Viceroy Sugar Beach: how Highgate built a guest experience where AI handles 90% of enquiries

Hospitality Technology profiled Viceroy Sugar Beach and the Highgate digital transformation that earned an Honourable Mention in the Guest Experience category at the 2024 Hotel Visionary Awards. The article covers what was built, what it runs on, and what the numbers look like.

The brief

Highgate identified a specific operational problem: disconnected hotel systems producing inconsistent guest interactions and internal inefficiencies. The goal was a single connected infrastructure where guest messaging, butler services, and food and beverage ordering could all be managed from one place. The operating principle was straightforward: meet guests on the channel they already use.

What Innspire ONE provides

Innspire ONE is the AI layer connecting the stack. At Viceroy Sugar Beach it handles several distinct capabilities. Before guests arrive, the AI offers personalised travel recommendations based on real-time factors like weather and local events. Guests communicate via WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS, or web app, whichever they prefer. Mobile check-in with digital key lets guests go straight to their room. And the geo-location F&B ordering system allows guests to place orders from their beach chair or pool lounger with a pin drop, so staff know exactly where to deliver.

The results

90% of guest enquiries are now handled through AI-powered tools, which reduces staff response time and frees the team to focus on the interactions that require a person. F&B revenue has increased, attributed to geo-targeted ordering and the ease of placing orders from anywhere on property. Guest feedback on mobile check-in and app-based service has been consistently positive.

The poolside and beachfront F&B system is the standout feature. A guest on a lounger taps their phone, places an order, drops a pin, and the order arrives. The logic is simple. The execution required connecting POS, location data, and the guest-facing app into a single workflow. That is the integration work that makes the experience possible.

Scale

Three Viceroy properties are currently implementing the platform, with the full brand portfolio as the target. Sugar Beach is the reference deployment. Mike Dickersbach, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Highgate, accepted the Hotel Visionary Award on behalf of the initiative at the 2024 Hotel Technology Forum.