio of 1,600 hotels includes Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, CitySuites, Finn Lough, Lake District Hotels, The Original Collection, Splendid Hospitality and more.
