The problem
Guests ask the same questions about wifi, parking, bins and check-out, and each reply takes a few minutes. If 14 bookings a month bring 3 such questions each, at 3 minutes each, that's 126 minutes, about 2.1 hours a month.
What the AI does
Write down the facts for each cottage in rough notes (wifi name, parking, how the heating works, bin days, check-out time, nearest shop, emergency contacts) and ask ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini for a friendly, clear guide with headings. You check every fact and safety instruction yourself, because the assistant only words what you give it. Add the guide to your booking messages and print a copy for the cottage. Don't put guest names or booking details into the assistant.
A worked example
An owner in the Lake District has 3 cottages and about 14 bookings a month. She writes rough notes for each cottage once and refreshes them each season.
Before
3 questions per booking at 3 minutes each: 126 minutes, about 2.1 hours a month
After
About 1 question per booking: 42 minutes, 0.7 hours a month
What it's worth
About 1.4 hours a month saved (84 minutes), worth around £28 if your time is worth £20 an hour, on the assumption a good guide cuts questions from 3 to 1 per booking. Writing the three guides the first time saves a few hours once. The free plans can do this; a paid plan costs up to about £20 a month for one person.
How to set it up
- Walk each cottage and write the facts as short notes, including safety information such as fire exits, the gas shut-off and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Paste the notes into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask for a friendly guide with headings, using only what you give it.
- Check every fact against the cottage, including the wifi password and parking rules, and delete anything you can't confirm.
- Put the guide in your booking messages and a printed copy in the cottage.
- Update it each season and whenever something changes.
What goes wrong
- An assistant can add things that aren't there, such as a pub within walking distance. Check every sentence.
- Don't put guest names, booking details or phone numbers into consumer AI plans.
- Safety instructions must be right. Take them from your own checks and your fire and gas safety documents.
- A long guide goes unread. Keep it to one page for arrival and one for the rest.