A B&B owner is serving breakfast to six guests. Her phone keeps buzzing with messages. What time is breakfast? Is there parking? Can we check in at 1pm? Do you take dogs? Is there a gluten-free option? She cannot answer until the kitchen is cleaned. By then, two of the people asking have booked elsewhere through a booking site.
B&B owners do everything themselves. Routine questions do not have to be part of that.
What guests ask
Guests usually ask what time breakfast is served, what is on the menu, whether dietary needs are catered for, whether there is parking, what the check-in and check-out times are, whether early check-in or late check-out is possible, whether dogs are welcome, whether there is Wi-Fi, how to find the property and what there is to do nearby.
Example conversations
These scripts use information a B&B might publish. Your answers should come from your own pages.
Guest: What time is breakfast? Assistant: The breakfast page explains that breakfast is served from 8am to 9.30am, with a full cooked breakfast and continental options. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available if you let the owner know in advance.
Guest: Is there parking? Assistant: Yes, the page explains that there's free parking for guests on the drive, with space for three cars.
Guest: Can we check in at 1pm? Assistant: Check-in usually starts at 3pm. The page explains that earlier arrivals can sometimes be arranged, so I can pass your request to the owner.
One owner, guests at all hours
Many B&Bs are run by one person or a couple. Guests message at all hours. The pressure is covered in guesthouses with one owner and guests at all hours.
Hotel-style questions
Hotels get the same questions, as described in parking, breakfast and check-in questions every hotel gets. B&Bs can answer them just as well.
Guests from abroad
Overseas guests plan trips from different time zones and often write in their own language. SpideyChat replies in the visitor's language. Late-night enquiries from abroad are covered in late night hotel enquiries from other time zones.
Dogs and families
Dog owners and families have specific questions: which rooms allow dogs, whether there is a charge, whether cots are available and whether children are welcome. Clear answers attract these guests.
Local recommendations
Guests often ask about restaurants, walks and attractions nearby. A short local guide on the website answers these and adds a personal touch.
Repeat questions
Answering the same question many times a day is tiring. Automating it is covered in automating the questions you answer over and over.
Special occasions
Many B&B guests are celebrating an anniversary, a birthday or a proposal. They ask whether the owner can arrange flowers, a bottle of something in the room or a late breakfast. Explaining what extras are available, and capturing requests in advance, turns a routine stay into a memorable one and brings repeat visits and warm reviews.
Cancellations and deposits
Guests want to know what happens if their plans change. A clear cancellation policy, explained in plain words, reduces anxious messages and disputes.
Direct bookings
Guests who get quick answers on the B&B's own site are more likely to book direct, which saves the owner commission.
Answering at any hour
SpideyChat for hotels and guesthouses answers guest questions from your own pages at any hour and captures booking requests.
A guest information page
Publish breakfast times, parking, check-in, dog policy and local tips in one place. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about answers on the features page.