At The Hotels Network, we take pride in collaborating with outstanding hospitality brands worldwide. Recently, we had the pleasure of catching up with The Sofia Hotel, a historic yet modern boutique hotel in the heart of San Diego, California. Known for its timeless elegance and exceptional guest service, The Sofia Hotel has successfully blended classic charm with innovative technology to enhance the guest experience.
From the moment a guest lands on their website to the time they check out, The Sofia Hotel team prioritizes seamless, personalized interactions. Their commitment to exceptional service extends beyond the physical stay, embracing digital solutions that make communication effortless and intuitive.
In our conversation, we explored how The Sofia Hotel team leverages KITT, THN’s AI-powered receptionist, to provide instant, intelligent support to travelers. By integrating AI-driven assistance into their customer experience, the hotel ensures guests receive quick answers, personalized recommendations, and seamless booking support—improving both efficiency and guest satisfaction.
Let’s take a closer look at how The Sofia Hotel is redefining hospitality by merging tradition with cutting-edge technology to drive direct bookings and elevate the guest journey.
Thank you for speaking with us! Can you start by sharing a bit about The Sofia Hotel and what sets it apart from other properties in your area?
The Sofia Hotel, a member of Historic Hotels of America, first opened its doors in 1926 as the former Pickwick Hotel. Today, it seamlessly blends modern amenities with its rich timeless charm, preserving the hotel’s historical integrity.
The Sofia Hotel was the first hotel in North America to integrate KITT into its operations. What challenges or pain points were you looking to solve when deciding to adopt an AI receptionist?
It’s great to be the first hotel in North America to integrate KITT into our operations. We’ve named our AI assistant “Isabella” which helps us add a personal touch to guest interactions and the overall experience. What makes this even more special is that we’re embracing KITT’s AI technology just as we approach our 100th anniversary. As a historic hotel, striking the right balance between tradition and innovation is key, and Isabella helps us do just that.
What led to your decision to partner with The Hotels Network and incorporate KITT into your operations team? What appealed to you most about adding an AI virtual agent to support your staff?
We’ve had a strong partnership with The Hotels Network for years, having already worked together on optimizing our direct channel strategy. Integrating KITT felt like a natural next step. While we prioritize live, human interaction at the hotel, there are rare moments when we may not be able to answer the phone immediately. That’s where Isabella, our AI assistant, steps in—engaging with guests in real-time. This ensures that no inquiry goes unanswered while allowing our team to follow up shortly after with a personal touch.
Since implementing KITT, how has it helped improve your guest service experience, particularly in handling inquiries about availability, bookings, amenities, and policies?
Although we are still in the early stages of implementing our KITT (Isabella), we’re already seeing a positive impact on guest interactions. Isabella has been particularly helpful in providing instant responses to common questions, like parking details, amenities, booking modifications, and even lost-and-found requests.
We’re happy to hear that! Another standout feature of KITT’s is its ability to communicate in multiple languages. How has this helped The Sofia Hotel better address the needs of international guests and overcome language barriers?
Many of our guests come from all over the world, so having Isabella communicate in different languages has been a great asset for our team. While our staff is multilingual, as a smaller boutique hotel, we may not always have someone available to assist in every language. KITT helps bridge that gap, ensuring all guests feel welcomed and understood.
How has KITT’s 24/7 availability impacted your ability to capture bookings and provide timely responses, especially during busy times or outside of regular operating hours?
With guests visiting from different time zones and the hotel operating 24/7, having KITT available around the clock aligns perfectly with our business needs. KITT ensures that every guest receives a timely response, which has definitely contributed to our overall service efficiency.
Thank you to The Sofia Hotel for giving us a glimpse into their journey of combining tradition with innovation. By integrating KITT, they’re enhancing guest interactions, streamlining operations, and reinforcing their commitment to exceptional service. We look forward to seeing how AI continues to support their success in the evolving hospitality landscape.