AI in hospitality: turn your venue into a 24/7 concierge
If your hotel, restaurant or venue was a person, would they be a flustered part‑timer… or a calm, helpful concierge who always knows what guests need next?
That’s the real power of AI in hospitality when you use it well. It’s not about robots at reception. It’s about giving your business an invisible, always‑on concierge that quietly handles questions, nudges bookings and keeps guests happy while you get on with running the place.
In this guide, we’ll look at how small and medium hospitality businesses in the UK can use AI today – with a special focus on your website, because that’s where most guests decide whether to book or bounce.
Why AI in hospitality matters for SMEs (not just big hotel chains)
AI often sounds like something only the big brands can afford. But that’s changing fast.
Think of AI like a really capable junior member of staff:
- They learn quickly from your existing information
- They never sleep
- They can answer the same question 100 times without getting grumpy
- They can spot patterns in guest behaviour you’d never have time to see
For a small hotel, B&B, restaurant or event venue, that can mean:
- Fewer repetitive phone calls and emails
- More online bookings (without paying huge commission fees)
- Better reviews because guests feel looked after
- Smarter pricing and promotions based on real demand
And you don’t need a sci‑fi budget to get started.
The creative angle: your website as a digital concierge desk
Walk into a good hotel and you’ll see a concierge desk: maps, recommendations, tickets, answers to almost anything.
Your website can do the same job – if you plug AI into it properly.
Most hospitality sites today are like a locked brochure cabinet. Pretty, but passive. AI turns that cabinet into a helpful person at a desk:
- Greeting visitors
- Answering questions
- Making suggestions
- Guiding them to book the right thing
Let’s break down how that works in practice.
1. AI chatbots as your always‑on front‑of‑house
From “Leave a message” to instant answers
Guests hate not knowing:
- “Do you have parking?”
- “Can you do gluten‑free?”
- “Is late check‑out possible?”
- “Can we bring the dog?”
Traditionally, that means endless calls and emails. If you’re busy service‑side, you miss some… and potentially lose bookings.
An AI chatbot on your website can handle a huge chunk of this instantly.
What a good hospitality chatbot can do
- Answer common questions 24/7 (check‑in times, menu options, facilities)
- Guide people to book direct instead of going back to an OTA
- Suggest upsells (breakfast, spa, late check‑out, set menus)
- Capture leads when someone’s not quite ready to book
Example: small hotel
A 20‑room seaside hotel adds an AI chat widget trained on:
- Their room descriptions
- Breakfast options
- Parking details
- Local attractions
Now, when someone asks “Is there somewhere safe to store bikes?”, the chatbot answers instantly and links to a special Cyclist Breaks package page. That’s AI working like a switched‑on receptionist.
2. Smarter online bookings without scaring guests off
Online booking systems can feel like airport security: lots of hoops to jump through before you get what you want. AI can quietly smooth that out.
AI as a booking guide
On your website, AI can:
- Help visitors pick the right room or table time (“We’ve got a quiet courtyard room available for your dates”)
- Pre‑fill forms based on what it’s already learned in the chat
- Spot when someone is hesitating and offer reassurance or a small incentive
Think of it like a friendly host who notices when someone looks confused with the menu and gently steps in.
Practical ideas you can use
- Abandoned booking prompts – if someone starts a booking then leaves, AI‑powered tools can trigger a follow‑up email (“Still thinking about the family room this weekend? Here’s a free kids’ dessert if you complete your booking.”)
- Dynamic FAQs during booking – instead of one giant FAQ page, AI can show the right questions and answers next to the booking form based on what someone is doing.
3. Personalised guest recommendations (without being creepy)
Big chains talk about “personalisation” as if it needs a data science team. In reality, AI can help even the smallest venue make simple, human‑feeling suggestions.
Think like a good local, not a stalker
A great local pub landlord remembers what regulars like. AI can do a similar job online, using signals like:
- Where someone is visiting from
- What dates they’re looking at
- How many people are in their group
- Which pages they’ve viewed
Then your site can adapt accordingly.
For hotels and B&Bs
- Looking at a midweek stay? Highlight business‑friendly features: fast Wi‑Fi, quiet rooms, early breakfast.
- Searching for school holiday dates? Show family rooms, nearby attractions, kids’ menus.
- Browsing romantic break content? Surface your best rooms, late check‑out and breakfast in bed.
For restaurants
- Looking at the menu around Valentine’s Day? Promote your set menu and ideal booking times.
- Browsing with a known allergy (from a previous visit or email sign‑up)? Automatically highlight safe options and reassurance.
The trick is to make it feel like a thoughtful waiter, not a nosy neighbour.
4. AI‑assisted pricing and offers for small venues
Dynamic pricing sounds scary, but you’re probably doing a basic version already:
- Charging more at weekends
- Running offers in quiet periods
- Raising prices in summer
AI just helps you be more precise.
What AI can look at
- Historic booking patterns
- Local events (concerts, sports, conferences)
- Weather forecasts (yes, really)
- Competitor pricing
Then it can suggest:
- When to run a midweek offer
- When to keep your nerve and hold your price
- Which packages to push on your website homepage
You stay in control. Think of AI as the spreadsheet wizard manager who loves numbers and gives you a simple recommendation: “I’d keep Saturday at full price, but offer a small discount on Sunday night.”
5. Using AI to improve reviews and reputation
Reviews can make or break a hospitality business. AI can help you get more good ones and learn from the bad ones.
Before the stay or visit
Use AI‑powered email or messaging to:
- Send clear pre‑arrival info (parking, directions, check‑in)
- Offer extras at the right moment (champagne on arrival, birthday dessert)
- Ask about preferences (pillows, dietary needs, accessibility)
Fewer surprises = fewer complaints.
After the stay or meal
AI tools can:
- Automatically send review requests at the right time
- Personalise the wording based on their visit
- Gently nudge again if they don’t respond
Then, AI can scan incoming reviews and:
- Spot common themes (great breakfast, slow check‑in, confusing website)
- Summarise feedback so you’re not reading every single one
- Suggest replies that you can tweak rather than write from scratch
That’s like having a guest relations manager who never gets tired of TripAdvisor.
6. AI‑generated content that actually sounds like you
Your website, emails and social posts are often the first impression you make. But finding time to write them? That’s another story.
AI can be a helpful copy assistant – if you give it the right brief.
What AI can help you write
- Descriptions of rooms, menus or event spaces
- Blog posts about local attractions or seasonal events
- Email campaigns about special offers or themed nights
- Social media captions and ideas
The key is to keep control of your tone of voice. Think of AI as a junior copywriter:
- You give it clear instructions and examples
- It drafts the content
- You check it for accuracy, personality and local quirks
At Los Webos, we often combine AI tools with human editing to help hospitality clients:
- Keep their website fresh
- Add new landing pages quickly
- Create useful content that boosts SEO (like local guides)
7. Common fears about AI in hospitality (and what’s actually true)
“Will AI replace my staff?”
In hospitality, the human touch is everything. AI is best used for background tasks:
- Answering repetitive questions
- Handling simple bookings
- Organising information
That frees your team to focus on what only humans can do:
- Warm welcomes
- Solving unusual problems
- Creating memorable experiences
“Will guests hate talking to a bot?”
Guests hate being ignored. They’re usually fine with a bot if:
- It’s clearly labelled as an assistant
- It gives fast, accurate answers
- There’s an easy way to reach a human when needed
Think of it like a helpful information stand in a hotel lobby – not a locked door.
“Isn’t this all really expensive?”
Many AI tools now run on simple monthly subscriptions, and some are built into systems you might already use.
The bigger cost is often integration and setup – making sure your website, booking system and AI tools all talk to each other properly. That’s where a good web agency comes in.
8. Practical first steps for AI in your hospitality business
You don’t need to do everything at once. Start small, measure, then build.
Step 1: List your most common questions
Ask your team:
- What do guests ring up about most?
- What emails do you keep copying and pasting?
- What questions come up at check‑in or when seated?
These are prime candidates for an AI chatbot or smarter FAQ content on your website.
Step 2: Fix your website foundations
AI works best on a solid base. Make sure your site is:
- Fast and mobile‑friendly (many guests browse on their phones)
- Clear about rooms, menus, prices and policies
- Easy to book from any page
If your website is slow or confusing, adding AI is like putting a fancy satnav in a car with three flat tyres.
Step 3: Add a simple AI assistant
Start with one clear job, like:
- Answering pre‑booking questions
- Guiding people to the right room type
- Helping with menu queries and dietary info
Train it on your existing content (website copy, PDFs, menus, policies) and keep an eye on the conversations so you can improve it over time.
Step 4: Use AI behind the scenes
Experiment with AI for internal tasks:
- Drafting emails and blog posts
- Summarising guest feedback
- Pulling patterns from booking data
This helps your team get comfortable with AI before you roll out more guest‑facing features.
9. How your website ties it all together
All of this works best when your website is the hub.
Your website can become:
- The home of your AI concierge (chatbot/live chat)
- The main place you take direct bookings
- The source of truth for menus, room details, policies
- The destination for email and social campaigns powered by AI‑written content
At Los Webos, we design hospitality websites so AI isn’t an awkward bolt‑on, but a natural part of the experience. That might mean:
- Building clear room and menu pages that AI tools can easily understand
- Adding smart prompts (“Need help choosing a room? Ask our assistant.”)
- Integrating your booking engine so AI can guide people through it smoothly
- Structuring content to help with SEO, so you actually get the traffic in the first place
Ready to give your venue a 24/7 digital concierge?
AI in hospitality doesn’t have to be futuristic or frightening. Used well, it’s just another member of your team:
- Always on
- Always polite
- Always learning
If you’re a hotel, B&B, restaurant or venue owner and your website currently feels more like a dusty brochure than a helpful concierge desk, we can help.
Los Webos builds fast, user‑friendly, AI‑ready websites for UK hospitality businesses that want more direct bookings and happier guests.
Want to explore what AI could do for your venue – in plain English, with no tech waffle? Get in touch and let’s chat about turning your website into the hardest‑working member of your front‑of‑house team.