The Hotel That Unified Bookings from Instagram DMs
Mariana runs a twelve-room boutique hotel in Oaxaca, Mexico. For years, her booking process was a juggling act. Guests would send reservation requests through Instagram DMs, WhatsApp messages, the hotel’s website live chat, and sometimes even Facebook Messenger. Her front-desk team had to jump between four different apps, often missing messages or replying late. Double-bookings happened at least once a month. Mariana knew she needed a better way.
The chaos of scattered channels
Every morning, Mariana’s staff would start by checking each platform one by one. A guest might ask about availability on Instagram, then follow up on WhatsApp. The team couldn’t see the full conversation history unless they scrolled through multiple threads. Sometimes a message from a potential guest would sit unanswered for hours—especially if it came in during the night. By the time they replied, the guest had already booked elsewhere.
“We were losing reservations because we couldn’t keep up,” Mariana says. “And when we did reply, we sometimes gave conflicting information because different staff members were handling different channels.” The worst was the double-booking: a room would be held for someone on Instagram while another guest booked the same room through the website. The resulting cancellations and refunds hurt both revenue and reputation.
The turning point: a single inbox
Mariana discovered Vera.Support while searching for a way to unify her communications. The setup took less than an hour. She connected the hotel’s Instagram business account, WhatsApp Business number, and website live chat. Suddenly, every incoming message appeared in one shared inbox. Staff could see the entire conversation history regardless of which channel the guest used. No more switching tabs. No more missed messages.
“The first week, I felt a weight lift,” Mariana recalls. “For the first time, we could see everything in one place. Our response time dropped dramatically, and we stopped losing track of inquiries.”
AI that speaks the guest’s language
Mariana’s hotel attracts international travelers, so inquiries come in Spanish, English, and sometimes French or German. The hotel’s small team speaks Spanish and basic English, but handling other languages was a challenge. Vera’s AI chatbot, trained on the hotel’s own content—room descriptions, policies, local recommendations—answers instantly in the guest’s language. It never invents information; it only pulls from the approved content Mariana uploaded.
“A guest messaged us in French at 2 a.m., asking about a room with a view. The AI replied in perfect French, describing our terrace suite and even suggesting a local restaurant. The guest booked the next morning,” Mariana says. “We couldn’t have done that before without hiring a translator.”
The AI also handles common questions like check-in times, airport transfers, and Wi-Fi passwords, freeing the front-desk team to focus on personalized service. When the AI can’t answer, it intelligently routes the conversation to a human staff member, along with the full context.
How they use Vera today
Now, Mariana’s team of three manages all guest communication from Vera’s shared inbox. They use saved replies for frequent questions—like directions to the hotel or breakfast hours—ensuring consistent, accurate answers. Automations flag messages that mention “booking” or “reservation” so they’re prioritized. Smart routing sends urgent inquiries (like late arrivals) directly to the staff member on duty.
The AI chatbot handles the first wave of inquiries 24/7. When it can’t resolve something, it creates a ticket that the team picks up during working hours. Mariana can check in from her phone using the native iOS app, even when she’s away from the hotel.
“We’ve reduced the time we spend on routine questions by a huge margin,” she says. “And we’ve completely eliminated double-bookings because every reservation request now flows into the same system. We can see in real time if a room is available, no matter how the guest reached out.”
Life now: calmer, faster, better
Mariana’s hotel now responds to every inquiry within a few minutes, even overnight. Guests are impressed by the quick, helpful replies in their own language. The team feels less stressed and more in control. Staffing costs haven’t increased—in fact, Mariana didn’t need to hire extra help during peak season because the AI handles the overflow.
“Our service quality has improved without adding headcount,” she says. “We’re not just answering faster; we’re answering better. The AI gives creative, human-like suggestions—like recommending a quiet room for a couple on their anniversary—that feel personal, not scripted.”
Mariana recently added Facebook Messenger and Telegram to her Vera inbox, widening the channels her guests can use. She’s even considering integrating with her property management system via Vera’s API to automate booking confirmations.
Ready to unify your customer communication?
If you run a hotel, a restaurant, or any business where guests reach out through multiple channels, you don’t need to juggle apps anymore. Vera.Support brings everything into one shared inbox, with AI that answers in your customers’ language, trained only on your content. Plans start at $7 per month—every feature included, cancel anytime. Get started at cloud.vera.support and see how much simpler your day can be.
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