Hosting and answering are the same hours
If you run a bed and breakfast, the busiest time for guests is also the busiest time for inquiries. Mornings are breakfast. Afternoons are changeovers and check-ins. Evenings are when people plan their weekends and finally send the message or pick up the phone.
An innkeeper is usually the cook, the housekeeper, the front desk and the marketing department. A voicemail returned two hours later is often a lost booking, because the guest has already found another inn that replied.
An AI chatbot on your website and an AI receptionist on your phone line do not replace the personal welcome that makes an inn special. They make sure the first question gets an answer and the first call gets recorded.
What the chatbot does on your website
Anchor Co AI trains a chatbot on your own website. It answers from what you have already published, so it only says what you have said. For a small inn, that usually covers:
- Rooms. The rooms you list, their features and any minimum-stay rules on your pages.
- Breakfast. What you serve and the dietary information you publish.
- Policies. Pets, children, cancellations and check-in times.
- Weddings and groups. How to ask, and what to include in the request.
When a visitor asks something your site does not answer, the chatbot says it is unsure and takes a name and number.
What the AI receptionist does on the phone
With the Front Office plan, an AI phone receptionist picks up the calls you cannot. It says it is an AI, takes the caller's name, number and what they are asking about, and emails you a summary.
It does not check availability, hold a room, take a deposit or send text messages. It writes the request down so you can call back with real dates and rates.
Use cases an innkeeper will recognize
The Sunday-night planner. A couple wants to know whether you allow dogs and whether there is a two-night minimum. The chat answers from your policy page.
The breakfast-hour call. While you are plating eggs, the phone rings. The AI answers and you get an email with the caller's number.
The holiday-weekend wave. A burst of questions about a long weekend arrives in an afternoon. The chat answers the common ones and records the rest.
The small wedding inquiry. The AI takes the contact details and a short description of the event so you can follow up with the personal attention that wins the booking.
Objections you should expect
"My guests want to talk to me." They will. The AI handles the first reply and you take over for anything that matters, usually with more context than a missed call would give you.
"I do not want it making promises about allergies." It does not. It repeats what your site publishes and sends specific dietary questions to you as a message.
"I already use an online booking system." The chatbot does not replace one. It answers the questions that come before a guest reaches the booking page.
"What if it gets something wrong?" It answers from your site and says so when it is unsure. Keeping your pages accurate is the practical way to keep its answers accurate.
What it costs
The Free plan is $0 with 1 bot and 20 messages a month. Starter is $29 a month for 2 bots and 1,000 messages a month. Growth is $49 a month for 5 bots and 5,000 messages a month.
Front Office adds a website and the AI phone receptionist. It is $297 one-time setup, then $249 a month with the receptionist, including 300 answered phone minutes a month and no overage fees. It is month to month with no contract and no partial-month refunds.
We do not promise bookings, occupancy or rankings. What you are buying is that more of the questions and calls that already reach you get an answer.
Setup
- Point the chatbot at your website. It trains on your own pages, so clear room, policy and breakfast pages make for better answers.
- Ask it the questions guests ask and tighten your pages where it comes back unsure.
- Add the chat to your site. For phone coverage, forward your calls to the AI receptionist when you cannot answer and give it the email address where summaries should go.