Understanding Marriott’s Position
Marriott is one of the largest hotel companies with a global presence in the world market. The main field of activity of the organization is the hotel business, in which the company covers all price categories, as it has hotels from a low-price category to a luxury segment (Chang et al., 2022). The profiles of the holding’s clients are diverse, as the company provides hotels for people of different income levels. This allows Marriott to position itself as a universal corporation offering its services to all customers, regardless of their financial situation.
Marriott’s position in the hospitality industry is strong, and the company has a significant presence in Singapore. The firm’s main competitors in Singapore include Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group, Accor, and Shangri-La. All these organizations also offer their customers a wide range of hotels in different price categories, which can threaten Marriott. Digital Transformation in the Hospitality is of great importance to today’s customers as all areas move towards technological improvements. Thus, AI in the service sector can become a key determinant of quality in the future.
Industry
Company Brands in Singapore
In Singapore, this holding manages several brands that, are St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Marriott, Courtyard, and Four Points. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, and W Hotels are premium hotels with coverage of the most expensive sector in the country aimed at wealthy clients. In addition, the country also has Marriott, Courtyard, and Four Points brands, which are aimed at the middle class or tourists. The third classification of hotels in Singapore can be called JW Marriott and Renaissance, which are intermediate and provide better service than the previous category.
Opportunities for AI Solutions
Artificial intelligence (AI) based decisions are a standard innovation in the hospitality sector. AI solutions can help managers significantly save time, which as a result, will lead to an increase in the efficiency of hotels. Some of the most common front-end AI solutions in hotels include chatbots, facial recognition, or voice assistants (Rawal et al., 2022).
These features can be used for different purposes, such as attracting guests or improving the overall service. Implementing such services can provide hotel guests with the necessary functions, such as automatically delayed room reservations, enhanced security, and voice assistant services. Thus, apply front-end AI solutions in hotels is one of the effective ways to increase productivity and improve customers’ experience of their stay.
Use of AI by Marriott and Competitors
The holding was one of the first to start testing the capabilities of AI in the service sector. At the same time, one of its main competitors – Hilton, is also introducing AI into its work. It provides a concierge service that can provide guests with personalized recommendations. Local conditions in Singapore are the diversity and unique culture of the country to which businesses need to adapt appropriately.
In this regard, one of the possible services that a company can deploy with the help of AI is digital concierges. Regarding the integration of AI, the main problem may be compliance with the necessary standards and requirements. In connection with data privacy laws, when implementing functions that rely on AI, the holding must carefully analyze the associated risks.
Market Customer-Fit for AI Solutions
To understand whether Marriott should deploy AI with a client in key hotel brands in Singapore, it is necessary to analyze the local market and understand how profitable it will be. The local market is highly competitive and therefore needs to stand out. AI-based solutions can offer several benefits to hotels, including better customer experience and lower operating costs. To meet customers’ needs with AI’s help, the holding company must analyze the need for certain services that can be provided with its help. Thus, a company can use AI as a personal concierge to meet customer needs.
Frontal AI Solutions
Marriott should consider deploying front-end AI solutions across its luxury brands, including St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, and W Hotels. In this way, the company will be able to emphasize the exclusivity of premium hotel rooms by providing an exceptional level of service with a virtual assistant. High-class customers expect special services from an expensive hotel, so implementing AI in this area will be the best solution for Marriott.
For high-class hotels of the holding, the development and use of AI as a personal assistant can be a relevant and valuable solution. In doing so, he must consider specific personal parameters that do not cross confidentiality. Thus, the company will be able to provide the best service to its VIP clients. At the same time, a chatbot can be used in the business class as a more simplified version of the concierge. Thus, it will be possible to delimit the segments of hotels.
Challenges in Deploying AI in Hotels
The main problems that a company may face when implementing AI are legal requirements and norms. No specific parameters could determine the extent to which AI uses personal data. However, this should be regulated as sharing sensitive guest information can mean disclosing such data, which could lead to legal action (Nam et al., 2021). The holding must make sure that the implementation of assistants in the form of AI will comply with all necessary norms and requirements.
Looking Towards the Future
In the future, Marriott should consider using AI in other markets worldwide. This will give them a potent competitive edge, as most companies have already implemented such technologies in their luxury hotels (Koo et al., 2021). The applicability of AI technologies does not differ depending on the global or local market since the program settings are very flexible. Some of the other AI solutions that Marriott may consider in the future include predictive analytics, machine learning, and robotics. Analytical computing can help businesses stay profitable through improved computing systems. Robotics, in turn, can automate some processes and make hotels more unique.
Markets of Use
This proposal for using AI is general for all markets in which the holding operates. Marriott needs to consider country differences and market segmentation when deploying solutions. Implementing AI can be applied to all key markets, such as the United States, Europe, and Asia. However, cultural differences between countries should be considered, as providing comfortable services to all visitors is essential. This is important, as racial and cultural differences play a significant role in how people will react to AI.
Company Branding
Marriott’s branding efforts in the company’s key markets are consistent and sound. They are aimed primarily at strengthening the company’s image and the prestige of its hotels. While Marriott operates several hotel brands targeting different customer segments, the overall brand image is consistent. At the same time, AI solutions can match the overall brand image and improve the customer experience in all hotels worldwide.
Recommendation and Future Considerations
Marriott Holding is one of the largest associations of hotel businesses. In this regard, it is important for the company to use the latest technologies that can significantly improve the experience of their customers. Recommendations for the use of AI technologies are relevant as this innovation will help the company improve the satisfaction of its customers. In the future, with the development of this industry, the organization can also implement robotics and analytical calculations in business.
References
Chang, H., Ng, E., Chua, J., Blower, M., de Souza, S. & Gwee, T. (2022). Marriott International: Deploying AI across hotel brands in Singapore. Singapore Management University.
Koo, B., Curtis, C., & Ryan, B. (2021). Examining the impact of artificial intelligence on hotel employees through job insecurity perspectives. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95. Web.
Nam, K., Dutt, C. S., Chathoth, P., Daghfous, A., & Khan, M. S. (2021). The adoption of artificial intelligence and robotics in the hotel industry: Prospects and challenges. Electronic Markets, 31, 553-574. Web.
Rawal, Y. S., Soni, H., Dani, R., & Bagchi, P. (2022). A Review on Service Delivery in Tourism and Hospitality Industry Through Artificial Intelligence. Proceedings of Third International Conference on Computing, Communications, and Cyber-Security, 421, 427-436. Web.