Top 7 Features of a Lead Generation Chatbot for Hotels

Drift is a leading conversational marketing platform that enables hotels to engage visitors in real‑time chat, qualify leads, and close bookings through a conversational interface. The platform offers a chat widget that can be embedded across a property’s website or integrated into a mobile app. Drift’s “Chatbot” feature can be configured to answer common questions about availability, rates, and amenities, while its “Live Chat” option routes complex inquiries to a human agent at the click of a button. Drift’s strength lies in its robust lead‑qualification capabilities. The platform can trigger automated workflows based on visitor behavior, such as sending a follow‑up email to a guest who requested a room upgrade. Drift’s “Marketing Automation” suite also lets hotels send personalized email sequences to nurture leads over time. For larger properties, Drift offers the ability to integrate with popular CRM systems, enabling a seamless handoff of captured leads. Pricing for Drift is tiered and typically starts with a free trial. The Standard plan begins at $400/month for up to 3,000 contacts, while the Enterprise plan is priced on a custom basis and includes advanced analytics, API access, and dedicated support. Drift is ideal for hotels that prioritize conversational lead capture, marketing automation, and integration with their existing CRM stack.

Intercom is a customer messaging platform that blends chat, help desk, and marketing automation into a single interface. For hotels, Intercom’s chat widget can be embedded to answer FAQs, provide instant booking assistance, and route complex inquiries to support staff. The platform’s “Messenger” feature allows hotels to send proactive messages to visitors based on their behavior, such as offering a last‑minute deal when a user spends time on the room rates page. Intercom’s knowledge base integration lets hotels publish articles that the chatbot can reference, improving the accuracy of responses. The platform also offers a robust help desk system, so hotel staff can manage tickets directly from the same dashboard. For larger operations, Intercom provides API access to integrate with PMS or booking engines, allowing the chatbot to pull real‑time room availability. Intercom offers several pricing tiers. The Starter plan starts at $39/month (for up to 2,000 contacts), the Standard plan is $74/month, and the Premium plan is $199/month, each adding more advanced features such as automated messaging and advanced integrations. Hotels that need an all‑in‑one messaging and support solution will find Intercom a solid choice.

LiveChat is a widely used customer support and engagement platform that offers a real‑time chat widget for websites. For hotels, LiveChat can be used to answer instant questions about availability, rates, and amenities, and it can route more complex inquiries to human agents. The platform provides a ticketing system that consolidates all chat interactions, making it easy for hotel staff to track and resolve guest issues. LiveChat’s “Smart Automation” feature allows hotels to set up automated responses based on keywords, helping to filter out routine questions. The platform also integrates with popular CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, enabling seamless lead capture and follow‑up. For properties looking to add a chatbot, LiveChat offers a bot builder that can be programmed to ask qualification questions and direct visitors to booking pages. Pricing for LiveChat starts at $16/month per seat for the Standard plan, with the Pro plan at $25/month per seat. The Enterprise plan is available on request and offers additional customization and support. Hotels that prioritize live support and ticket management will benefit from LiveChat’s robust infrastructure.

HubSpot provides a suite of inbound marketing, sales, and service tools, including a powerful chat widget that hotels can embed on their website. The chat can be configured to answer common guest questions, collect contact information, and qualify leads for follow‑up. HubSpot’s chatbot builder allows users to create conversational flows without coding, while the platform’s CRM records all interactions automatically. HubSpot’s strengths include its marketing automation engine, which can trigger email sequences based on chat interactions, and its reporting dashboards that give insight into visitor engagement. For hotels, the ability to tie chat conversations to deals and contacts in the CRM is invaluable for tracking conversions and ROI. HubSpot also offers integrations with booking platforms and PMSs through the App Marketplace. HubSpot’s pricing tiers are as follows: Starter starts at $45/month for 1,000 contacts; Professional at $800/month; Enterprise at $1,200/month. All plans include chat and basic automation. Hotels that already use HubSpot for marketing or need a tightly coupled CRM and chat solution will find this platform well‑suited.

ManyChat is a conversational marketing platform that specializes in building chatbots for Facebook Messenger, SMS, and web chat. For hotels, ManyChat can be used to create automated guest interactions, such as answering FAQs, sending booking confirmations, and offering promotions. The platform’s visual flow builder allows users to design conversational paths without coding. ManyChat’s strengths include its integration with e‑commerce platforms like Shopify, enabling the chatbot to pull product (room) data and offer upsells. The platform also supports automated email sequences and broadcast messaging, which hotels can use for post‑stay follow‑ups or promotional campaigns. Pricing for ManyChat starts at $10/month for the Basic plan (up to 1,000 contacts), $49/month for the Pro plan (up to 10,000 contacts), and the Premium plan at $299/month for unlimited contacts. Hotels looking to leverage multi‑channel messaging, especially on social media, will benefit from ManyChat’s capabilities.

MobileMonkey is a marketing platform that builds chatbots for web, Messenger, and SMS. Hotels can use MobileMonkey to create instant chat experiences that answer common inquiries, qualify leads, and push promotional offers. The platform’s drag‑and‑drop builder enables marketers to configure conversational flows without technical expertise. MobileMonkey offers features such as automated drip campaigns, audience segmentation, and integration with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce. The bot can also pull real‑time data from e‑commerce platforms, making it possible to recommend rooms or packages based on availability. For hotels that focus on inbound marketing and lead nurturing, MobileMonkey provides a comprehensive set of tools. Pricing ranges from $25/month for the Starter plan (up to 1,000 contacts) to $400/month for the Agency plan (unlimited contacts), with custom pricing for large enterprises. Hotels that prioritize conversational marketing across web and social channels will find MobileMonkey a useful addition.