Grand Pacific Resorts Leverages AI to Redefine Resort Management and Unlock New Possibilities

Artificial Intelligence in hospitality is poised to reshape the way hotels and resorts do business. Hoteliers have been on the AI bandwagon for several years with advanced technologies now implemented across the entire hotel business, from the front desk to the back office. Major hotel brands are using AI to personalize the guest experience from check-in to check-out. They are using AI to power virtual assistants, optimize housekeeping scheduling, help with pricing decisions, and making it easier than ever for hotels to go green. The timeshare industry has taken notice of the trend and one major resort management company is leading the way.

Nigel Lobo, Chief Operating Officer of Grand Pacific Resorts (GPR), based in Carlsbad, California is confident that Artificial Intelligence will soon dramatically change the way timeshare resorts have traditionally been managed. After witnessing the transformational potential of AI in enhancing guest experiences, streamlining operations, and boosting associate productivity, Nigel has boldly led his company into the AI space by spearheading a year-long educational campaign for all departments.

For most of GPR’s 1,500 associates, this was an exploration in unchartered territory, requiring the highest levels of collaboration, but they have bravely forged ahead. Today, as integration of AI continues across the organization, associates are proud of their ability to unlock a new frontier, providing a broader vision for increased operational excellence and business objectives.

“We believe adaptability and innovation are critical to maintaining a competitive edge in hospitality management, says Nigel. “Our approach to AI is guided by our commitment to ethical, secure, and responsible use, which is perfectly aligned to our corporate BE EPIC values. The integration of AI into almost all of our departments is helping us improve efficiency and continue to deliver exceptional services to the dozens of resorts we manage across the West, while also fostering an increased culture of collaboration. We consider the use of AI both a challenge and an opportunity and believe that our investment in this technology is positioning us to harness AI’s true capabilities, which will surely continue to increase.”

Resort Benefits

All of GPR’s top decision makers have benefited from learning how to integrate AI into their daily tasks. As the GM at Vista Mirage Resort in Palm Springs, CA, Kendal Dean is enthusiastic about how AI has helped her team train and onboard new associates through the utilization of role-playing scenarios to prepare associates for diverse service situations. This has resulted in significant savings in labor costs. Recalls Kendal, “During the year-long course, we discovered new opportunities to make our resort more sustainable, a happy surprise. In focusing on our guests, we have learned how to use AI to analyze guest feedback to proactively address their concerns, needs, or expectations, resulting in increased guest satisfaction scores.”

At MarBrisa Carlsbad, General Manager Megan Conner says, “I exported nearly 2,000 guest reviews from my resort’s 2024 guest/owner experience platform into one CSV Excel file. Then I isolated comments only, converting them to Word and loaded over 200,000 characters (45,000 words) into Copilot, which sorted through all the information. This generated a three-page report that highlights our strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, even adding 2025 suggested action items for us, an amazing achievement.”

Communications Efficiency

According to Renee Wagner, Senior Director of Creative Services & Brand Management, “Using AI as a strategic tool, we have been able to reshape workflows, content creation and decision-making processes to drive greater efficiency and creativity. For us, it has been a transformative tool not only for communication, but also for enhancing marketing campaigns, optimizing SEO and reducing time spent on repetitive tasks.”

Added Rosalie Schrock, Director of Administration & Association Governance, “We are using AI to create personalized quarterly update videos for Board Members from our General Managers, something we were never able to do before with such speed and efficiency. We expect this initiative to have a wider audience and a greater impact, reaching multiple departments and viewership groups.”

GPR’s VP of Marketing & Communications Lisa Wanzenried shared new benefits from AI. “We have also enhanced our live chat feature by integrating it with a Salesforce-powered Chatbot and CRM systems, delivering a more personalized and efficient guest experience. This upgrade enables real-time responses to common inquiries while leveraging guest profiles, reservation details, and ownership history to provide tailored interactions. With a strong foundation in security and data integrity, our AI-driven chat now offers customized support specific to each guest, renter, or owner, ensuring a seamless and intuitive service experience.”

Related: Making Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Pay Off

“Grand Pacific Resorts will soon be able to deliver personalized experiences to guests before they check in,” says Nigel. “As we obtain more valuable insights into guest behavior and preferences, this will ultimately lead to increased customer satisfaction and profitability. Within our operational systems, we are making smarter decisions about fundamental practices like cost management and pricing strategies.”

Training & Talent

Dan O’Donnell, GPR’s Regional Manager of Resort Technology agrees. “We have explored the use of AI tools to automate the creation of high-quality, engaging training materials for Grand Pacific Resorts, leveraging its potential to streamline content development across multiple platforms. This will enable us to utilize training content tailored to specific organizational needs and ensure the materials are optimized for the Learning Management Systems we use, resulting in enhanced efficiency and consistency in developing training programs.”

Added Leo Burgos, VP of Talent Acquisition, “We leveraged AI to improve the recruitment processes by providing clearer insights into job roles, specifically line-level positions. Benefits included enhanced job visualization with AI-generated video avatars, improved job descriptions, screening questions, and language accessibility. These new insights greatly simplified our recruiting process.”

Future Focus

As Grand Pacific Resorts continues to move forward in integrating Artificial Intelligence, the company will focus on these important objectives:

• Ethical Use: AI solutions will be deployed in a manner that respects the rights of all stakeholders, avoiding bias and ensuring fairness.
• Data Privacy and Security: All AI applications will adhere to stringent data protection standards, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of personal and organizational data.
• Alignment with Organizational Goals: AI initiatives will be aligned with GPR’s vision and goals, focusing on enhancing guest experiences, empowering associates, and optimizing operations.
• Transparency and Accountability: GPR is committed to maintaining transparency in AI usage, accountable for outcomes with clear oversight and governance mechanisms.
• Continuous Learning and Adaptation: AI tools and practices will be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain relevant, effective, and aligned with industry best practices.

Always the company visionary, Nigel Lobo says, “The hospitality industry is entering an era where technology is no longer just an operational tool — it’s a competitive necessity. Over the next decade, the gap between tech-savvy hotels and those that resist innovation will grow wider. We believe personalized experiences will no longer be a luxury, but more of an expectation, increasing the need for a deeper knowledge of data driven customer preferences. Resort managers who fail to deliver will lose guests to competitors who can anticipate and meet their needs in real time.”

Related: AI: Dynamic Segmentation for Cognitive Profiling, and other Fun Things!

Advancements in AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making will dramatically reshape how resorts engage owners and guests, evolve personalized service and improve the guest experience. Grand Pacific Resorts believes they have laid the foundation for even greater success and higher levels of customer satisfaction, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of the ever-evolving hospitality landscape. Artificial intelligence will never replace the human touch in hospitality. However, it can guide the path for greater operational efficiency and increased customer satisfaction.

Marge Lennon is also a timesharing “Old Timer,” having worked a publicist for the industry since 1978. She would love to tell your story! Contact her at +239-841-0553 or via e-mail: Marge@LennonCommunications.com.