Swiss-first, tech-enabled: How Nonanteneuf is scaling up with AI – whilst keeping its team size the same
Nonanteneuf, the Swiss aparthotel group operated by the letting agency Coucou&Co, has a clear goal: to grow without compromising on service quality and without having to outsource additional teams. With the help of LIKE MAGIC and the AI chatbot D3x – which the team has christened SAM – the company has managed to ease the workload on its team and improve the guest experience, despite scaling up.
Serviced Apartments
The challenge: high workload from standard enquiries
Nonanteneuf deliberately positions itself as ‘Swiss-first’ with a local team. One of its hallmarks is high-quality guest communication and the comprehensive digitalisation of its services. What makes Nonanteneuf special is that it offers remote customer service and a reception, providing guests with a high degree of independence and flexibility.
However, the company faced the same challenges as others in the hotel industry: a large proportion of working hours was spent answering the same standard questions via WhatsApp. At the same time, most guests expected an immediate response, regardless of the time of day or day of the week. At the very least, when the team had to handle several standard enquiries and a serious complaint simultaneously, processes ground to a halt.
That is why Nonanteneuf sought a solution to relieve the pressure on its team without outsourcing or hiring more staff, whilst maintaining a consistently high standard of service and enabling growth.
The solution: AI hotel automation with LIKE MAGIC and D3x
Nonanteneuf opted for the Apaleo PMS because it is flexible and allows the integration of various tools that facilitate the digitalisation of processes. Instead of combining individual tools for communication, data and processes, Nonanteneuf now relies on an integrated system:
LIKE MAGIC forms the basis for guest communication
D3x complements the structure with an AI chatbot directly within the system.
WhatsApp serves as the central communication channel.
Apaleo is used as the PMS because it is flexible and allows for the integration of various tools that facilitate the digitalisation of processes.
The chatbot automatically answers standard enquiries without staff needing to intervene. At the same time, there is always the option to hand conversations over to the team (“Human Takeover”).
A self-learning feature (“Pending Validation”) continuously optimises communication: with every human takeover, SAM analyses the conversation and suggests additions to the knowledge base, which must be manually validated.
The chatbot will soon be integrated into the brand’s website, further improving the responsiveness of customer support Implementation took just a few hours.
Important for Nonanteneuf: D3x SAM does not have the authority to resolve issues independently or make operational decisions. Both remain the responsibility of the team. Rather than fully automating guest communication, there is a clear division of tasks: the chatbot handles recurring enquiries, whilst the team focuses on cases that actually require attention.
Voice solutions were also omitted to ensure high speed and stability.
The results: fast responses, round-the-clock availability, more time for what really matters
The changes in day-to-day operations are clear:
Around 78% of all incoming messages are now answered fully automatically.
The average response time is around 5 seconds. Previously, the average opening time alone was 5 minutes.
The chatbot answers standard queries even when customer support is closed – at night, at weekends and on public holidays
The team structure remained unchanged: no additional staff were hired and no existing staff were made redundant.
A key advantage: staff can now focus entirely on cases that actually require attention.
“The moment that best captures the impact? When we’re handling two or three conversations at the same time – one where the guest can’t find the pillow, and another that’s a real guest recovery situation. Before SAM, those two things combined were taking more time than actually resolving the complaint. Now SAM handles the simple stuff and we can focus on what matters.”
“The difference is most evident when we’re handling two or three conversations at the same time – one where the guest can’t find their pillow, and another involving a genuine complaint. It used to take us longer to deal with those two things combined than to actually resolve the complaint. Now SAM handles the simple stuff, and we can focus on what really matters.”
Looking ahead: integrating emails
Nonanteneuf currently operates five properties in French-speaking Switzerland, three of which (150 accommodation units) opened just over a year ago without the need to hire additional staff. Nonanteneuf is sticking to its strategic approach: growing without expanding the existing team or diluting its ‘Swiss first’ commitment. AI-powered hotel communication with LIKE MAGIC makes this possible.
The next step will be to integrate emails into the automation system – for even greater efficiency and more time to focus on what really matters.
Conclusion: AI enables growth without more staff
The example of Nonanteneuf shows:
scaling up hotel operations does not necessarily require more staff or outsourcing.
The targeted use of AI does not replace teams. It ensures that existing structures can achieve more.
Thanks to LIKE MAGIC and D3x SAM, Nonanteneuf is achieving growth without compromising on quality and whilst maintaining the same team size. The workload on staff is reduced and the guest experience is improved in the long term.
