Michelin and Qloo redefine travel with personalized recommendations

In an era where smartphones act as personal concierges, guiding us to our next meal or destination with a few quick taps, we’ve all experienced the frustration of a generic, one-size-fits-all recommendation that misses the mark. If only there was a way to receive personalized recommendations based on your previous experiences and your unique preferences. Impossible, right?

Not anymore. Imagine searching for a dining experience that’s not just any meal, but the best meal, curated exclusively based on your tastes and interests. Imagine finding a hotel that doesn’t just offer a place to sleep, but resonates perfectly with your personal preferences, transforming a simple stay into an experience tailored just for you. It may seem impossible—but with the power of Qloo’s Taste AI, Michelin has turned this vision into an exciting reality.

The challenge

For over a century, Michelin has set the gold standard for culinary and hospitality excellence with its prestigious Michelin Guides. Known for its rigorous inspection process and coveted star ratings, Michelin has helped millions navigate the best dining and lodging experiences worldwide.

Yet Michelin faced a modern conundrum: how to scale their storied legacy of meticulous and rigorous curation to meet the era of instant digital access and personalized service expectations. In an age where a quick Google search can identify a restaurant, coffee shop, hotel, or travel destination, Michelin faced a unique challenge. The company aimed to offer its trusted, high-quality recommendations in a way that was both personal and immediate for each user, particularly through its Tablet Hotels Online Travel Agency (OTA) platform and forthcoming Michelin apps. Their goal: to evolve without losing the essence of what has made Michelin a synonym for quality and reliability across not only the hospitality industry, but the world.

The Qloo solution

Michelin turned to Qloo to bridge the gap between its timeless expertise and modern-day personalization. Leveraging Qloo’s sophisticated AI, Michelin was able to offer personalized recommendations for restaurants and hotels that not only bore the Michelin stamp of excellence but were also tailored to the unique cultural characteristics of each guest’s hotel choice.

“In New York, we might have two hotels on the same block, but they’re very different in their style,” said Michael Davis, Chief Product Officer at Michelin Experiences. “If you went to Google, for example, you would get the same sort of recommended things to do because they are both located within a couple of hundred feet of one another. With Qloo, it allows us to take into account the customer profile or the hotel’s profile, its style, its atmosphere, its design, and create a guide that’s more tuned for that type of guest than the one that’s staying down the block.”

Through Qloo’s AI, which maps relationships within and between cultural categories such as dining, hospitality, music, film, TV, and more, Michelin could tap into a deep well of cultural correlations. This AI-driven approach allowed Michelin to transform the guest experience by providing recommendations that are genuinely personalized, surpassing the limitations of geography-based or crowd-sourced suggestions.

Michelin is also using Qloo’s vast database to enforce real-time data updates to ensure accurate recommendations. This dynamic approach allows Michelin to maintain the integrity and relevance of its suggestions by constantly refreshing its offerings based on the most current information. “Qloo helps us manage that and keep the real-time updates categorized,” said Davis.

Results

The collaboration between Michelin and Qloo marked a significant milestone in the pursuit of personalized guest experiences. The introduction of AI-powered recommendations resulted in a remarkable 273% increase in booking volume on Michelin’s Tablet Hotels during A/B testing, showcasing the tangible benefits of blending traditional quality with modern personalization.

The future of personalized travel

In collaboration with Qloo, Michelin has successfully demonstrated that it is possible to maintain the highest standards of quality while meeting the modern consumer’s expectations for personalization and digital accessibility. Michelin’s journey with Qloo underscores the transformative power of technology in enhancing the customer experience and setting new benchmarks in the hospitality industry.

The success of this collaboration highlights the potential for further innovation in personalized travel experiences. Michelin’s embrace of AI-driven personalization, powered by Qloo, not only meets the modern traveler’s demands but also opens up new avenues for growth and engagement within the global travel community.

What’s next? Reach out to discover how Qloo can elevate your business through personalized solutions tailored to your unique needs.