Not so long ago, using a hotel chatbot was like talking to a brick wall. It guessed wrong, ignored context and turned even the simplest question into a dead end.
But things have changed. Chatbots have grown up.
Thanks to big leaps in generative AI, chatbots have gone from gimmicky to genuinely useful. In fact, they’re one of the fastest-growing categories in Mews Marketplace. And hoteliers aren’t just testing them anymore – they’re rolling them out across entire properties to save staff time, boost revenue and remove friction throughout the guest journey.
Right now, more than a thousand Mews hotels have connected a chatbot or AI-powered CRM to their PMS. With 1,000+ apps in Mews Marketplace – and zero connection fees – adding one to your tech stack has never been faster. Or better for business.
Let’s dive into what these new generation hotel chatbots can do.
What makes “new-gen” hotel chatbots different?
Technology improves over time. Take phone cameras going from grainy, low-res snapshots to pro-grade 4K video capture in a little over a decade. But what about this new generation of hotel chatbot makes them so much better than their frustrating predecessors?
- They work with your reality. The best bots blend generative AI with your actual policies, FAQs, house rules and even menus, so replies are accurate and on-brand.
- They go where your guests are. Web chat, WhatsApp, SMS, and OTA inboxes like Booking.com or Expedia can all be routed into one inbox that’s easy for your team to manage.
- They’re proactive. Smart chatbots don’t wait to be asked. They can prompt online check-in, upsells, late check-out offers, even trigger tasks in your PMS.
- They hand over tasks to humans seamlessly. Automation should take the repetitive load off your staff, while making it clear when and how a human can step in.
What to consider when choosing a hotel chatbot
What should you think about when choosing a chatbot for your property? Here’s a quick checklist:
- Channels: Which guest touchpoints matter most for you? Your website, OTAs, WhatsApp?
- Integrations: Does it connect directly to your PMS, CRM and other tools in your tech stack?
- Control: How easily can you manage tone of voice, guardrails and content updates?
- Team workflow: Is there a unified inbox and clear handover to staff when required?
- Success metrics: Can you measure success and even set targets for deflection, response speed and upsells?
4 AI chatbot leaders in Mews Marketplace
In a recent episode of his Matt Talks podcast, Mews CEO Matt Welle sat down with the founders of four leading hotel chatbots. They each shared how their tech helps hotels manage guest communications, save time and run smoother. Let’s take a quick look at each.
Akia
Focuses on messaging-led guest interactions, including pre-arrival flows, digital check-in, quick upsells and FAQ handling. Akia integrates with Mews to automate follow-up actions.
Best suited for: Hotels wanting to streamline guest communications and automate routine messaging before and during stays.
Duve
Duve delivers context-aware conversations across multiple channels. Its tailored, digital journey for every guest offers personalized online check-in and a web-based guest app with content in the guest’s native language and upsell capabilities.
Best suited for: Properties aiming for highly personalized guest engagement at scale across multiple touchpoints.
HiJiffy
HiJiffy is an omnichannel communications hub with a focus on bookings. The first hotel chatbot to incorporate ChatGPT-4, it can respond to booking queries with live availability and pricing as well as manage high message volumes across web, social and OTAs.
Best suited for: Hotels needing to manage booking-related queries quickly and consistently across multiple channels.
Runnr.ai
Runnr.ai specializes in instant guest communication via WhatsApp. It automates routine guest Q&A and can send timely upsell prompts, helping to reduce front desk workload and boost ancillary revenue.
Best suited for: Properties with high WhatsApp traffic looking to speed up replies and reduce staff workload.
All four are available in the Mews Marketplace, ready to connect to your PMS.
Each bot takes a different route to the same destination: instant, accurate answers for guests with less manual work for your team. The right choice depends on your property’s priorities and mix of channels.
How to get started (this week)
You can be testing a chatbot in your hotel within days. And the steps are easier than you might think.
- Pick one high-impact use case. Most hotels start with pre-arrival FAQs (check-in times, parking, breakfast) plus a couple of simple upsells.
- Connect to your chosen chatbot via Mews Marketplace. There are no connection fees, it’s quick to set up, and your data flows where it should.
- Ship, then shape your strategy. Launch, measure, review and refine weekly.
🎧 Want to know more? Hear it straight from the founders of Akia, Duve, HiJiffy and Runnr.ai in the latest Matt Talks episode.
And if you enjoy it, subscribe so you never miss Matt’s weekly hospitality mews-ings.
