Chatbots and AI assistants for hotels and B&Bs: what they can do and what the AI Act requires
What an AI assistant for guests really does, where it can go wrong and why, from 2 August 2026, it must clearly say that it is an AI.
“What’s the Wi-Fi password?”, “What time is breakfast?”, “Where can I park?”. Anyone running a hotel or a B&B knows that the same questions come back every day, often in the evening, often in another language. An AI assistant can answer for you, provided you know what it can and cannot be asked.
What it does well
- It answers at any hour, even when reception is closed;
- it replies in the language of the question, without you having to translate anything;
- it patiently repeats practical information: times, rules, services, how to get there.
Where it can go wrong
A generic AI assistant can give answers that sound confident but are made up. That is why, in hospitality, where it gets its information matters: an assistant that answers only with what you have written about your property makes far fewer mistakes than one that trawls the web. There are still topics on which it must not decide on its own: allergies and health, booking confirmations, payments, safety. Those it must refer to the staff.
What the AI Act requires
Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, known as the AI Act, lays down a transparency obligation in Article 50: AI systems intended to interact directly with people must be designed so that people know they are talking to an AI, unless this is obvious from the context. Article 50 applies from 2 August 2026.
For a hotel or a restaurant this means something simple: the assistant must introduce itself as an AI assistant, not pretend to be a member of staff. It is also worth stating that its answers may contain inaccuracies, and where to find a person.
How to choose one
- Where does it get its answers? Better from your information than from the web.
- Does it introduce itself as an AI?
- What does it do about allergens and sensitive questions?
- Can you update the information yourself in a minute?
- Can guests find it without downloading an app?
On the Gaeta coast some properties already use one inside their digital guide, under a name of their own choosing: “La ninfea Egeria” at the Grand Hotel Il Ninfeo, “Cajeta” at Aeneas’ Landing Resort, “Giulia” for the Sapore di Mare B&Bs.
Read more
Sources
Article written with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited, under the editorial responsibility of ENEA Cloud. Rules, timetables and prices can change: always check the source.
