Phone answering
Phone answering for hotels and holiday lets
Your guests' calls, answered — not just noted. Guest Desk picks up 24/7 and answers from property knowledge you approve. What it cannot answer, it hands over properly.
Last updated October 2026
What are the key facts at a glance?
Guest Desk is a hotel answering service and holiday let answering service for the UK. It answers 24/7 from property knowledge you approve, tells callers it is AI, and never takes payments or changes bookings. Published monthly prices, no surcharges, and setup confirmed with you before going live.
- Hours
- 24/7, a custom schedule, overflow after set rings, or holiday mode
- Price
- From £12 per property or £129 per hotel a month, ex VAT
- Surcharges
- None for nights, weekends or bank holidays. Free setup.
- Disclosure
- Callers are told it is AI and that calls are recorded
- Answers from
- Only property knowledge you approve. It never guesses.
- Never does
- Card details, access codes or booking changes
- Human help
- In the staffed hours you choose: warm transfer to your team, or a Guest Desk agent at £2.95 per call
- Your number
- Divert your number or use a free UK local number, subject to setup
How does phone answering setup work?
Three steps, done with you. You tell us about your line and hours, approve what the AI may say, then we configure and test the line together. Calls only reach Guest Desk after you confirm it is ready. It is not an instant switch-on, because every line needs configuring first.
- 1
Tell us about your line
Send the enquiry form. We agree your cover hours, staffed hours and whether to divert your number or use a new UK local number.
- 2
Approve what it may say
We build the property knowledge the AI uses, and you approve it. Urgent contacts and handover rules are set per property.
- 3
Configure and check
Your line is configured and test calls are made with you. Calls only reach Guest Desk once you confirm it is ready.
Your guests' calls, answered — not just noted.
Most answering lines write down a name and number. Then you call back. Guest Desk answers the question while the guest is still on the line.
[Property] is replaced with your name. The answers come from property knowledge you approve.
What does Guest Desk phone answering do?
It answers calls to your hotel or holiday let with an AI assistant, day and night. The assistant opens by saying it is AI and that the call is recorded. It answers only from property knowledge you have approved, and it never guesses. Everything else is handed over with a summary.
- Parking, check-in times, directions, Wi-Fi, pets and house rules
- Live availability and prices, read only, where your system is connected
- Your direct booking link, sent to the caller
- Every call logged next to that property's guest messages
What will it never do on a call?
It never takes card details. It never reads out key safe or door codes. It never makes, changes or cancels a booking, and never promises a refund. Those calls go to you or your team by the rules you set, so a guest is not left with a half-answer.
- No card payments over the phone
- No access codes read aloud
- No booking changes or quotes treated as transactions
What happens when it cannot help?
During hours your team staffs, it offers a warm transfer to your team or to a Guest Desk agent. Outside those hours it opens a callback ticket with a summary and transcript. Urgent issues go to your named owner contact. Anyone in danger is told to call 999.
Optional human answering costs £2.95 per handled call, during the staffed hours you choose. Your agent works inside your Guest Desk account with your full property file. There is no per-minute meter.
When can calls be answered?
Whenever you choose. Cover can be 24/7, a custom schedule such as evenings and weekends, overflow after a set number of rings, or holiday mode while you are away. None of these cost extra, and there is no night, weekend or bank holiday surcharge on any plan.
- 24/7 or a custom schedule
- Overflow after a number of rings you pick
- Holiday mode while you are away
Do I need a new phone number?
No. You can keep your number and divert it to us, or we can arrange a free UK local number, subject to setup. Either way your line needs configuring before calls reach Guest Desk. It is not connected already, and we check the diversion with you before anything goes live.
Coming soon: linking a call to the guest's stay, so the assistant can see which booking it relates to.
How much does phone answering cost?
Published prices in GBP, ex VAT, monthly rolling with no contract. Each plan includes a call allowance and a set price per extra call. Setup is free, and nights, weekends and bank holidays cost the same as any other time.
Stays
1–9 properties
- 20 calls included per property
- Then £0.50 per extra call
- 24/7, no night or weekend surcharge
- Free setup, no contract
Add phone to messaging: +£9/property/mo if you already use Guest Desk messaging
Stays 10+
10 or more properties
- 20 calls included per property
- Then £0.50 per extra call
- 24/7, no night or weekend surcharge
- Free setup, no contract
Add phone to messaging: +£7/property/mo if you already use Guest Desk messaging
Hotel
Up to 20 rooms
- 250 calls included
- Then £0.40 per extra call
- 24/7, no night or weekend surcharge
- Free setup, no contract
Add phone to messaging: +£99/mo if you already use Guest Desk messaging
Hotel Plus
21–50 rooms
- 600 calls included
- Then £0.35 per extra call
- 24/7, no night or weekend surcharge
- Free setup, no contract
Add phone to messaging: +£179/mo if you already use Guest Desk messaging
Optional human answering: £2.95 per call a Guest Desk agent handles, during the staffed hours you choose. The agent works inside your Guest Desk account with your full property file. Subject to confirmation at setup. No per-minute meter.
Founding member: 20% off for the first 25 customers, confirmed by our team. 14-day trial terms follow the main service. No phone checkout yet: we confirm your plan with you.
How does an answering service compare with Guest Desk?
A typical message-taking service notes the call for you to return. Guest Desk answers from your approved property knowledge first, then hands over what it cannot answer. Hotel reservation call centres and generic AI receptionists vary, so the table shows typical patterns, not universal rules. Check any quote you receive.
| What matters | Typical message-taking service | Typical hotel reservation call centre | Typical generic AI receptionist | Guest Desk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers property questions | Usually takes a message for you to return | Often focused on reservations rather than stay questions | Often general answers unless briefed in detail | Answers from your approved property knowledge, then hands over what it cannot answer |
| Knows your house rules | Depends on the briefing sheet and who picks up | May hold a rate and policy sheet | Depends on how it is set up | Uses the rules you approve, the same way on every call |
| One record per property | Often a separate email or call log | Often kept in the call centre's own system | Often a separate call log | Every call logged next to that property's guest messages |
| Nights and weekends price | Some charge more out of hours. Check your quote. | Some charge more out of hours. Check your quote. | Often the same price at any hour | No night, weekend or bank holiday surcharge on any plan |
| Published pricing | Varies. Some publish, some quote on request. | Often quoted on request | Varies by provider | Plans and per-call prices published in GBP, ex VAT |
Typical patterns, not universal. Providers vary, so check what any quote includes.
Which page fits your property?
How do I get phone answering?
Send this form with your property details and the hours you want covered. We reply by email or phone to agree your line, schedule and approved answers. Setup and connection checks are required before your phone line goes live. No payment is taken here, and nothing is connected until you confirm it.
What else do owners ask?
- What does phone answering cost?
- A monthly plan from £12 per property for Stays 10+, or £129 a month for a hotel up to 20 rooms. Each plan includes a call allowance, then a small published price per extra call. Prices are in GBP, ex VAT, monthly rolling.
- Are there night, weekend or bank holiday surcharges?
- No. Every plan costs the same at 3am on a Sunday as at 11am on a Tuesday. Setup is free. There is no contract.
- Will callers know they are speaking to AI?
- Yes. Every call opens by saying the line is answered by an AI assistant and that the call is recorded. We do not pretend the assistant is a person.
- Can I keep my existing number?
- Yes. You divert your current number to us, either all the time, after a set number of rings, or out of hours. If you prefer, we can arrange a free UK local number. Either way, line setup is done with you and confirmed before anything goes live. It is not connected already.
- Can I use phone answering without guest messaging?
- Yes. Phone answering works on its own at the plan price, for example £15 per property a month on Stays. If you already use Guest Desk messaging, you can add phone for less, from +£7 per property a month.