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Best Hotel Chatbot to Use in 2026

Written by Michiel de Vor | Dec 22, 2025 1:46:52 PM

If you’re choosing a hotel chatbot for 2026, these are the most relevant platforms for hotels, hostels, aparthotels, holiday parks, and campings - all based on real hospitality use cases:

The best hotel chatbots in 2026 are those that do more than answer FAQs - they automate guest communication end-to-end and reduce workload for your team.

 

What is a hotel chatbot?

A hotel chatbot is an automated messaging assistant that communicates with guests before, during, and after their stay.

A modern hotel chatbot can:

  • Answer common guest questions instantly (check-in, breakfast, parking)

  • Communicate via WhatsApp, SMS, webchat, and OTA inboxes

  • Work 24/7 in multiple languages

  • Handle guest requests and route them to the right team

  • Send proactive messages and upsell offers

For hospitality teams, this means fewer repetitive questions, faster replies, and less pressure on the front desk.

 

The main solution: Runnr.ai

Runnr.ai is the most complete hotel chatbot to use in 2026, because it was built from the beginning for accommodation businesses.

Runnr.ai automates up to 95% of guest interactions and supports communication across the full guest journey  from pre-booking to post-checkout. 

Why Runnr.ai stands out

  • Built specifically for hotels, hostels, aparthotels, holiday parks, and campings

  • Conversational AI that understands rooms, units, facilities, and on-site rules

  • Works on WhatsApp, SMS, webchat, Booking.com, and Airbnb

  • Uses real booking and guest data from your PMS

  • Takes action inside conversations (upsells, requests, check-in links)

  • Fully customizable tone of voice to match your brand

  • Fast setup - most properties are live within an hour

Runnr.ai doesn’t just reply - it actively manages guest conversations and removes repetitive workload.

 

1. Runnr.ai: Best overall hotel chatbot in 2026

Best suited for:
Hotels and accommodation providers with 10+ rooms or units that want maximum automation with minimal complexity.

Key strengths:

  • Up to 95% automation of guest chats

  • Proactive messaging that reduces inbound questions by up to 75%

  • Chat-native upsells instead 

  • Simple, transparent pricing per room or unit

  • Designed specifically around hospitality workflows

Runnr.ai is ideal for operators who want high-touch service with a lean team.

2. HiJiffy

Best suited for:
Hotels that want a chatbot mainly for website chat 

Things to consider:

  • Strong booking assistant and FAQ handling

  • Limited automation during the stay

  • Less flexible for larger operations compared to Runnr.ai

HiJiffy works well for capturing leads but is less complete as a full hotel chatbot solution.

3. Duve

Best suited for:
Larger hotels and resorts that want a broad guest experience platform.

Things to consider:

  • Powerful feature set including digital check-in and upsells

  • Can feel complex for daily staff use

  • Guest interaction often relies on web apps rather than chat

Duve is feature-rich but may be heavier for leaner teams focused on conversational automation.

4. Chatlyn

Best suited for:
Hotels that want advanced workflows and omnichannel guest messaging.

Things to consider:

  • Wide range of features and customization

  • Requires more setup and management

  • Automation may still need manual review in some cases

Chatlyn offers deep configuration but can feel overwhelming for smaller properties.

5. Akia

Best suited for:
Hotels with structured guest journeys and a focus on messaging automation.

Things to consider:

  • Strong workflows and automated sequences

  • Messaging capabilities are solid

  • Not purely a chatbot-first automation platform

Akia works well when guest messaging is part of a broader automation strategy.

6. Canary Technologies

Best suited for:
Mid-sized to large hotels, mainly in the US, that want messaging as part of a guest management system.

Things to consider:

  • Messaging is part of a broader suite

  • Less AI-native conversational automation

  • Focused on operations as well as messaging

Canary is solid but less specialized as a pure chatbot tool.

7. DialogShift

Best suited for:
Hotels that want AI-driven automated replies across many languages.

Things to consider:

  • Strong multilingual capabilities

  • Good AI response generation

  • Less focused on in-chat actions like upsells and requests

DialogShift is strong for automated replies, but lighter on operational workflows.

Conclusion: the best hotel chatbot for 2026

To succeed in 2026, a hotel chatbot needs to:

  • Automate guest communication across channels

  • Work where guests already message (WhatsApp, SMS, OTA inboxes, webchat)

  • Integrate with hotel systems like PMS

  • Be simple for staff to manage

  • Boost guest satisfaction and revenue

Runnr.ai meets all these needs best.

It’s purpose-built for accommodation businesses, easy to set up, and focused on real automation - not just messaging.

👉 Book a demo and see Runnr.ai in action: