How Blue Apple Beach automated 70% of guest questions while maintaining personal service

Blue Apple Beach sits on Tierra Bomba Island, a short boat ride from Cartagena. This boutique beach club and hotel attracts both locals and international travelers, building a social following of over 64,000 on Instagram. As a certified B Corp focused on sustainability and community development, the property balances luxury with purpose.

But success created an operational challenge. With just two front desk staff handling hundreds of guest messages in multiple languages, response times stretched to hours and direct bookings suffered as a result.

The challenge: small team, global demand

Blue Apple Beach was handling constant WhatsApp messages from potential guests asking about day passes, room availability, boat transfers, and dining reservations. International travelers messaged in Spanish, English, and other languages at all hours. The two-person front desk team spent most of their day typing the same responses about pricing, availability, and logistics.

When guests asked "Do you have rooms available March 15th?" staff needed to check their system, calculate rates, and manually type responses. During peak season, response times stretched to several hours. Many international guests booking from different time zones never received timely answers.

The solution: automated responses with human oversight

Visito integrated directly with Blue Apple's existing Cloudbeds property management system, enabling real-time availability and pricing responses on WhatsApp and Instagram. The system now handles standard guest questions automatically while maintaining strict handoff rules for complex situations.

How it works: When guests message about room availability, Visito pulls current rates and availability from Cloudbeds instantly. Guests can complete bookings directly in WhatsApp or Instagram without leaving the conversation using Visito’s AI Booking Agent. For questions about transfers, dining hours, or day passes, automated responses provide immediate information.

The system recognizes when conversations require human intervention, such as special requests, complaints, or booking modifications, and transfers them to staff immediately.

Results: efficiency without losing the human touch

The impact was measurable:

• 70% of questions automated: most availability, pricing, and basic information requests resolve without staff involvement
• Immediate responses: guests receive instant answers regardless of time zone or staff availability
• Reduced manual work: front desk staff focus on in-person guest service instead of repetitive messaging
• Multiple languages supported: international guests get responses in their preferred language

“Visito has helped us to increase conversions and provide a better customer experience, at the same time as improving the quality of a front desk job by dramatically reducing screen time and repetitive tasks”, says Portia Hart, Founder of Blue Apple Beach. “Rather than replace a person, the reality is that Visito's AI has freed front desk staff up to engage more with onsite guests. Hospitality is all about human connection and we are delighted that technology has become a tool that helps us to achieve that.”

Why this matters for independent hotels

Independent hotels often face the same challenge: growing demand with limited staff resources. Blue Apple Beach demonstrates how hotels can scale guest communication without losing personal service. By automating routine questions, staff can focus on what makes independent properties special: creating memorable experiences and building guest relationships.

The key is maintaining control over when automation hands off to humans. Complex requests, special occasions, or service issues still require personal attention. But questions about "What time is breakfast?" or "How much for a day pass?" can be resolved instantly.

Key takeaway

Hotels can handle increasing message volume without hiring additional front desk staff. Blue Apple Beach proves that automation works best when it complements human service rather than replacing it entirely. The result is faster guest responses and staff who can focus on hospitality instead of repetitive admin work.

Ready to automate routine guest messages? Schedule a demo to learn how Visito integrates with your property management system and boost direct bookings.

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