Back in 2015 when the Royal St Andrews Hotel in Port Alfred, South Africa, opened its doors, they knew they wanted to get guest feedback right from the start. That’s why Difford Louw, the hotel’s Sales Manager at the time and now the GM, pushed to have GuestRevu implemented before the first guest even checked in. Having seen its value in a previous role, Difford knew that structured guest feedback was key to ensuring the hotel delivered the high-quality experiences they envisioned.
But more recently, Difford played another important role — helping to shape GuestRevu’s new AI-Powered Management Responses feature as one of the beta testers.
Why Guest Feedback Matters at Royal St Andrews
Royal St Andrews prides itself on offering an exceptional guest experience. With a luxury wing, spa, conference facilities, and a revitalised pub, they cater to a variety of travellers. But providing great service isn’t just about amenities — it’s about understanding what guests expect and continuously improving.
“People’s expectations change all the time,” says Difford. “They don’t just want a place to sleep anymore — they want an experience. GuestRevu helps us identify what they expect so we can keep up with it.”
Watch the full Royal St Andrews case study
With GuestRevu’s tailored surveys in place from the very beginning, Royal St Andrews has been able to collect clear, actionable feedback. This allowed them to respond to guest concerns and improve their services — from refining breakfast service to upgrading their Wi-Fi setup after feedback showed guests were frustrated with passwords and slow speeds.
How AI Responses are Making Reputation Management Easier
While Royal St Andrews was already excelling at collecting and acting on guest feedback, responding to online reviews was still a time-consuming task. That’s where GuestRevu’s new AI management response feature came in.
While testing the feature, Difford was particularly impressed by the personalised nature of the AI-generated responses.
“We sat together with it and I’ve absolutely loved it,” says Difford. “The responses are spot on. What I really like is that it takes details out of the review and mentions those things in the response to the guest. And I really like the way it acknowledges negative reviews as well and addresses them — it’s quite spot on.”
The AI feature drafts thoughtful, personalised responses that reflect the guest’s sentiment and experience. Instead of spending hours carefully wording responses, Difford and his team can now review and approve responses faster — ensuring they keep their online reputation strong without sacrificing the personal touch.
“It can save me up to about one and a half to two hours’ worth of thinking of things to say,” says Difford. “Especially when it comes to the not-so-positive reviews — you have to think carefully about how you address the guest, how you approach the issue with them, and assure them that it will be looked into. That takes a lot of brain power and time.”
Difford also highlighted how the AI feature helps ensure negative feedback isn’t overlooked. “If you don’t respond to negative reviews, it just looks like you don’t care. The AI tool helps by suggesting thoughtful responses that show we’ve taken the time to understand the complaint and address it. It’s not just about writing something — it’s about showing the guest that you care about their experience.”
New Features Provide Even More Customisation
Since Difford’s early involvement as a beta tester, GuestRevu’s AI management response tool has evolved to offer even more customisation. Hoteliers can now add custom instructions to guide the AI, ensuring responses better align with each property’s unique tone, branding, and messaging.
The team at the Royal St Andrews, specifically requested this flexibility during the beta testing, knowing that responses to reviews are not just for the benefit of the guest who posted the review, but will be read by other potential customers as well. “We can use it for marketing, we can add in upcoming special offers or packages” explains Mikhail Andrews, the Royal St Andrews’ Revenue Manager.
A Recipe for Lasting Success
By combining proactive guest feedback collection, streamlined reputation management with AI, and a commitment to promoting their town, Royal St Andrews has cemented itself as a standout destination on South Africa’s Sunshine Coast.
“We couldn’t manage our guest feedback without GuestRevu,” says Difford. “It saves time, enhances productivity, and ensures we’re engaging with our guests effectively.”
And with the addition of AI management responses — now with enhanced customisation — the team now has even more time to focus on what they do best: delivering exceptional guest experiences from day one.
