.png)
Recovery links via WhatsApp and SMS save abandoned bookings
If a guest ends a booking conversation over the phone before completing it, DialogShift now automatically sends a recovery link via WhatsApp or SMS. This allows the guest to finish their booking at their convenience without having to call back.
A real-world example: A guest calls from their car, asks about a room for the weekend, and has to hang up before the booking is finalized. In the past, this booking would have been lost. Today, they receive a link on their phone and complete the booking later that evening from their sofa.
The numbers speak for themselves: 50 percent of sent recovery links are opened. Anyone who opens the link is taken directly to the booking completion page, exactly where the conversation left off. The guest doesn't need to re-enter information or repeat anything. This significantly increases the conversion rate from inquiry to booking.
The Phone AI email relay solves the problem of difficult email addresses
When a guest calls from a landline, the Phone AI proactively asks for a mobile number or email address to send a booking link or confirmation. Email addresses are notoriously difficult to dictate over the phone. Anyone who has ever tried to spell out an address like mueller-luedenscheidt@web.de over the phone knows the struggle.
That is exactly why we introduced the email relay for the DialogShift Phone AI. If an email address cannot be reliably dictated, the Phone AI uses an alias address and forwards every incoming message as a link via SMS or WhatsApp to the caller. Later, the guest can type in their email address so it is correctly saved in the system. This ensures every booking can be completed, even if the email address couldn't be captured accurately over the phone. For your hotel, this means no more lost bookings due to typos.
The Booking Agent now accepts promo and corporate codes over the phone
The Booking Agent now supports promo and corporate codes for phone bookings in selected systems. If a guest mentions a code during the call, the Phone AI automatically offers the corresponding rate. Your regular guest from the company next door simply provides their corporate code and immediately receives the negotiated rate, without anyone at the front desk needing to get involved.
Protecting your codes is essential for your rate strategy. If no code is mentioned, the DialogShift Phone AI books without one. This ensures that promo rates never appear unintentionally, even if they are generally enabled.
Five new features make the Phone AI more flexible
There have also been several other updates to Phone AI.
Booking limits for the Booking Agent are now configurable and flexibly adjustable. Minimum and maximum child ages, as well as the maximum number of adults and children, apply equally to both the chatbot and Phone AI. Additionally, you can set the maximum number of guests per room and the maximum number of rooms the Phone AI can book via self-service. If a limit of at least two rooms is set, it applies to all Booking Agent channels, and the system will only transfer to a staff member if that limit is exceeded.
.png)
The Booking Agent now also features a free-text field for custom instructions. Whatever you enter there (e.g., a minimum stay) will be taken into account by the AI at every stage of the booking process.
Furthermore, there are custom instructions for the AI that are prioritized for every general inquiry. A practical example is different spa opening hours for external guests. The AI will first ask whether the caller is a hotel guest or an external visitor before providing an answer.
Some guests call wanting to speak directly to a staff member without having interacted with the AI first. You can now offer two alternatives before a transfer occurs. The Booking Agent can be started automatically if it wasn't already active, and a custom message can be played asking if they still wish to be transferred. Both options are configurable per department in the self-service portal and are designed for guests who prefer to book with a human without having tried the Phone AI first. This way, you reduce the workload on your team without denying guests the option of a personal conversation.
More clarity and control for Journey Messaging AI
With Journey Messaging AI, your hotel automatically accompanies every guest throughout their guest journey – for example, with a booking confirmation, a pre-arrival excitement message, or a post-departure feedback request via WhatsApp. You manage which messages are sent to which guests and when using "Flows" in DialogShift. If a guest replies to a message, the Chat AI takes over the conversation. Two new features now make these flows much easier to manage.
Flow changes now apply to ongoing journeys as well
Previously, changes to a flow only affected new journeys. Now, updates apply to all journeys. When a flow is modified, a popup appears with several options on how the change should affect journeys already in progress.
For example, if you improve your pre-arrival message on Monday, guests arriving on Friday will receive the new version.
.png)
You can also retroactively add a newly activated flow to existing journeys using the retro-queue. Additionally, instant-trigger flows – those based on events like the actual arrival – are now displayed in a dedicated section within the journey detail view, even if the exact timing is not yet determined. You can find a complete overview of all journey messaging changes in the new changelog.
.png)
Booking Agent AI is now even better with MEWS
Hotels using MEWS as their PMS can now connect their booking agents directly via the MEWS Marketplace. Setup is typically completed within 12 to 48 hours. Once the connection is active, the Booking Agent pulls availability, room categories, and prices directly from MEWS for both chat and phone. This ensures your guests always receive the rates currently active in your PMS. The Booking Agent handles the entire booking process, including payment processing, via chat and phone.
You retain full control. You decide which room categories and rates the agent is allowed to offer within the DialogShift app. The agent pulls descriptions and images for each room category from MEWS. With the Availability Analyzer, you can verify at any time that everything is correct and that the Booking Agent is offering the right rates.
The Journey Messaging AI also runs through this same MEWS integration, ensuring that booking and guest data flow automatically without any separate setup.
Booking Agent AI expanded with apaleo
The apaleo integration has also been significantly expanded. Every chat or phone conversation can now become a seamless booking process, from checking availability to completing the booking with payment.
Hotels connect to apaleo independently via OAuth, with no developer ticket required. Simply assign the property, set the channel and rate plans, and you're done. The Booking Agent requests the travel dates and occupancy, then displays available room types directly in the chat as an image carousel, including the best price, powered by the apaleo offer API.
The Booking Agent completes the entire booking process. The reservation lands in apaleo immediately, and if the rate doesn't require prepayment, it is confirmed instantly. For rates requiring a credit card or prepayment, a secure apaleo/Adyen payment link handles the rest, without DialogShift storing any payment data. Unpaid payment-link bookings automatically expire after 75 minutes, ensuring clean books without the need for manual follow-up. Channels, rate plans, and room images remain flexibly configurable. You decide which rates and images the agent displays in the booking dialog.
What these updates mean for your hotel
All updates from the last six weeks share the same goal. Your guests can book, ask questions, and receive answers via a central AI, while your team focuses on taking care of guests on-site. Abandoned bookings are recovered, phone bookings are no longer hindered by typos, and your PMS data flows into every conversation without any manual effort.
Would you like to activate one of the new features for your hotel?
Get in touch with your account manager or book a short call directly.
