7 Must-Have Onboarding Chatbots for Hotels

Intercom is one of the most widely adopted customer messaging platforms in the world, offering a comprehensive suite of tools that go beyond simple chatbots. Hotel operators can use Intercom’s Conversational Bots to automate responses to common questions about room rates, check‑in procedures, and local attractions. The platform supports rich media, allowing hotels to showcase images of rooms or amenities directly within the chat. Intercom also integrates seamlessly with major hotel reservation systems, CRM platforms, and email marketing tools, ensuring that guest data flows smoothly across the organization. Intercom’s automation engine lets users create targeted message sequences based on user behavior, such as sending a confirmation after a booking or a special offer on a future stay. The platform also offers in‑app messages and email campaigns, which can be triggered by chatbot interactions. With its robust API and extensive app marketplace, Intercom can connect to loyalty programs, property management systems, and payment gateways, providing a holistic guest communication experience. Pricing for Intercom starts at $39 per month for the Starter plan, which includes basic chat and email features. The Pro plan, at $89/month, adds advanced automation, integrations, and richer analytics. Larger enterprises can opt for the Enterprise plan, priced on a custom basis. Intercom is ideal for hotels that already use a variety of digital tools and need a single platform to unify messaging, support, and marketing. Its strong integration ecosystem and scalability make it a reliable choice for medium to large hotel chains. Key features include: - Conversational Bots with natural language processing - Rich media support (images, videos, carousels) - Automated messaging sequences based on user actions - Deep integrations with CRM, PMS, and booking engines - Built‑in analytics and reporting - Customizable UI with brand colors and logos - Mobile app support and in‑app messaging - API and app marketplace for extended functionality Pros: - Extensive integration network - Powerful automation and targeting - Scalable for large organizations - Robust analytics and reporting Cons: - Higher cost for larger teams - Requires some setup for advanced workflows - No native support for voice or SMS channels - Limited out‑of‑the‑box AI training for specific hotel FAQs

Drift has positioned itself as a conversational marketing platform that focuses on real‑time engagement and sales acceleration. For hotels, Drift can be employed to answer booking questions, provide room recommendations, and capture leads through interactive chat widgets. Drift’s AI chatbots leverage contextual prompts to guide visitors toward desired actions, such as scheduling a room or requesting a special amenity. The platform also allows hotels to trigger email sequences or calendar invites directly from the chat, making it easier to convert inquiries into confirmed reservations. Drift offers a visual builder for chatbot flows, which lets non‑technical staff design conversations with drag‑and‑drop logic. The platform integrates with major CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, ensuring that any lead captured via the chatbot is automatically added to the hotel’s marketing funnel. Drift also supports video messaging and quick reply buttons, enhancing the interactivity of the guest experience. Pricing for Drift starts at $400/month for the Starter tier, which includes basic chatbot and email integration features. The Growth tier, at $800/month, adds advanced personalization, multi‑channel support, and additional seats. Enterprise plans are available on request and can accommodate larger volumes and custom integrations. Drift is best suited for hotels that prioritize high‑value lead capture and want a chatbot that can seamlessly transition guests into the sales pipeline. Its strong focus on sales funnels and analytics makes it attractive to boutique hotels and luxury resorts looking to upsell services. Key features include: - Visual chatbot flow builder - Real‑time engagement and live chat - AI‑powered contextual prompts - Email and calendar integration - Video and quick reply support - CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot) - Lead capture and qualification - Multi‑channel messaging (web, email, video) Pros: - Strong sales funnel integration - Visual flow builder is intuitive - Real‑time engagement capabilities - Robust analytics and reporting Cons: - Higher pricing compared to budget solutions - Limited free tier - No native support for voice or SMS - Requires integration setup for full automation

Tidio is a lightweight, all‑in‑one live chat and chatbot solution that appeals to small to medium‑sized hotels seeking a quick, cost‑effective deployment. The platform combines a real‑time chat widget with an AI chatbot that can answer FAQs about check‑in times, room amenities, and local attractions. Tidio offers a visual bot builder that allows users to create simple conversation flows without writing code, and the chat widget can be embedded on any website with a single line of JavaScript. Beyond basic chat, Tidio supports email forwarding, push notifications, and integration with popular CRMs such as HubSpot, Zoho, and Pipedrive. The platform also includes a visitor‑tracking feature that displays which pages a guest has visited, enabling personalized follow‑up messages. For hotels that want to upsell services, Tidio’s “Automation” feature can trigger product recommendations based on visitor behavior. Pricing for Tidio starts at $18/month for the Basic plan, which includes chatbot and live chat; the Pro plan at $35/month adds email, push notifications, and advanced analytics. A Business plan at $70/month offers unlimited chat and advanced integrations. Tidio is ideal for hotels that need a straightforward, budget‑friendly chatbot that can be set up in minutes and does not require extensive technical resources. Key features include: - Live chat widget with AI chatbot - Visual bot builder for simple flows - Email and push notification support - Visitor tracking and behavior triggers - Integrations with HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive - Customizable widget design - Analytics dashboard - Multi‑language support (text only) Pros: - Affordable pricing - Quick, no‑code setup - Flexible integrations with popular CRMs - Real‑time chat plus AI chatbot Cons: - Limited advanced automation options - No voice or SMS channels - Basic analytics compared to enterprise platforms - No long‑term memory for chat sessions

Ada is an enterprise‑grade chatbot platform that focuses on automating customer support and engagement through AI. Hotels can use Ada to create multilingual chatbots that answer guest inquiries, manage bookings, and provide personalized recommendations. The platform offers a powerful visual builder that supports complex decision trees, allowing hotels to design nuanced conversational paths that handle everything from room rates to special event bookings. Ada’s core strength lies in its ability to train the bot with custom data, including FAQs, policy documents, and service catalogs. The platform also provides analytics dashboards that track conversation metrics, sentiment, and escalation rates, which can help hotel staff identify pain points and improve service quality. Ada integrates with major CRM and ticketing systems, enabling seamless handoff of unresolved issues to human agents. Pricing for Ada is tailored to enterprise needs and starts at around $2,000/month for the Starter plan, which includes basic chatbot creation and integration. The Pro plan at $4,000/month adds advanced training, multi‑channel support, and analytics. Custom Enterprise plans are available for larger deployments. Ada is best suited for luxury hotels and large chains that require robust, multi‑channel support and deep analytics to manage high volumes of guest interactions. Key features include: - Visual chatbot builder with decision trees - AI training with custom data sets - Multi‑channel support (web, mobile, messaging apps) - Integration with CRM and helpdesk systems - Sentiment analysis and conversation analytics - Role‑based access control - Automated escalation to human agents - Advanced security and compliance options Pros: - Enterprise‑ready features and support - Powerful AI training and customization - Robust analytics and reporting - Multi‑channel engagement Cons: - High cost, not suitable for small budgets - Requires dedicated resources to set up - Limited free tier - No native voice or SMS support

LiveChat is a well‑established live‑chat platform that offers a built‑in AI chatbot to automate routine guest inquiries. Hotels can embed a floating chat widget on their booking pages, allowing guests to ask about room availability, pricing, or local attractions. The AI component can handle basic FAQs, while more complex requests are seamlessly escalated to a live agent. The platform features a visual conversation designer, enabling hotel staff to craft guided flows for booking steps, upselling, and post‑stay surveys. LiveChat also supports real‑time visitor insights, showing the pages a guest has visited and their interaction history. Integration options include major CRMs, ticketing systems, and booking engines, ensuring that data captured via chat is automatically synced across the hotel’s tech stack. Pricing for LiveChat starts at $15/month for the Standard plan, which includes unlimited chat and basic bot functionality. The Growth plan at $35/month adds advanced automation, integrations, and priority support. Enterprise plans are available on a custom basis. LiveChat is ideal for mid‑size hotels that require a reliable chat system with optional AI automation but do not need extensive e‑commerce or advanced knowledge‑base features. Key features include: - Live chat widget with AI bot - Visual conversation designer - Visitor and page insights - Integration with CRMs and PMS - Automated escalation to agents - Customizable widget design - Analytics dashboard - Multi‑channel support (web, mobile) Pros: - Reliable, well‑tested platform - Easy integration with existing systems - Affordable pricing for small to mid‑size hotels - Customizable UI and design Cons: - Limited advanced AI capabilities - No built‑in knowledge base or RAG - No voice or SMS channels - Requires manual setup for complex flows

Zendesk Chat, part of the Zendesk customer support suite, offers a chat widget that can be enhanced with an AI bot to handle common guest questions. Hotels can use the chat to provide instant information about room types, amenities, and local events. The platform’s AI component can answer FAQs and route more complex requests to live agents. Zendesk Chat integrates tightly with Zendesk Support, allowing all chat interactions to be logged as tickets. This integration is valuable for hotels that already use Zendesk for ticketing or helpdesk operations, as it keeps all customer data in a single place. The platform also supports proactive chat triggers based on visitor behavior, enabling hotels to prompt guests for booking or upsell offers at the right moment. Pricing for Zendesk Chat starts at $14/month for the Free plan, which includes basic chat features and a limited number of concurrent users. The Growth plan at $29/month adds priority support, advanced analytics, and integration with Zendesk Support. Enterprise plans are available on a custom basis. Zendesk Chat is best suited for hotels that already rely on Zendesk’s ecosystem and need a chat solution that can seamlessly feed into their ticketing workflow. Key features include: - Live chat widget with optional AI bot - Integration with Zendesk Support tickets - Proactive chat triggers based on behavior - Customizable widget design - Real‑time visitor insights - Analytics and reporting - Multi‑channel support (web, mobile) - Role‑based access controls Pros: - Tight integration with Zendesk Support - Flexible pricing for small teams - Easy to set up and use - Real‑time visitor insights Cons: - Limited AI capabilities compared to dedicated chatbot platforms - No built‑in knowledge base or RAG - No voice or SMS channels - Requires Zendesk ecosystem for full benefits