Staff Shortage in Hotels: How AI Takes the Load off Reception

Every week I have 15 to 20 conversations with hoteliers. And whether it's a family hotel in the Allgäu, a city hotel in Vienna, or a wellness resort in South Tyrol - there's one statement I hear almost every time: "We just can't find people anymore."

The staff shortage in the hotel industry isn't a new problem. But it has worsened dramatically since the pandemic. Many staff members have left the industry and aren't coming back. At the same time, guest expectations keep rising. The question is no longer whether hotels need to change something - but how quickly.

The numbers: How big is the problem really?

The situation is serious. And it affects the entire DACH region:

• Germany: Over 65,000 open positions in hospitality and catering (source: DEHOGA industry report 2025). Hardest hit: reception, service, and kitchen.
• Austria: The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO) reports a record shortage. Around 10,000 positions in tourism are unfilled (source: WKO Tourism Skilled-Worker Monitor 2025).
• Switzerland: Hotelleriesuisse speaks of a "structural staffing shortage" (source: Hotelleriesuisse industry report 2025). Especially in tourism regions, hotels can barely find skilled staff anymore.

The consequences are visible: hotels close restaurants, reduce opening hours, can't sell rooms because they lack the staff to service them. And at the front desk - the first point of contact with the guest - the shortage is felt especially keenly.

What the staff shortage at reception actually means

The front desk is the heart of a hotel. This is where guests arrive, where prospects call, where emails converge. When the front desk is understaffed, here's what happens:

Calls are lost

When just one person is at the front desk while a guest is checking in, the phone is ringing, and an email request is waiting - what takes priority? The guest in front of you. The phone rings unanswered. The email gets answered "later."

The result: up to 40% of calls go unanswered. Every one of those calls could be a booking lost to the competition or to Booking.com.

Response times rise

Emails that arrive in the morning don't get answered until the afternoon or the next day. For a guest who is currently comparing hotels, that's too late. They book wherever they get an answer first.

Staff burn out

The remaining team members have to fill the gaps. Overtime, double shifts, barely any free weekends. The consequence: even more staff leave. A vicious cycle.

Service quality suffers

Stressed staff can't deliver excellent service. Not because they don't want to, but because they simply have no time. That shows up in reviews - and poor reviews cost more in the long run than any investment in technology.

Why conventional solutions are no longer enough

Hotels typically respond to staff shortages with three approaches:

1. Higher salaries

Necessary, but not sufficient. Even with above-average pay, many hotels find no applicants - because the underlying problem isn't money, but the working hours and conditions in the industry.

2. Temp workers and seasonal staff

Helps in the short term, but quality fluctuates. Seasonal staff don't know the hotel, need training, and often aren't around long enough to deliver real quality.

3. Cutting back services

Some hotels scrap services: no more 24-hour reception, reduced phone hours, longer email response times. That solves the staffing problem but creates a new one: unhappy guests and lost bookings.

None of these approaches scale. What hotels need is a solution that frees up their existing staff - not one that requires more people.

How AI takes the load off reception

This is where artificial intelligence comes in. Not as a replacement for your team, but as reinforcement. An AI receptionist takes on exactly the tasks for which hotels can't find staff: routine requests by phone, email, and chat.

What the AI handles

• 24/7 call answering: Every call is answered - even at night, on weekends, and when your team is on another line
• Answering common questions: Check-in times, parking, Wi-Fi, spa opening hours, directions
• Capturing booking requests: Checking availability (with PMS integration), forwarding requests or answering them directly
• Answering emails automatically: Standard requests within minutes instead of hours
• Web chat on your website: Answering guest questions in real time, driving direct bookings
• Communicating in multiple languages: Over 25 languages, without you having to employ native speakers

What your team keeps

• Personal greeting and check-in
• Individual advice and special requests
• Complaint management
• VIP care
• The human moments that guests remember

The rule of thumb I use in conversations: 60-70% of incoming communication is routine requests that an AI can answer just as well or better. The remaining 30-40% are exactly the tasks for which you need trained staff - and for which they finally have time again.

Real-world example: What happens when hotels switch

Across our 150-plus hotels, we see a recurring pattern after introducing an AI receptionist:

Week 1-2: Relief The team immediately notices the phone isn't ringing constantly anymore. The most common questions are answered automatically. The mood improves.

Week 3-4: More bookings Requests that were previously missed - especially in the evenings and on weekends - now get answered. Revenue rises measurably.

From month 2: Better reviews Guests get faster answers. The team has more time for personal service. Google and Trustpilot reviews improve.

From month 3: Strategic advantage Hotels start using the time they've gained strategically: better upselling, more personal pre-stay communication, more direct bookings.

"But my guests want to talk to real people"

I hear this often. And it's true - for certain situations. When a guest has a complaint, when someone is planning an anniversary, when a regular guest calls.

But for the question "When is check-in?", no guest wants to wait three minutes on hold only to then speak with a rushed receptionist. In those moments, an instant, friendly answer is more valuable than human contact.

The reality: most guests don't even notice they're talking to an AI. And those who do notice usually find it good - as long as they get a fast, accurate answer.

The economic lever

Let's do the math:

Costs without AI:

• Staffing the night shift: 2,500-3,500 EUR/month (salary + premiums)
• Weekend overtime: 800-1,500 EUR/month
• Missed bookings: 3,000-9,000 EUR/month (conservative estimate)
• Turnover and new hires: 5,000-15,000 EUR per position

Costs with AI:

• A fraction of one staff position

Additional benefits:

• 17,000 EUR additional revenue per month (Prinz-Luitpold-Bad)
• 61.5% conversion on automated requests (Merfelder Hof)
• More than 500 calls per month answered automatically

In most cases, the AI pays for itself within the first few weeks.

How to get started

You don't have to switch everything at once. The most pragmatic path:

1. Try AURA for free - Call the demo number and experience how the AI sounds
2. Have an intro call - Together we analyze where your biggest lever lies
3. Start with the phone - The channel with the greatest revenue potential
4. Expand gradually - Email and chat are added when you're ready

The staff shortage won't disappear overnight. But you can decide today whether you're at its mercy - or whether you set up your team with the right technology so they can still deliver excellent service.

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Want to know how much untapped potential is hidden in your guest communication? Schedule a free intro call - we'll work through the numbers together.