Guest communication is a critical factor for a great hotel experience, yet it is also one of the most resource-intensive aspects of hotel operations. Booking confirmations, arrival information, check-in details, post-stay review requests: each of these interactions consumes time, ties up staff, and still leaves room for errors and delays. Brera Serviced Apartments has fundamentally reimagined this area using DialogShift’s Journey Messaging AI.
What Journey Messaging AI can really do
Journey Messaging AI is part of the DialogShift 360-degree AI, which fully automates hotel guest communication from the initial inquiry to the post-stay review. Journey Messaging AI handles the proactive, outbound portion of this communication: automated, channel-specific messages that arrive at exactly the right moment via WhatsApp, SMS, or email.
The principle behind it is as simple as it is effective: instead of waiting for incoming inquiries, the system actively accompanies guests throughout their entire guest journey. Event-based triggers—such as receiving a booking, a scheduled check-in, or arrival at the hotel—automatically initiate the appropriate message. This contains exactly the information the guest needs at that moment: the check-in link, room number, door code, or, after the stay, a prompt for relevant review portals.
The platform is built to be open: reservation data flows directly into the system via PMS integration. Additionally, the Make.com integration allows for almost any extension and custom use case—without technical dead ends or vendor lock-in. If one channel fails, the system automatically delivers the message via another. And to ensure no guest is contacted in the wrong language, the AI detects the appropriate language automatically.
The open rate on WhatsApp is particularly impressive: 90 to 98 percent of messages are actually read there—a figure no other channel can match. For comparison, email campaigns average 20 to 40 percent. The immediacy of WhatsApp makes the difference: messages aren't just delivered; they are read.
Brera Serviced Apartments: DialogShift throughout the entire guest journey
Brera Serviced Apartments operates serviced apartments at several locations and faces a challenge familiar to many hospitality businesses: a growing number of guests and rising expectations for fast, successful communication. This is countered by a lean team with limited resources.
The decision to choose DialogShift was a strategic one: the AI platform is now used comprehensively for all guest communication. The focus is on automation through AI, particularly Journey Messaging, which Björn Twardy, Head of IT at Brera, clearly describes as a turning point: "Journey Messaging, with its focus on WhatsApp and Make.com integration, is a game changer for Brera."
Brera uses Journey Messaging at all central touchpoints of the guest journey. As Hannah Houck from the Brera team explains: "We use DialogShift throughout the entire guest journey. Starting with the booking confirmation, through arrival information, all the way to check-out and the subsequent post-stay messaging requesting a review on various online portals."
The focus is clearly on WhatsApp, and for good reason: "We have found that messages are received much better there, and for most guests, communication is faster and more straightforward." There is also a practical advantage that is often underestimated in the OTA business: "Furthermore, we often only receive the guest's phone number from some OTAs, not an email address. Thanks to the WhatsApp integration, we can reach these guests even before they arrive, which is a huge plus."
Every Brera property sends out several thousand journey messages each month. The majority of guest inquiries are answered by the Chatbot AI, part of the DialogShift 360-degree AI. Each month, the Chatbot AI answers 10,000 guest inquiries across all Brera properties. Brera communicates more with guests using the hotel AI, without adding extra work for the team—the AI handles it. Eleven properties, 800 apartments, and only 48 employees. Without smart automation, this would hardly be possible.
Real relief, trackable results
"Through PMS integration and Make.com, we are flexibly able to cover every one of our use cases. That is real power we didn't have before," says a pleased Björn Twardy. The result is felt on both sides, by the team and the guests: "DialogShift bundles communication at Brera into one tool and significantly reduces the workload for the team thanks to AI and the right interfaces. This is also well-received by our customers, as our communication has become faster, more precise, and yet not impersonal." The results speak for themselves: Brera sends over 26,000 messages fully automatically every month.
Fast start, continuous improvement
For many hotels, the fear of a complex onboarding process is a real obstacle. Brera did not have that experience. Twardy describes our joint start: "Surprisingly simple. The onboarding is structured and focused on the essentials. Getting started is easy, and results are achieved quickly." Afterward, the system helps by providing suggestions to continuously develop the content: "Communication doesn't have to be complicated."
The collaboration continues to impress even after the launch: "Development and support: Timelines for further developments were met. Adjustments were implemented quickly and customer needs were addressed with great focus."
Proactive instead of reactive
Brera Serviced Apartments shows what is possible when Journey Messaging is consistently applied across the entire guest journey. No missed touchpoints, no manual processes, no unnecessary effort. Instead, a guest experience that feels personal, even when it is fully automated.
The Journey Messaging AI from DialogShift is not a standalone product, but part of a broader vision: the DialogShift 360-degree AI, which empowers hotels to automate their entire guest communication, from the first inquiry to the final review. With its DialogShift Chatbot AI, Email AI, Phone AI, and Journey Messaging AI, Brera is already living this all-in-one approach. Every month, thousands of times over.
