AX Hotels achieves a 93% automation rate and 86% WhatsApp open rate across the full guest journey with HiJiffy
February 2025 – February 2026
+50K
conversations
93%
automation
86%
WhatsApp campaigns open rate
18%
increase in add-on purchases
Introduction
Running a multi-property hotel group in one of Europe’s most visited island destinations means guest communication never really stops. From the moment someone considers a booking to the final moments of their stay, there are questions to answer, services to promote, and experiences to deliver across every touchpoint.
For AX Hotels, keeping up with that demand while giving its front office and reservations teams the space to focus on genuine hospitality was the core challenge. The group needed a way to handle high volumes of routine enquiries quickly and accurately, support guests throughout their entire stay, and turn those interactions into real commercial outcomes, including direct bookings and add-on purchases.
Today, HiJiffy supports eight AX Hotels properties through the booking and pre-stay phase, with AX ODYCY going a step further, using the platform to engage guests from the moment they book all the way through to check-out.
This success story explores how AX Hotels used HiJiffy to do exactly that, achieving a 93% automation rate across more than 50,000 conversations and an open rate of 86% on WhatsApp campaigns.
The Client: AX Hotels
AX Hotels is one of the island’s most recognised hotel brands, known for its high-quality four- and five-star experiences. Part of the wider AX Group, the brand has welcomed travellers for over four decades, building a strong reputation for comfort, service, and distinctive hotel concepts.
The group’s portfolio includes hotels in some of Malta’s most popular destinations, including Sliema, Valletta, Qawra, and Rabat. Each property offers its own unique style, from urban boutique hotels in the historic capital to coastal resorts and wellness retreats.
Across its collection, AX Hotels combines contemporary design, strong dining concepts, and attentive service to create memorable guest experiences. Today, the group operates multiple hotels and over 20 food and beverage outlets, supported by hundreds of dedicated professionals.
The Challenges
Running a multi-brand hotel group in one of Europe’s busiest leisure destinations comes with its own set of communication pressures. For AX Hotels, several challenges were stacking up.
High volumes of repetitive guest enquiries
The front office and reservations teams were spending a significant portion of their day answering the same questions. Swimming pools, meal plans, restaurant options, buffet arrangements, and breakfast times are all questions that guests need answered quickly, but they don’t require a trained hospitality professional to handle every single one.
Managing communication across a complex, multi-brand operation
With multiple hotel brands, each offering its own services, dining options, and experiences, keeping guest-facing information consistent and accurate across all properties was no small task. Menus change, facilities evolve, and the pace of a busy hotel group leaves little room for manual content updates. The team needed a way to ensure guests were always getting the right information, regardless of which property they were enquiring about.
Limited visibility on upsell and booking conversion
The team knew guests were researching and making decisions online, but converting that interest into direct bookings and add-on purchases required a more structured approach. Without automation handling the top of the funnel, the team had less capacity to focus on the conversations that drive revenue.
Meeting guests on their preferred channels
Guests were reaching out across multiple touchpoints, including the hotel website, WhatsApp, and OTA messaging platforms. Without a centralised system, keeping responses consistent and timely was a constant juggling act.
The Solutions
With HiJiffy’s Guest Communications Hub in place, AX Hotels deployed the platform across several key areas of the guest journey.
Automating FAQs across all channels
HiJiffy’s conversational AI handles the most common guest enquiries automatically, covering everything from swimming pool availability and meal plans to restaurant options and breakfast arrangements. Guests receive instant, accurate answers at any time of day, without needing to wait for a member of staff to be available.
Centralised communication across channels
All guest conversations, whether via the hotel website, WhatsApp, or OTA messaging platforms, are managed through a single console. This gives the team a clear, organised view of all incoming enquiries and ensures guests receive consistent responses regardless of how they choose to get in touch.
WhatsApp campaigns across the guest journey
At AX ODYCY Hotel, HiJiffy’s WhatsApp campaign functionality covers the full guest journey, from pre-arrival messages and check-in campaigns to in-stay messages promoting dining, add-ons, and additional services at exactly the right moment. Pre-arrival and check-in campaigns are also active across all eight AX Hotels properties.
Direct booking conversion through chat
With accurate, real-time information available through the website chat, guests researching their trip are met with immediate answers and a clear path to book directly. The chat interface acts as an always-on booking support tool, helping convert interest into confirmed reservations without requiring staff involvement.
Supporting staff, not replacing them
When a conversation requires a human touch, the team can step in directly through the console. The AI takes care of the routine enquiries; the people handle the rest. This clear division helps protect staff time while keeping the guest experience personal where it matters most.
The Results
From February 2025 to February 2026, AX Hotels recorded strong, measurable results across automation, revenue, and guest satisfaction.
93% automation across 50,000 conversations
Across more than 50,000 guest conversations, HiJiffy automatically handled 93% of interactions. The most common topics, including swimming pool availability, meal plans, restaurants, and breakfast, were resolved instantly and without any staff involvement. For a group managing multiple properties and over 20 food and beverage outlets, this represents a significant and sustained reduction in daily communication workload.
86% WhatsApp campaign open rate at AX ODYCY Hotel
Check-in campaigns sent ahead of arrival achieved strong open rates, helping guests arrive prepared and reducing friction at the front desk. Upsell campaigns, promoting dining experiences, add-ons, and additional services, reached guests at the moments most likely to convert, with the data showing just how receptive guests are to well-timed communication on a channel they already use every day.
The impact on revenue was equally clear: automated upsell campaigns contributed to an 18% increase in add-on purchases, making the campaigns as commercially effective as they were operationally useful.
45 to 70 hours saved every month
The front office and reservations teams estimate that HiJiffy saves between 45 and 70 hours per month, the majority coming from automated replies to frequently asked questions. To put that into perspective, a standard full-time working week is 40 hours. That means HiJiffy is effectively handling more than a full week’s worth of work every single month. Over the course of a year, that adds up to between 540 and 840 hours, the equivalent of between 13 and 21 full working weeks saved annually.
89% CSAT score
Guests rated the automated support positively, with 89% expressing satisfaction with the responses they received. Faster answers, available around the clock and across channels, made a clear difference to the overall guest experience without compromising on quality or accuracy.
Testimonials
“Guest expectations today are shaped by speed and convenience, but that doesn’t mean hospitality should feel automated. HiJiffy allowed us to remove the pressure of repetitive enquiries from our front office teams while still giving guests instant, accurate responses whenever they need them. The result is a smoother operation behind the scenes and a more confident, informed guest experience from the very first interaction.”
Kevin Callus, General Manager AX Hotels
“What impressed us most was how seamlessly HiJiffy fits into the guest journey. From pre‑arrival communication to in‑stay messaging, it helps us engage guests at exactly the right moments, whether that’s answering questions or promoting relevant add‑ons. It’s not just about efficiency; it’s about turning conversations into meaningful experiences and measurable revenue without losing the personal touch.”
Joseph Vella, General Manager AX Hotels
“It has been a pleasure working closely with the AX Hotels team and seeing the impact this collaboration has delivered. Our partnership is a great example of how technology can support both operational efficiency and guest satisfaction, helping their team leverage automation to streamline guest communication, improve service quality, and drive strong business outcomes.”
Isabel Real Reynal, Customer Success Manager at HiJiffy
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