Automating Hotel Calls: Never Miss Another Call

Last week, a hotelier in South Tyrol showed me his phone statistics. 487 incoming calls in March. 189 of them went unanswered. That's 39% missed calls - nearly four out of every ten.

He wasn't surprised. "That's normal for us," he said. "When the front desk is busy, no one picks up."

Normal? Maybe. But acceptable? If just one in five of those missed calls was a booking inquiry - at an average value of EUR 350 - then that adds up to nearly EUR 13,000 in lost revenue in a single month.

In this article, I'll show you why hotels should automate their calls, how it works technically, and what changes in everyday practice.

Why Hotels Miss So Many Calls

The reasons are always the same:

1. The Front Desk Is Busy

The most common reason. One guest is checking in, another has a question, the phone rings. What takes priority? The guest who's right there in front of you. So the phone rings into the void.

2. Peak Times and Overlaps

Most calls come in between 9 and 11 in the morning and between 5 and 7 in the evening. Those also happen to be the busiest hours at the front desk: check-out in the morning, check-in in the evening.

3. Evenings, Nights, and Weekends

Many hotels have only one person at the front desk in the evening - or none at all. At night and on weekends, staffing is thinner still. But guests call anyway: 60% of missed calls fall within these hours.

4. Staff Shortage

The staff shortage in the hotel industry is making the problem worse. According to DEHOGA, Germany alone is short more than 65,000 skilled workers in hospitality and catering. Many hotels can no longer fully staff their front desk. The remaining employees are overworked.

What "Automating Calls" Actually Means

Automating calls doesn't mean switching on an answering machine. It means an AI answers the call, holds a natural conversation with the guest, and handles the request - without your team having to step in.

What the AI Does on a Typical Call

Scenario: Booking inquiry

Guest: "Good evening, I'd like to book a room for next weekend, Friday to Sunday."

AI: "Good evening, I'd be glad to help. For how many people should I check?"

Guest: "For two people, with breakfast if possible."

AI: "One moment, I'll check availability... I have a Comfort Double Room with breakfast available for you, at 189 euros per night. Shall I book that for you?"

Guest: "Yes, please."

AI: "Wonderful. May I take your name and email address?"

The booking is created directly in the PMS. The guest automatically receives a confirmation email. No broken handoffs, no callback the next day.

Scenario: Information request

Guest: "Hi, I wanted to ask whether you have parking and whether dogs are allowed."

AI: "Yes, we have free parking right at the hotel. And dogs are very welcome with us - there's a fee of 15 euros per night."

Handled in 30 seconds. Without your front desk being involved at all.

Scenario: Complex request

Guest: "I'd like to file a complaint about my last stay."

AI: "I'm sorry to hear that. I'd be happy to connect you with a team member who can take care of your concern. Alternatively, I can create a ticket and someone from the team will get back to you. Which would you prefer?"

The AI recognizes that it can't help on its own here and hands off professionally.

Step by Step: How to Automate Your Hotel Calls

Step 1: Take Stock

Before you automate, you need numbers:

• How many calls do you receive per month?
• How many are missed? (Most phone systems can report this)
• When are most calls missed? (Time of day, day of the week)
• What are the most common requests? (Booking, information, cancellation)

These numbers help you calculate the ROI in advance and configure the AI correctly.

Step 2: Build a Knowledge Base

The AI can only answer what it knows. Gather:

• Frequent questions and answers - the top 20 questions your front desk answers every day
• Booking rules - cancellation policies, minimum stays, child policies
• Hotel information - opening hours (restaurant, spa, front desk), parking, directions, amenities
• Rooms and rates - which categories, which prices, which packages
• Upselling rules - which upgrades and add-on services should the AI offer?

At AURA, we support you with this: during the intro call, we go through your hotel information together and configure the AI accordingly.

Step 3: Connect Your PMS

Connecting to your Property Management System is crucial. Without PMS integration, the AI can't check availability or create bookings.

AURA supports the most common PMS in the DACH region: Ibelsa, Vioma, Mews, Apaleo, DIRS21, ASA, and HNS. We handle the technical integration.

Step 4: Configure the Phone System

The AI is connected to your existing phone system. You set the rules:

• Answer immediately - every call goes straight to the AI
• After X seconds - the AI steps in when no one picks up
• Outside business hours - the AI takes over only in the evening/at night/on weekends
• Overflow - the AI answers when all lines are busy

Most hotels start with "outside business hours" and then expand step by step.

Step 5: Test and Optimize

After setup, test the AI yourself. Call in, ask typical questions, simulate booking inquiries. Give feedback - at AURA, this feedback is automatically added to the knowledge base.

In the first 1-2 weeks, you should review the conversation transcripts regularly and fine-tune the AI. After that, the system runs largely on its own.

What Changes in Everyday Practice

Every week I talk to hoteliers who have automated their calls. Here's what they report:

The Front Desk Breathes Easier

The most common comment: "The phone just doesn't ring constantly anymore." The front desk can focus on the guests right in front of them without being interrupted all the time. That improves not only efficiency but also job satisfaction.

Evenings and Weekends Start Earning

Hotels that previously didn't answer calls in the evening suddenly generate bookings at times that used to lie fallow. The Prinz-Luitpold-Bad earns EUR 17,000 in additional revenue per month this way.

Guests Are Happier

Faster answers = happier guests. No hold music, no "Please try again later." The guest gets a competent answer right away - even at 10 p.m.

More Direct Bookings

Every call the AI answers and converts into a booking is a direct booking with no OTA commission. That saves 15-20% per booking. Over a year, it quickly adds up to five-figure sums.

Common Concerns - Answered Honestly

"Our guests want to talk to real people"

Some do. For a complaint, a wedding plan, a regular guest - human contact is irreplaceable. But for "When is check-in?", no guest wants to hang on hold for three minutes. The AI is there for the 60-70% of routine requests. The remaining 30-40% stay with your team.

"What if the AI says something wrong?"

The AI only answers based on the information you've provided. It doesn't make anything up. And when it's unsure, it forwards to your team rather than guessing.

"Isn't that impersonal?"

Today's AI voices are barely distinguishable from human voices. Many guests don't even notice they're talking to an AI. And even if they do - an immediate, friendly answer is better than a call that rings into the void.

"What does it cost?"

The investment is well below that of an additional part-time employee - and it works 24/7 with no overtime premiums. The return on investment shows up within the first few weeks at most hotels.

Automated Calls Are Just the Beginning

The phone is the channel with the greatest revenue leverage. But guest communication covers more: emails that go unanswered. Website visitors who bounce. An AI receptionist covers all three channels.

The most pragmatic path: start with the phone. Once you see what automated call answering delivers, adding email and chat becomes the next, almost effortless step.

---

Want to know how many calls your hotel is missing and what that costs? Book a free intro call - we'll work it out together.