How Frenchospitality builds a connection with guests before they even arrive

Frenchospitality oversees management of a growing portfolio of hotels and aparthotel hybrid properties, each with a unique brand proposition. With a focus on both improving profitability and guest satisfaction, Frenchospitality decided to introduce Runnr.ai at multiple properties to handle guest communication. We caught up with Mathieu Weiss to hear how this works in practice at each property and why they decided to use Runnr.ai.

The Challenge: Independently owned properties each starting from a different place

Frenchospitality is a hospitality management company that steps in to help hoteliers open a new property or improve profitability at their existing one. The level of involvement varies by property, but one thing that is always a focus for Frenchospitality is improving guest experiences, which leads to higher ratings, greater loyalty, and ultimately more bookings.

One thing that kept coming up when it was getting involved with a new hotel was the high volume of guest queries that the front desks were dealing with, both in-person and on digital channels. This not only takes up a lot of staff’s precious time that could be spent with guests, but also results in slow response times and friction for guests before they even arrive.

As Mathieu explains: “The idea is to smoothen the arrival and reduce the anxiety of guests, especially the check-in and the access of the keys as much as possible. Because if you mess that up, it’s over already.”

Frenchospitality knew it needed to roll out a guest communication solution, but unlike hotel groups where all properties use the same systems, it needed one flexible enough to slot into whatever a property already had. Add to this the fact that it manages both hotels and aparthotel hybrid properties, which can have pretty different guest offerings. For example, aparthotels tend to run with limited on-site presence so digital channels are critical for check-in and answering queries.

The Solution: Proactive messaging on the channels guests use

In early 2026, Frenchospitality rolled out Runnr.ai across six properties it had recently taken over to improve guest communication, especially pre-arrival. As Runnr.ai is designed to be easily configured and connected with PMS, digital key, and other hospitality systems already in place, Frenchospitality found the setup pretty smooth especially after the first property.

Within hours of the go-live moment, guests were receiving messages with useful information about their upcoming stay with interactive buttons to get more details or make a request. As Mathieu says:

“It’s providing the right info at the right time which is super important. We especially like the call to actions, the buttons, that they put into place, where it’s very interactive.”

The majority of communication takes place on WhatsApp, but Runnr.ai also supports communication across the other main channels, including SMS and OTA inboxes like Booking.com and Expedia. Having this omni-channel coverage is essential for guests who may not have or want to use WhatsApp, as they still need to be able to receive check-in links and get answers to their questions.

The Result: Guests start their stay with a positive experience

By using Runnr.ai, Frenchospitality can extend the same quality of guest experience to new hotels it takes on, independent of what that property looked like before it joined.

Smoother arrivals, with less anxiety about check-in and keys

Guests receive proactive updates and get quick, accurate answers to questions without needing a staff member involved, addressing the arrival anxiety that was a concern. Mathieu explains the impact of this:

“Even the more complicated requests where it needs to handle some back and forth, it’s doing really a great job on that. We have a lot of guests who are very happy and we even had one this morning that said, ‘Super efficient, super straightforward.’”

Freeing up staff time at the properties that have it

At the properties that keep a reception team, staff no longer spend their day answering the same repetitive pre-arrival questions. Bed type confirmations, early arrival requests, and similar queries are now handled automatically, freeing staff to spend that time with the guests actually in front of them.

Scaling to newly onboarded hotels without extra setup work

Runnr.ai’s straightforward onboarding and flexible per-unit pricing means that it can be quickly rolled out and configured for new properties, without heavy lifting or costs on the IT side. This lets Frenchospitality focus on the operational side of the property from the outset, knowing that AI-powered communication can be up and running within a few days.

Looking ahead: Enabling guests to manage their entire stay in the same channel

Proactive messaging and instant responses have been the main focus for Frenchospitality so far, but as properties continue to improve their operating models, Runnr.ai can be used in new ways to support. Frenchospitality is already looking at things like providing backup key options and a direct payment link for extra services guests request as ways to make the guest experience even smoother.

It’s a direction that lines up with how Frenchospitality already thinks about guest service: no dedicated app to download, just a conversation on WhatsApp, an app that guests already use in their daily lives. As Mathieu puts it: “I think having a very good knowledgeable chatbot is really the future.”

Get started with Runnr.ai

Used by 1,000+ properties across Europe, Runnr.ai is the platform of choice for hotels, aparthotels, and holiday parks to automate guest messaging and access across WhatsApp, SMS, OTA inboxes, webchat, and more, so hospitality teams can focus on real hospitality.

Ready to upgrade your guest communication? Book a demo or try Runnr.ai on WhatsApp.