Website chat for hotels and holiday homes
A guest who opens the chat on your own website is close to booking direct; what stops them is usually one unanswered question about check-in time, parking, the deposit or whether the rate includes breakfast. Answer those from published house facts in minutes, and leave live rates, special requests and anything about a stay in progress to reception or the host. This guide is for small hotels, serviced apartments and holiday-home operators who answer guests themselves.
Before the booking and during the stay
Guests write at two moments, and each needs a different owner:
- Before booking: rates, availability, what's included, house rules. Fast answers from published facts win the direct booking.
- During the stay: "the AC isn't working", "can I check out late", "where is the key box". The person on duty answers, often at odd hours.
Write your house facts once, publish them, and both kinds of chat start from the same truth.
Twelve questions guests ask
| Guest asks | Answer pattern you fill in | Reception takes over? |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have a room / the apartment free on [dates]? | "Let me check our calendar. How many guests, and which dates exactly?" | Yes |
| What is the rate per night? | "Rates start from [published price] per night; the exact rate depends on dates. Shall I check yours?" | Yes, for a quote |
| What time is check-in and check-out? | "Check-in from [time], check-out by [time]." | No |
| Can I check in early / check out late? | "We'll try: it depends on the room. Send your booking name." | Yes |
| Is breakfast included? | "[Included / available at published price per person]." | No |
| Is there parking? | "[Free / paid at published rate], [where]." | No |
| Is there a security deposit? | "[Published deposit amount and how it is returned]." | No |
| Do you have a cot / are pets allowed? | "[Your published house rules]." | No |
| How do I get the key / find the building? | "Your check-in details are sent [when, how]. Location: [map link]." | Yes, for a booked guest |
| Can you arrange airport pick-up? | "Yes, for [published price]. Send your flight number and arrival time." | Yes, to arrange |
| Something isn't working in my room | "I'm sorry. The team on duty will contact you shortly." | Yes, at once |
| I want a refund / I have a complaint about my stay | "I'm sorry. Our manager will reply to you here today." | Yes, always |
Never sent without a person
- Live rates and availability. Publish "from" prices; reception quotes the dates.
- Deposit deductions, cancellations and refunds. A person with the booking record answers. StayReplied hands complaints and refund demands to a person.
- Anything about safety during a stay: faults, lock-outs, noise or a guest feeling unwell. The duty person answers at once, and the chat points to emergency services where needed.
- Rules on registration, tourism fees or permits. Share your published policy; for anything else the guest should check the rule for the emirate or country.
In StayReplied, the answer mode is set per channel (off, drafts only, or answer). Store your "from" rates as reviewed price records, so every reply quotes the same figure. No plan includes AI today; AI drafts need your own Anthropic key.
Welcome lines
- "Planning a stay? Ask about dates, rates or the property. Reservations reply from [time] to [time]."
- "Welcome to [Hotel]. Book direct with us: ask anything before you reserve."
- "Staying with us? Send your booking name and we'll help with anything you need."
Starter questions: "Check availability", "Check-in times", "Airport pick-up", "I'm a guest".
At night
The widget sends no automatic closed message today, so the welcome line carries both the reservations hours and the duty number for guests in the house. Switch on "Ask for name and email before chatting", and send overnight booking requests a quote first thing: "Good morning, thanks for your message. For [dates] and [guests], the rate is [price] a night including [extras]. Shall I hold it?" More lines: out-of-hours chat messages.
High season, events and long weekends
When the city is full (big events, school holidays, long weekends), split the shared inbox (handling a chat rush):
| Chat | Owner |
|---|---|
| New booking enquiry | Reservations, by the unassigned view |
| Guest in the house | Duty manager, by assignment |
| Housekeeping or maintenance issue | Housekeeping lead, through internal notes |
| Refund, deposit or complaint | Manager, as a ticket with a due time |
Each conversation has one owner; presence shows who has it open; and you are asked to review if the guest wrote again while you were typing. Guests can write in Arabic or English to the same inbox (how to run both).
The first week
- Day 1: workspace; invite reservations and the duty manager.
- Day 2: publish house facts: times, deposit, parking, house rules, extras and "from" rates.
- Day 3: publish the widget on the rooms and booking pages; add your site to the allowed origins.
- Day 4: welcome lines and the night reply in English and Arabic.
- Day 5: test a rate question, an in-stay fault and a deposit complaint.
- Day 6: agree the high-season split.
- Day 7: read the week's chats; publish what guests asked that you had not written.
When this is not for you
If every booking comes through travel sites with their own guest messaging, website chat only helps the direct bookers. StayReplied does not connect to channel managers or booking engines today; reservations confirm. Web chat is the channel you connect today; WhatsApp is coming soon (see channels). If you want a ticket desk for e-mail only, read StayReplied or a general help desk. Starter is AED 70 a month plus 5% VAT; see pricing.
Questions and answers
Can the chat confirm a booking?
It collects the dates and guests; reservations check the calendar and confirm.
Who answers check-in and parking questions?
Your team, from the house facts you publish, so every guest gets the same times and rules.
Who handles a problem during a stay?
The person on duty, at once. Faults and complaints are never answered automatically.
Does it work in Arabic?
Yes. The widget and the inbox work in Arabic and English, right to left included.
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