AI-powered messaging helps Paradise Resort achieve 12% more direct bookings & 82% WhatsApp engagement

July 2024 – February 2025

12 %

direct bookings via the chatbot

450K €

direct booking revenue

82%

WhatsApp messages open rate

15K

messages sent in less than 6 months

Introduction

Paradise Resort Gold Coast needed a smarter way to manage guest communication and boost direct bookings while maintaining its signature personalised service. With guests engaging across multiple channels – social media, WhatsApp, web chat, SMS, and email – the resort sought a solution to automate responses, improve efficiency, and maintain its signature personalised service.

By implementing HiJiffy’s AI-powered Virtual Concierge, Campaigns Manager, Booking Assistant, and Console, Paradise Resort enhanced guest interactions and streamlined operations. The Campaigns Manager played a key role in increasing engagement at every stage of the guest journey, while webchat pop-up campaigns drove significant guest interactions. The chatbot also contributed to a notable share of direct bookings, and a large percentage of guests now complete online check-in, reducing front desk congestion and improving the overall experience.

The Client: Paradise Resort

Paradise Resort Gold Coast is a family-focused resort designed for parents seeking a stress-free holiday packed with entertainment. Located just 250 metres from Surfers Paradise Beach, it offers 360 spacious rooms and various on-site activities, including a large water park, an ice-skating rink, and a Kids’ Club for children aged six weeks to 12 years.

Known as a “cruise ship on land,” the resort provides a lively, all-in-one experience where families can relax while children enjoy supervised fun and adventure. With multiple dining options, a Pamper Parlour for kids, and a focus on family-friendly service, Paradise Resort has built a reputation as a go-to destination for holidaying families.

The Challenges

Before partnering with HiJiffy, Paradise Resort Gold Coast faced challenges in guest communication and engagement.

Previous chatbots were limited in functionality, often providing inaccurate responses.
Guests reached out via multiple channels – Facebook, Instagram, web chat, SMS, email, and phone – resulting in disorganised communication and inconsistent messaging.
The reservations and guest services teams needed a centralised and reliable way to manage messages, ensuring a consistent guest experience.
The resort wanted a solution to engage with guests at every stage of their stay – from pre-arrival communication and online check-in to in-stay surveys, express checkout, and upselling opportunities.

The Solutions

HiJiffy Console

Centralising guest communication: To resolve disorganised guest messaging across multiple platforms, Paradise Resort Gold Coast implemented HiJiffy’s Console, providing a centralised inbox where staff could manage inquiries from Facebook, Instagram, web chat, WhatsApp, SMS, and email in one place.
Unifying guest messaging: Previously, messages were scattered across multiple channels, leading to delays and missed inquiries. The Console brought all conversations into one system, allowing staff to respond faster and more efficiently.
Ensuring accuracy across channels: Pre-set responses and AI-powered automation enabled staff to provide consistent and accurate answers, reducing errors and confusion.

By connecting with Mews (PMS & Booking Engine Provider), staff accessed real-time booking and availability data, ensuring guests always received correct, up-to-date information.

With HiJiffy’s Console, Paradise Resort reduced response times, eliminated communication gaps, and improved service accuracy.

AI Booking Assistant:

Optimising the booking phase: Improve efficiency in the booking phase, Paradise Resort Gold Coast implemented HiJiffy’s AI-powered Booking Assistant, ensuring potential guests received fast, accurate responses across the resort’s website, social media and WhatsApp.
Omnichannel guest Ccommunication: So guests could inquire and book through multiple channels, with all interactions centralised in one platform, ensuring a consistent experience.
Instant responses to FAQs: The chatbot provided automated answers to common questions, such as amenities, cancellation policies, and check-in details, reducing repetitive inquiries for staff.
Guided booking process AI-driven prompts: Helped guests navigate the booking process in real time, increasing direct bookings and reducing drop-offs.
Finally, web chat pop-up campaigns helped gain visibility and performance on different upselling and promotion of services across the hotel’s website.

Virtual Concierge & Campaigns Manager:

Enhancing the guest journey to streamline communication and guest engagement, Paradise Resort Gold Coast implemented HiJiffy’s Virtual Concierge and Campaigns Manager, automating key interactions while maintaining a personalised experience.

The Virtual Concierge centralised guest messaging, ensuring fast, consistent responses across channels. Automated, pre-scheduled messages kept guests informed before, during, and after their stay, reducing delays and improving service. The Campaigns Manager allowed the resort to deploy targeted messaging for check-in, promotions, and in-stay engagement, enhancing the guest experience without increasing staff workload.

By integrating these solutions, Paradise Resort improved efficiency, ensured seamless coordination across teams, and elevated guest satisfaction at every stage.

The Resuts

Console & AI Booking Assistant: Driving Automation & Direct Bookings

The AI Booking Assistant streamlined the Booking Phase, automating most guest inquiries and improving efficiency with incredible results in under 6 months.

Key performance metrics

91.1% automation rate – Reduced staff workload by handling most interactions.
34,655 total conversations – Managed via the AI assistant.

Impact on direct bookings

531 total bookings via the chatbot.
450 fully automated (85%) – No staff intervention needed.
Total booking value: Over AUD $750K (€450K)

Webchat Pop-Up Campaigns: Boosting Engagement & Revenue

Webchat pop-ups played a crucial role in converting website visitors into direct bookings and upsell opportunities, ensuring guests received timely and relevant offers while maximizing revenue.

Performance overview in the past 6 months:

5 targeted campaigns launched → Each campaign addressed specific guest needs, ensuring personalised engagement rather than generic promotions.
17,814 total clicks: → Strong engagement indicated high guest interest in promotions, improving conversion potential.
Tracked metrics: Impressions, Click-Through Rate (CTR) → Provided data insights to optimize campaign effectiveness.

Impact on guest engagement & revenue

Seasonal promotions: Drove early bookings, increasing peak-season occupancy while offering guests exclusive discounts.
Ticket upselling: Boosted revenue by enabling guests to pre-book activities, ensuring availability for popular experiences.
Direct booking deals: Encouraged direct reservations, cutting commission costs and providing guests with better rates and perks.

By targeting website visitors with tailored promotions, Paradise Resort drove higher direct booking conversions, increased upsell opportunities, and enhanced the pre-arrival guest experience.

Virtual Concierge & Campaigns Manager: Enhancing Guest Communication

By automating key guest interactions, Paradise Resort streamlined operations, improved service efficiency, and ensured guests received timely information at every stage of their stay.

Performance overview

15,589 automated nessages sent | 12,856 Read (82% Engagement Rate): High guest engagement confirmed the value of automated communication.
Multiple campaign types implemented: Pre-arrival, welcome messages, in-stay surveys, and express check-out reminders: Ensured guests stayed informed at key moments.

“This new enhancement has significantly improved our efficiencies and ability to connect with guests in real time ensuring they receive the right information when they need it.” – Alicia Szerszyn, Sales & Marketing Manager

Impact on guest experience & operations

Pre-arrival messaging (Time-based): Encouraged online check-in and provided trip preparation details – Reduced front desk workload and helped guests arrive informed and ready for their stay.
Welcome messages (Event-based): Sent automatically at check-in, providing key resort information – Improved guest independence by ensuring immediate access to essential details on dining, activities, and amenities.
In-stay surveys (Time-based): Requested real-time guest feedback – Allowed the resort to address concerns before check-out, reducing negative reviews and increasing satisfaction.
Express check-out reminders (Time-based): Automated departure guidance to streamline check-out – Minimised front desk congestion and made departures smoother for guests.
Influenced a 41% online check-in rate: The strategic use of automated messaging encouraged more guests to check in digitally, directly reducing front desk congestion and improving efficiency.

By automating guest communication across key touchpoints, Paradise Resort optimised daily operations, increased guest satisfaction, and influenced behaviour to improve efficiency, particularly in online check-ins.

Testimonios

“HiJiffy has transformed the way we interact with guests. The AI-powered chatbot ensures instant, accurate responses, reducing pressure on our team while enhancing the guest experience. The ability to consolidate all messaging channels into one platform has been a game-changer, allowing us to respond faster and more efficiently, whilst also being able to easily see if the guest has messaged us on any other channels so we can reply as one.”

Alicia Szerszyn, Sales & Marketing Director, Paradise Resort Gold Coast

“As someone who interacts with guests daily, HiJiffy has improved our team’s efficiency and made communicating with our guests so much easier. We no longer have to manually respond to repetitive questions, and the integration with WhatsApp and social media also means we never miss an inquiry, leading to faster resolutions and happier guests.”

Tia Sadler, Reservations Manager, Paradise Resort Gold Coast

“Collaborating with Paradise Resort Gold Coast has been an outstanding experience. They have embraced the latest technology and consistently adopt AI innovations to enhance operations and elevate guest experiences. They stand out for their proactive use of our solution, particularly in personalizing guest interactions and optimizing resource management. Their enthusiasm for AI-driven guest engagement makes them an exemplary partner. We proudly support their journey and look forward to their continued success.”

Hannah Rohlfs, Customer Success Representative, HiJiffy

Tech Partner - Mews

Mews is the leading platform for the new era of hospitality. Powering over 5,500 customers across more than 85 countries, Mews Hospitality Cloud is designed to streamline operations for modern hoteliers, transform the guest experience and create more profitable businesses. Customers include BWH Hotels, Strawberry, The Social Hub and Airelles Collection. Mews was named Best PMS (2024, 2025) and listed among the Best Places to Work in Hotel Tech (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025) by Hotel Tech Report, and won the Tech Hero 2024 Award at CIODAY.

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