In 2015, when the Royal St Andrews Hotel, Port Alfred, South Africa opened its doors, it was clear that the owners wanted to receive feedback from their guests as soon as possible. Difford Louw – the hotel’s former Sales Manager and now GM – pushed for GuestRevu to be implemented before the very first guest checked in. Difford Louw, who had seen the value of structured feedback in his previous role, knew it was crucial to ensure the hotel delivered high-quality experiences.
But more recently, Difford played another important role — helping to shape GuestRevu’s new AI-Powered Management Responses Become a beta tester.
Royal St Andrews values guest feedback
Royal St Andrews takes pride in offering a unique guest experience. The hotel caters to travellers of all kinds with its luxury wing, spa and conference facilities. But providing great service isn’t just about amenities — it’s about understanding what guests expect and continuously improving.
The expectations of people change constantly. says Difford. “They don’t just want a place to sleep anymore — they want an experience. GuestRevu lets us know what our guests expect, so we can deliver.
Watch the full Royal St Andrews case study
Royal St Andrews was able to gather clear and actionable feedback with GuestRevu’s tailored surveys. 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.
AI-based Reputation Management: How it is Made Easier
Royal St Andrews had already proven to be excellent at collecting guest feedback and taking action on it, but responding to online reviews still took a lot of time. GuestRevu stepped in with its new AI management feature.
Difford, while testing the feature was especially impressed by the AI-generated responses that were personalised.
Difford says, “We’ve sat with it together and I have absolutely loved it.” “The responses were spot on. It is great to see that they have taken the time to mention the specifics of the guest’s review in their response. 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 and personalised responses that reflect a guest’s 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.
Difford says, “It saves me between one and a 1/2 to two hours of trying to think of what to say.” “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. It takes a great deal of time and brain power to do that.”
Difford also emphasized how the AI helps to ensure negative feedback doesn’t get overlooked. “If you don’t respond to negative feedback, it looks like you aren’t caring. The AI tool can help by suggesting thoughtful replies that demonstrate we have taken the time to fully understand and address the complaint. It’s not just about writing something — it’s about showing the guest that you care about their experience.”
Enjoy More Customisation with New Features
GuestRevu’s AI response tool, which was developed by Difford as a beta-tester in the early days, now allows for even greater customisation. Hoteliers can add their own instructions to the AI so that it responds in a way that is consistent with their property’s 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. Mikhail Andrews is the Revenue Manager at Royal St Andrews. He says, “We can use them for marketing. We can add upcoming special packages or offers.”
How to achieve lasting success
Royal St Andrews is a unique destination in South Africa’s Sunshine Coast. It has achieved this by combining AI and reputation management to streamline guest feedback, as well as a commitment towards promoting the town.
Difford states that “we couldn’t manage guest feedback without GuestRevu.” It saves us time, increases productivity and ensures that we are engaging with our customers 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.
