Dimitris Manikis on AI, Guest Experience and the Future of Hospitality | Voices of Hospitality

Everybody gets data. The question is what do you do with it? And this is again where I think AI is going to help us a lot.

Premium experience doesn't mean premium price.

Oh, wow. So, first of all, thank you for inviting me. Lovely to be here. I made an effort, as you can see. I'm color coordinated with this. Thank you, Raers. A lot of people ask me about my glasses, which I actually tailor-made again to your color. I was 25 years old. I am at the University of Surrey in the UK. I wake up one day and half of my head, half of my hair are on my pillow. And I'm like, 'What are my hair doing on my pillow and not on my head?' And I shouted at my roommate. I said, 'Mate, help.' He said, 'What happened? What happened?' I said, 'Do you see a difference?' He said, 'Half of your hair are gone.' What happens? I don't know. I don't know. So anyway, it was a fact. I woke up and suddenly half of my hair were on my pillow and not on my head. Panic, panic, panic, panic. 26 years old, 25 year olds, back in the 80s, bald people, not fashionable, not fashionable. I'm like, what the hell am I going to do? I said, that's it. I'm staying home. I'm staying home until my hair grows back. And my roommate was like, 'Mate, you cannot do that. It's not gonna happen.' I said, 'Okay, no, I'll try. I'll try.' Second day, third day, he said, 'Man, you got to go to classes. We're in a university. What are you going to do? You're going to stay half of your life in a room.' I said, 'Okay, I'm going to go to the doctor. Going to go to the doctor. There must be a pill or something.' So, I went to the doctor. He looked at me. I gave him 45 minutes of my stress and my everything. He goes, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' Says, 'I've got the answer.' I said, 'Is it a pill?' I said, 'What is the answer?' He said, 'Look, do you see these black glasses, boring glasses that you wear?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'I'll tell you what I want you to do. Go home, shave your head. Actually, the first time, ask your roommate to do it because you're going to cut yourself because you don't know how. Shave your head. Go to the city and buy a pair of red colorful frames.' And I'm like, can I see your diploma? Are you sure you're a doctor? I said, can you explain that? He said, mate, that's it. You lost your hair. Is it genetic? Is it your dad? Is it I don't know what it is. That's it. They're not coming back. Build something in your personality that makes people think of you not as a bald guy but as a more. And then I did. I went home. I went back to London. I bought a pair of bright red huge glasses. I have about a 100 pairs since then. All my personality was around my glasses. They look and guess what? Yeah. Nobody says, 'Oh my god, the guy hasn't got any hair.' Everybody says, 'I love your frames.' And then fast forward 30 years, both my daughters are dating both guys because now bald is trendy. And they do. They have the same frames as you. They try. They try, but competition is very harsh. Bald is trendy now. Yeah. I wish they were trendy, but you're the trend setter. I'm a trend setter. That's not a lot of people know about. That's how it all started.

Look, there's a lot of people who say, 'Oh, you know what? The travelers are different.' And actually, I don't believe that. I said it on my panel yesterday. If you think about the global traveler, what are they looking for? They're looking for ease to get to the destination. They're looking for a great bed. They're looking for a great shower. They're looking for a nice, you know, a nice sleep. The fundamentals of hospitality, they haven't actually changed in thousands of years. When people travel from one place to another and the first inn or the first little hotels open, people are looking for exactly the same thing. Obviously, things have changed and everybody talks about experiences, but the basics of hospitality are still the same. And I always say to my team as well and the owners that we do business with, the moment you do the basics right, everything else is a bonus. You got to do the basics right. You know what? The other day I was with my family. We were traveling for business and I was in a hotel and there was so much technology in that room that I couldn't figure it out. I didn't know how to switch off the lights because they gave me this iPad and you know I'm not that familiar with. So I was looking at all these, I'm like oh my god how do I switch off these lights and I ended up buying a night sleep mask because I just couldn't switch off the lights because sometimes we overcomplicate things in hospitality. Do the basics right. Make sure that you invest in the people and you invest in what the guest really wants. And everything else is a bonus. So that's the essence of the traveler. I don't think if you look at a Chinese traveler to an Indian traveler. Yes. There might be things that so an Indian traveler might want a couple of Indian things at breakfast. Yeah. The same with the Chinese traveler. But the essence of travel is still the same. They want the basics right and then the add-ons and the toppings are different for every traveler. But the basics need to be right. They need to be there.

First of all you got to listen. You got to listen. You got to survey the clients. Technology gives you such an amazing tool today to get real time feedback. One of the things that we are actually doing at Wyndham through our Wyndham Advantage now we're actually doing during stay messaging. So you know sometimes in the past we used to ask people to tell us about their experience once the experience was actually done over. What was the value of that? Yes, you could learn but you couldn't actually solve people's problems while they were actually happening. So during stay messaging is going to change all that. Now, somebody can say, 'I just checked in my room. My pillow is not the right pillow. Can I actually have a new pillow?' Or, 'My room is not good. Can I actually turn the air conditioning down or help me?' That is going to change the way we interact with the client. There's a lot of pre-arrival messaging. There's a lot of during stay messaging. You guys and the technology that you bring, all of you can actually change the way that we interact. So we learn about the customer during the stay. To me that's the biggest advantage that you have in making sure that the customer has a better stay than what we did in the past. So that's one. Second is make sure that your team are listening more and they talk less. You know sometimes you check in at the hotel and there is no interaction with the guest. There's no looking the guest in the eye because what the receptionist does, she or he punches keys on a keyboard, gives you a passkey, credit card, doesn't interact with the guest. Technology will change all that. We will know more about the customer before the customer arrives. That will give the opportunity to the receptionist to actually interact with the guest, look the guest in the eyes and say, 'Oh, by the way, sir, tonight there's a great concert at town. Would you like tickets of that?' or we have a great barbecue on the rooftops. Is that happening at Wyndham Properties? It starts happening and that's how technology and AI is going to enable. People say, 'Oh, is AI going to take people's jobs?' No, it won't. It will actually enable them to do things that they didn't have time to do in the past. We're going to convert reception to a guest experience that is what I think is going to fundamentally change in the next two to three years in hospitality.

I'll tell you what, first of all since COVID we had more technology adoption that we had 25 years before. We advanced technologically as an industry for the last 5 years than 25 years before. That's why let me tell you something which is fundamental. It's fundamental in our business. Do you know that today it takes a housekeeper cleans exactly the same room that they did in the 60s or the 70s. It hasn't changed. A housekeeper cleans the same amount of rooms a day because that's the way it is. Yes, you help with a bit of more efficient and whatever but it takes five rooms a day or 10 rooms a day. A robot cannot, there will be a day I don't know during my time I don't think so a room is going to be cleaned purely by robots I don't know but another surprise that we saw at Wyndham when we get to ask people what they want, what do they want? They want late check out, early check in and they're willing to pay for it. They want to know if there is a pet, if there is a pet policy, can they bring their pets? Do you know that there's a huge number of people now globally that they travel with their pets? Because the pet is family. Do you know what percentage? I wouldn't know that, but I know that it's growing like crazy every year by year because what we did during COVID we all got a pet. Suddenly pets became, you know, a big thing. Now you travel with your pet. So these are the kind of things that we didn't have the opportunity to interact with the guest before. Now we can ask the guest or the guest can ask us and there is an AI enabling tool that can say yes we are very friendly. You can bring your pet and there's an extra charge or whatever. The other thing that we need to be very very cautious as an industry we have a lack of talent. We have a lack of people. The moment we overemphasize technology, young generation will ask why would I work in an industry that is planning to replace me with a bot. So we got to be very careful. How do we actually talk about technology? Technology is an enabler is not a substitution to human interaction. Hospitality is about human interaction. There is no hospitality with no human interaction. And I see it from my family. I see it from my friends from myself when you go into that airport check in because that's hospitality that guest smiles on you, the journey becomes completely different.

Look, they're all exciting for different reasons, right? If you look at the Iberian Peninsula, you look at Spain and Portugal, Greece, Turkey, I mean, beautiful seaside resorts, beautiful places, all-inclusive places that families can get together. Obviously, I'm in India. So I've been saying all along that this is one of the most exciting markets not just in my region, but I think in the world. Another market that is extremely exciting is the CIS region, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. I don't know if you're aware, but we've got more Indians flying to Tbilisi in Georgia than many other destinations. Why? Because no visa and direct flights. Exactly. Direct flights. So when I went to Uzbekistan for the first time, I'm like why haven't I been here before? What an amazing country. When I went to Tbilisi, Georgia for the first time, I'm like my goodness, wonderful people, wonderful cuisine, food. So this is what it's all about. Yes, traditional markets will always be there. They will always be fashionable. But we want people to discover India. I'll give you an example. I said it on my panel yesterday. How come Greece where I come from, 9 million citizens in Greece, we get 35 million tourists every year, India, 1.4 billion people and you only get 10 million international arrivals. We need to introduce India to the world. Yes. And this is one of the number one priorities Wyndham has for this region. We need, yes, we love India. India has been amazing to us. We've grown. We have great talent. How can we introduce India to the world? If you ask me, that's my number one priority for this market in the next two to three years.

I'll tell you what, I'll give you my experience. On average, I spend about 45 minutes at arrival on passport control. Why a country that is so familiar with tech and you're a tech company like an e-gate, how can they not automate the arrival process? Why do you have to have all these queues and biometrics again and again and again? Why they cannot actually make it a more seamless process? That's one. More PR. I go to ITB Berlin, I go to the WTM in London, where is India? India needs to promote India more and it's not about the government it's all about us all of us as an industry, the private sector how can we come together to make sure that we all together promote India to our customers. We have 125 million Wyndham Rewards members. My priority is make sure that how we introduce India to that population because we need to bring more inbound travel to India. So that to me is the number one priority. So yes, a lot of exciting markets, a lot of great markets that have been great to Wyndham. This is a market that has been very good to Wyndham, but we need to give back to the market as well. So that's one of my big strategic options for the next two three years.

Look, it's really a mix, right? So, for example, you got to be at the right location. You got to have the right price. And I'll give you an example with China, right? In China, my colleagues have done an amazing job. They've opened some amazing hotels. We've got about 1,500 hotels in China. When the Chinese traveler comes to Europe and they've got one of our brands right next to their home or in their hometown and they are a Wyndham Rewards member, it is highly likely that they will stay with us because they feel convenient. They know the brand. They understand the standards. They are part of the loyalty club. So that's how the loyalty club complements the traveler, the travel choice. Data, data mining. I mean you guys know about data more than anybody, right? Yes. Everybody gets data. The question is what do you do with it? And this is how I think when you guys help us drive demand and more direct business. This is where we then take the data and make the most out of it. And this is again where I think AI is going to help us a lot because we piled all that data in the past and we didn't do anything with it. Now we know more about the customer than we did in the past. So yes, its price, its convenience, its location. The brand is complementing all that. The brand brings security. That brings safety. It brings comfort. It brings familiarity. All of that works together. A brand alone cannot do it. A location and price alone cannot do it. I think it's a combination of everything. To sum up, it's an experience that you actually, it's more familiarity. So, for example, if I go at the Dolce, right, the Dolce Hotel, which is part of our brand portfolio, I know what to expect. I know that my Wyndham team has ticked all the boxes, all the boxes on FLS. I'm sure that there's going to be all securities and safeties for my family check. I feel far more secure and safe when I book at this hotel than I would have booked in something that it might once be wonderful but I don't know if it has gone through an international checklist. That's what international brands bring and that's why we've grown so much around the world.

What we are underestimating. I think that we sometimes make the mistake to put people in boxes. Dimitris and his family travels this way. So let's talk to them this way. Actually they're wrong. I travel this way this week. Two weeks later me and my kids we go on a camping holiday. Three months later, I go on a business class with my wife on a nice romantic getaway in Barcelona. Now, if you put me in a box that I only travel this way, you miss this bit and you miss this bit. Great point. Travelers today change depending on circumstances. So, my daughter came to me the other day. She said to me, 'What do you know about solo travelers?' I said to my wife, 'She broke up with her boyfriend.' I bet you because why would she be asking me about solo travelers? And she did. And I said, 'Honey, did you break up with your boyfriend?' She said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Okay, okay, now I get it. Solo travelers.' Solo Travelers is now one of the fastest growing segmentation in the world. How can you put a box in what a solo traveler really wants? You know what they really want? They want safety and security when they travel and then everything else caps up to them. So we need to become smarter. We need, as I said, we need to become smarter and faster to adapt to what people are looking for. A lot of people say, 'Oh, everybody's looking for experiences.' I'll tell you what, we've got thousands of Days Inns across the United States of America. There's a blue worker who works in a data center in Minneapolis or in Ohio or in Arizona. What kind of experience do they want? They want check in fast, checkout. They want a decent bed. They want a great check in checkout experience. They want to put their business suit the next day or the hard hat on to go and work in a factory. So I think we're overdoing it with experiences. You know there's going to be 1.5 billion people traveling this year. You all think that they are going to stay in a luxury hotel or in a luxurious experience or whatever. No. There are people who travel for health reasons, people who travel for work, people who travel because they need to connect with their relatives in the next city. So I think we overdo it with experiences. Yes, still a check in experience at a Super 8 is important. But that guy is not looking for a lifestyle experience. He's looking for a great bed to go to bed, work, wake up the next day and go work in a data center that has been built in Arizona. So we need to understand all that. As with Wyndham what we do and what's the beauty of our 25 brands we cater in so many different segments. We cater on the economy, the midscale in India. We just announced our first Wyndham Grand. So we're getting into the more of a luxury space in India which I'm very fascinated about. And the other thing, Bano, I need to tell you, premium experience doesn't mean premium price. Sometimes you can deliver a premium experience without charging somebody a fortune. And that's something that we like to do at Wyndham. If you look at our Dolce brand, upper upscale, great brand, we provide great experience, but we don't charge a crazy price because we do believe in the democratization of travel. Travel needs to be possible for all. Yes, that is our motto at Wyndham and that's what we try to do, myself, my team, everybody who works for Wyndham around the world. We try to do it every day. Travel is a human right and it has to be made possible for us.

It is. It is. If you were doing the Magna Carta today, you would put travel as a human right. Because our industry connects the dots. It's the industry of peace. It's the industry that brings cultures together. If we would travel more, there would be less wars because we would understand each other more. So, I do believe that now can Wyndham change the world? No, that's not our motto. Our motto is to work very hard to make sure that travel is possible.

Yes. I think you can be a brand ambassador for a lot of the destination management companies. So I can see that passion and we need that guy. Yes. We need you as a passionate ambassador for India.

Look, our chief commercial officer, Scott Strickland, I just spoke to him a week ago. He's amazing. He always comes up with these innovative ideas, new stuff, the stuff that we're doing with you guys as well. Look, I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg in two different ways though. AI, and be careful what you wish for, because AI is not the holy grail. It's not the answer to every prayer. AI is an enabler, it's a tool, but it cannot replicate brain and it cannot replicate experience. So what are we doing at Wyndham? We take the experiences that we have, we invest hundreds of millions of dollars with the experts. We invest with Google, with Salesforce, with Sabre. We invest with you guys. We invest with everybody who has a vested interest for technology to work and benefit the industry. Could we actually do it ourselves? Probably we could, but it's better to invest with the experts, right? Salesforce is actually using us as an example in so many different ways in terms of how we actually use some of their modules to make sure that we become better in data mining.

Data mining. So we've got all this data. How are we going to use it? Do we actually just pile data or do we mine the data to find out more about that customer the next time that they book with us? These are the kind of things that we are still in the, as I said, tip of the iceberg. But never forget, it's the first time in human history, I think, that you've got five generations in the workforce: 25 year olds, 35 year olds, 45, 55, and 65. How do you actually make technology to make sure that all these people work towards a common goal? It's the first time that you've got more 65 year olds in the workforce than before. Why? Because the more we become dependent on technology, the more we'll need people who have the experience and they understand what that technology can actually do for us. And that experience cannot be replaced by a bot. An artificial language can talk to you in so many different ways, but how can you actually interpret the data? That's why a combination of, and we've got some amazing guys in our team led by Scott, in making sure that they read the data in a way that can actually provide us and bring us the ROI that we need. But definitely, we're looking at the leaders of the industry. We work with the leaders of the industry and we make sure that we piggyback on the investments they make in order to become a better company and use technology for the benefit of the guests.

Use it less when you write an email. Be yourself because everybody will know that is an AI-generated email. Don't depend on AI to create your thoughts. Be yourself. Write your own strategy because I've seen so many strategic documents these days and I'm like, nah, that's not real. That's AI-generated or AI-driven. So, yes, use it because it gives you access to tools and data so quickly, but if you don't put yourself in it, people will see right through it. The more we depend on technology, the less authenticity will be important in our lives going forward. The glass generation, you know, the people who grew up with the glass, they will not know what it means to flip a book. No, because they've learned how to read on an iPad or on a Kindle. Learn how to flip a book. Learn how a book smells. But at the same time, use technology to your benefit. I think that's a combination.

Look at my two girls, right? I have two girls, 28, 26. They tend to speak to me on WhatsApp and I'm like, 'Girls, come on. There must be a better way for us to communicate.' No, but it's easier that way. I'm like, 'I'm your dad. Give me a break. I need a hug from time to time.' And a WhatsApp cannot do that. Yes, but we send you smileys and more hearts. So, no. Sometimes it works and it's easier, but nothing can replace a girl giving me a hug and telling me how much she loves me, even if I get two hearts and 10 smiles a day.