The Queen at Chester - How WhatsApp & Biteluxe AI Drove Five-Figure Monthly F&B Growth
Property Details: Chester, England | 218 Bedrooms | Historic Luxury Hotel
Inaugurated by Queen Victoria in 1861, it’s one of the largest hotels in Chester, and it’s located right by the city’s train station.
The Queen at Chester - How WhatsApp & Biteluxe AI Drove Five-Figure Monthly F&B Growth
Property Details: Chester, England | 218 Bedrooms | Historic Luxury Hotel
Inaugurated by Queen Victoria in 1861, it’s one of the largest hotels in Chester, and it’s located right by the city’s train station.
Consistent five-figure monthly increase in F&B revenue within the first quarter
Doubled Sleeper / Diner Ratio & 3x F&B footfall
60% increase in upsell conversions vs. email
98% WhatsApp open rate vs. 20% email
>> Challenge
£6M refurbishment requires F&B revenue to deliver ROI - but guests were dining elsewhere
Following a £6M investment (£5M in bedrooms, £1M in F&B spaces), The Queen at Chester faced a challenge common to city-centre hotels: F&B leakage.
With dozens of restaurants steps from the property, converting sleepers into diners was increasingly difficult.
Traditional email promotions weren’t working - only 20% of guests opened them - and most never saw the hotel’s dining offers before making plans elsewhere.
At the same time, the reception team spent up to 18 minutes per stay answering repetitive questions about breakfast times, parking, and amenities.
The hotel needed to grow F&B revenue by over £1M annually, but achieving this required a new approach to guest engagement that met guests where they actually pay attention.
This combination of low visibility, high guest friction, and operational strain meant the hotel had no reliable way to influence dining decisions during the crucial planning window.
>> Challenge
£6M refurbishment requires F&B revenue to deliver ROI - but guests were dining elsewhere
Following a £6M investment (£5M in bedrooms, £1M in F&B spaces), The Queen at Chester faced a challenge common to city-centre hotels: F&B leakage. With dozens of restaurants steps from the property, converting sleepers into diners was increasingly difficult.
Traditional email promotions weren’t working - only 20% of guests opened them - and most never saw the hotel’s dining offers before making plans elsewhere. At the same time, the reception team spent up to 18 minutes per stay answering repetitive questions about breakfast times, parking, and amenities.
The hotel needed to grow F&B revenue by over £1M annually, but achieving this required a new approach to guest engagement that met guests where they actually pay attention.
This combination of low visibility, high guest friction, and operational strain meant the hotel had no reliable way to influence dining decisions during the crucial planning window.
“We were tasked to grow our F&B revenue by over £1 million this year. But being in the middle of Chester, with so many restaurants and bars nearby, we were struggling to keep guests dining in-house. Traditional email promotions just weren't moving the needle.”
— Joji Esao, Hotel Manager at The Queen at Chester Hotel
“We were tasked to grow our F&B revenue by over £1 million this year. But being in the middle of Chester, with so many restaurants and bars nearby, we were struggling to keep guests dining in-house. Traditional email promotions just weren't moving the needle.”
— Joji Esao, Hotel Manager at The Queen at Chester Hotel
>> Fully-managed AI concierge via WhatsApp-meeting guests where they already are
The Queen at Chester partnered with Biteluxe to deploy Amanda, a fully-managed AI concierge communicating directly with guests via WhatsApp.
Unlike SaaS tools hotels must manage themselves, Amanda operates as a trained AI employee, managed entirely by Biteluxe - allowing the hotel team to focus on hospitality, not tech.
Amanda captures 70–80% of guest mobile numbers at booking (direct and OTA) and starts personalised conversations before arrival. With one opening question - “Why are you staying?” - Amanda branches into tailored recommendations: anniversary champagne, convenient dining times for business travellers, or family-friendly suggestions for leisure guests.
Deployment required just 1–2 hours of staff time using Biteluxe’s 1+1 Framework:
- Day 1: Live test with 20 reservations
- Month 1: Full go-live with ongoing optimisation
This shift from scheduled emails to contextual WhatsApp conversations enabled earlier decision-shaping, higher engagement, and significant new revenue opportunities.
>> Fully-managed AI concierge via WhatsApp-meeting guests where they already are
The Queen at Chester partnered with Biteluxe to deploy Amanda, a fully-managed AI concierge communicating directly with guests via WhatsApp.
Unlike SaaS tools hotels must manage themselves, Amanda operates as a trained AI employee, managed entirely by Biteluxe - allowing the hotel team to focus on hospitality, not tech.
Amanda captures 70–80% of guest mobile numbers at booking (direct and OTA) and starts personalised conversations before arrival. With one opening question - “Why are you staying?” - Amanda branches into tailored recommendations: anniversary champagne, convenient dining times for business travellers, or family-friendly suggestions for leisure guests.
Deployment required just 1–2 hours of staff time using Biteluxe’s 1+1 Framework:
- Day 1: Live test with 20 reservations
- Month 1: Full go-live with ongoing optimisation
This shift from scheduled emails to contextual WhatsApp conversations enabled earlier decision-shaping, higher engagement, and significant new revenue opportunities.
Dramatic F&B revenue growth - including a consistent five-figure monthly uplift - with improved guest satisfaction and operational efficiency
Doubled sleeper-to-diner conversion ratio
Compared to the previous year - significantly more guests choosing to dine in-house rather than at competing restaurants.
60% increase in upsell conversions
Contextual WhatsApp suggestions outperformed email, driving revenue from upgrades, add-ons, and special packages.
Discovered new revenue streams
Repeated early check-in requests revealed during WhatsApp conversations led to a new package with strong uptake.
Massive reduction in reception phone calls
Amanda handles routine questions instantly, freeing staff to focus on high-value interactions.
Lower staff costs without sacrificing satisfaction
Guest satisfaction improved thanks to instant responses and personalised recommendations.
Strong weekly revenue growth
Consistently outperforming prior-year numbers week after week, supported by a five-figure monthly F&B uplift.
"Since we introduced Amanda, our in-house sleeper-to-diner ratio has doubled compared to last year. Guests feel engaged before they arrive, and many are now choosing to dine with us rather than going out. It's happy days for ROI—every week we're seeing stronger numbers than last year."
This uplift was achieved without additional staff workload, demonstrating the financial and operational leverage of WhatsApp-powered AI in a competitive city-centre environment.
— Joji Esao, Hotel Manager at The Queen at Chester Hotel
THE BITELUXE DIFFERENCE
Why Hotels Choose Our "Managed AI" Over "DIY Chatbots"
While competitors sell you software to manage, we give you a fully-trained AI employee that we manage for you.
OTHER MESSAGING SOFTWARE
You Manage The Software
Generic robot responses
Update content and menus
Configure chatbot settings yourself
You optimise the conversions
Templated upsells
Doesn't remember guests across channels
Limited ways to enrich your CRM
Off-the-shelf journey mapping
Debug when things break
You become the IT department
WITH BITELUXE
