2024 wrap-up at HiJiffy

The time has come for the annual look back at the highlights and milestones that shaped 2024 at HiJiffy. From launching new features and creating practical resources for hoteliers to supporting our clients with AI innovations and growing our team, it has been a busy and rewarding year. 

As we reflect on these achievements, our focus remains on helping you stay competitive in a fast-paced market. We have got exciting updates and news coming your way in early 2025 – but more on that soon!

Launching new features and improvements to the Console

At HiJiffy, our goal is simple: to build the most advanced conversational AI for hospitality. We are always working to make things better – adding features and using the latest tech to help hoteliers where it matters most. Think more revenue through direct bookings and upselling, automated processes to save time, and happier guests all around. What were the standout developments of our solution in 2024? Let’s dive into the highlights.

Personalised guest messaging based on real-time PMS updates

HiJiffy clients got access to a messaging system that turns guest actions like booking and check-in into opportunities for real-time automated communication. This system supports a fully digital guest journey, including online check-in, check-out, easy review collection, and more.

Setting up the chatbot answers for each hotel in a few clicks 

The AI Knowledge Scanner simplified the chatbot setup for hotels by allowing them to upload external data, such as websites or documents, to generate responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs) with no extra effort. This tool eliminated the need for structured responses, reducing hours of work to just a few clicks. Additionally, the tool lets hoteliers customise FAQ answers using generative AI, creating new versions instantly with a single click.

Smart AI tools to refine messages with ease

The Console was enhanced with AI tools to fine-tune text, offering features like grammar checks, tone adjustments, and clarity improvements. These tools help hoteliers write professional, personalised, and on-brand responses to guests, making communication smoother and faster.

Advanced insights into guest communications

AI automatically identifies areas of improvement by spotting missing details and extra information your guests might need. At the same time, it tracks key metrics like unanswered questions, negative feedback, and topics that need updates. With an easy-to-use dashboard, it compares chatbot and agent performance and highlights the top 25 guest query topics. This data helps hoteliers save time, increase automation, and keep guests happier.

Smart property identification

A new intelligent system improves guest interactions with multi-property hotel brands. Guests can easily identify their intended hotel by name or location, removing the need for complex selection processes, and simplifying access to hotel information.

Integrating with OTAs

In the second half of the year, we integrated our conversational AI with Booking.com’s API, enabling post-reservation messages to be sent directly to HiJiffy’s Console, giving hotels a single place to manage all guest inquiries. From the moment a guest books to well after their stay, hotels can respond to messages, handle special requests, and share important documents like PDFs. With AI-powered automation, this means less back-and-forth for staff and a smoother experience for guests. And it is only one of many new integrations!

Providing excellent customer support

Last year, our Customer Success team earned a level III certification of excellence from HotelTechReport, and we have been building on that momentum ever since. Reviews on HTR consistently highlight the outstanding support our team delivers – one of the key reasons why customers trust us and deploy our latest technological advancements across their guest journey.

Sharing useful resources and educational content

In 2024, we focused on sharing practical AI insights with hoteliers and offering hands-on advice for improving guest communication. We published two free e-books about social media and guest loyalty programmes, created several blog articles explaining our AI technology in an accessible way (such as syntax and semantic analysis or data mining), shared client success stories through inspiring case studies, and posted practical guides to many features or our solution in the Product Highlights series. On top of that, on our blog we explored trends in the industry, such as staff shortages in hospitality or challenges in getting hotel teams on board with AI tools.

Making new connections at industry events

In 2024, we attended nearly 40 industry events and trade shows across Europe. It was great to meet so many of you at our booths, where we talked conversational AI over everyone’s favourite Portuguese treat – pastel de nata. We had the chance to connect with hoteliers driven by innovation at:

• FITUR – International Tourism Fair (Spain)
• Showtel – IHF Trade Exhibition (Ireland)
• BTL – Bolsa de Turismo de Lisboa (Portugal)
• Lake Hospitality Tradeshow (UK)
• ITB – Internationale Tourismus-Börse (Germany)
• Food Hotel Tech (France)
• AHGZ Hotel Congress (Germany)
• OHV Kongress (Austria)
• IHTF – International Hotel Technology Forum (Spain)
• Tecnohotel (Spain)
• National Hotel Marketing Conference (UK)
• HIC Unconference (Germany and Austria)
• Unfold (Netherlands)
• The Great General Manager Debate (UK)
• ITH Innovation Summit (Spain)
• Hospitality Summit (Switzerland)
• HSMA Day (Germany)
• Annual Hotel Conference (UK)
• Prest’Hôtel (France)
• IHS – Independent Hotel Show (UK)
• EquipHotel (France)
• World Travel Market (UK)
• HOSPACE (UK)
• and many more!

Growing and developing our team

Our remote team continued to grow as we onboarded more specialists and created a new dedicated Partnerships team. We continue to grow, so make sure to check out the current job openings at HiJiffy. 

We have also grown in other ways. Our team took part in public speaking and insights discovery workshops, launched internal cross-departmental training sessions, and celebrated plenty of personal achievements, professional milestones, and career advancements together.

Our team works remotely across Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, and the UK, bringing together a mix of eight nationalities. In 2024, we held four in-person reunions in Portugal, meeting in Lisbon, Cascais, and Évora. Many teams also organise their own in-person meetups throughout the year. Curious about what it is like to work at HiJiffy? Visit our Instagram for a behind-the-scenes sneak peek.

As we plan for 2025, we are looking ahead with excitement and cannot wait to share what is coming your way. One thing you can count on: at HiJiffy, we will keep advancing conversational AI for hospitality, helping hotels deliver smarter, more efficient guest communication. Stay tuned and sign up for our newsletter – there is a lot to look forward to!