A small property, a long list of questions
An independent hotel or motel does not have a reservations department. It has a front desk, and sometimes the front desk is one person who is also checking guests in, answering the phone and handling a housekeeping question. The traveler calling to ask whether you allow dogs is competing for attention with the guest standing in front of the clerk.
Most pre-booking questions are simple, and most are answered somewhere on your website. The problem is that few visitors read an entire site to find a pet policy, and few callers wait through a long ring to ask.
An AI chatbot on your website and an AI receptionist on your phone line do not replace your staff. They answer the routine questions and catch the calls the desk cannot take.
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 an independent property, that usually covers:
- Arrival. Check-in and check-out times, late arrival instructions and where to park, as your site describes them.
- Policies. Pets, smoking, cancellations and any fees you list.
- Amenities. Breakfast, laundry, pool and anything else on your pages.
- Getting there. Directions and nearby places you mention.
When a visitor asks something your site does not answer, the chatbot says it is unsure and takes a name and number rather than guessing.
What the AI receptionist does on the phone
With the Front Office plan, an AI phone receptionist answers the calls your desk misses. It tells the caller it is an AI, takes the name, number and what they are asking about, and emails you a summary.
It does not check availability, take a reservation or process a payment, and it does not connect to your property management system. It writes the request down so your team can call back.
Use cases an independent property will recognize
The late-night planner. Someone driving cross-country wants to know if there is a late check-in option. The chat answers from your arrival page at midnight.
The pet owner. The most common question on many small-property sites. The chat repeats your pet policy exactly as written.
The group inquiry. A coach arranging rooms for a team asks about a block. The AI takes the contact details and the request so your manager can follow up with real numbers.
The busy-desk call. While the clerk is mid-check-in, the phone goes to the AI instead of ringing out. You get an email with the caller's details.
Objections you should expect
"Guests want a person." They do, especially for bookings and problems. The AI handles the routine and passes the rest to you. It always says it is an AI.
"What if it says the wrong thing?" It answers from your site and says so when it is unsure. The practical way to keep it accurate is to keep your site current, especially policies and hours.
"We already use an online booking engine." The chatbot does not replace one. It answers the questions that happen before a traveler gets to the booking page.
"What about guests with an urgent problem?" The chat and receptionist are not an emergency channel. In an emergency, call 911, and for on-site issues guests should go to the front desk.
What a good first reply looks like
A traveler wants a quick, plain answer. A good first reply from the AI says it is an AI, answers from your website (check-in time, pets, parking), and, when it is not sure, takes a name, number and the dates the guest is considering so your manager can follow up. It does not quote availability or hold a room.
On your side, the summary email gives the manager what a missed call never would: who called, how to reach them and what they asked. That makes the callback shorter and more useful, especially for group and event inquiries.
Keep the policy and amenity pages on your site current. They are the source of nearly every answer the chatbot gives.
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 policy, amenity and directions 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 overflow or after-hours calls to the AI receptionist and give it the email address where summaries should go.