This guide helps you write the message guests get before they arrive, so the cost of air con and what to do after hours are clear in advance. It also covers answering questions with AI using only your own facts, calm replies to angry reviews, and listing copy that says where you really are.
What guests wrote, and what you can change
The main complaint is air conditioning charged as an extra, which guests feel misled about. Late arrivals are the second issue: with reception closed, nothing could be fixed until morning. One guest flew in to be told the hotel was full, and others mention sheets and towels not being changed. All of these come from reviews of a single property, so read them as warning signs rather than a pattern across Rhodes.
- «Air conditioning was clearly included in our booking, which we showed them.» Trip.com guest review
- «no air con could be sorted till the next day as reception was closed.» Trip.com guest review
- «Hard to write a review really.... after flying from England to getting there, only to be told they was fully booked!» Trip.com guest review
If air con costs extra, show it on every booking site and in the confirmation email, and check that your channel manager descriptions say the same thing. Otherwise, include it in the rate. Give late arrivals a night contact number and a key box, with the air con already switched on. Keep a written plan for rehousing guests at a nearby partner hotel at no cost to them.
Why guest communication on Rhodes eats your day
Rhodes is a big island with a long season and a very mixed crowd. In spring and autumn you get walkers, couples and older travellers looking for quiet and good food. In July and August it’s families, groups of friends and plenty of Greek holidaymakers. Your guests write in English, German, Italian, French and Greek, often all on the same day.
And they ask the same practical questions again and again:
- How do we get from the airport or the port to you? Taxi, bus or transfer?
- Do we need a rental car, and where do we park?
- Can we drive into the Old Town or into Lindos? (The honest answer is usually: park outside and walk.)
- Which beaches are calm when the wind blows? (The east coast is generally more sheltered than the west.)
- What time is check-in, and what if our flight lands after midnight?
- Where can we eat well without ending up in a tourist trap?
In a small hotel, the person answering is usually also making breakfast, checking in the next room and chasing the air-con technician. Templates and AI won’t replace your local knowledge. What they do is stop you typing it out from scratch every single time.
A pre-arrival message written for Rhodes
The pre-arrival message saves you the most back-and-forth. Send it a few days before arrival and answer the obvious questions before anyone asks them. Here’s an example built from a template. Fill in the parts in brackets:
Hi [Name], we’re looking forward to welcoming you to [Hotel] in [village] on [date]! A few things to make your arrival easy. From the airport, the drive to us takes about [time]. Taxis wait outside arrivals, or we can arrange a transfer for you. Just reply with your flight number. If you’re arriving by ferry, tell us the ship and arrival time and we’ll share the easiest way from the port. If you’re renting a car, there is [free parking / street parking] right by the hotel. Check-in is from [time]. Landing late is no problem: reply with your arrival time and we’ll [leave your keys in a lockbox / wait up for you]. A small local tip: when the wind picks up on the west coast, the east-side beaches, like [your nearest beach], are usually calmer. See you soon! [Your name]
Look at what goes into it: flight number, ferry, parking, late arrival, wind. That’s the Rhodes knowledge only you have. The template gives you the structure. You add your facts once and reuse the message all season. The same message also comes ready in Greek, German, French and Italian.
Let AI answer questions, using only your own facts
The biggest risk with ChatGPT or Claude is that they make things up. You might get a beach that’s “five minutes away” when it’s twenty, or a bus that never comes. The fix is simple. Give the AI a short fact sheet about your property and tell it to answer only from that.
Your fact sheet might include:
- Your exact address and how to find you (the turn after the bakery, the blue gate)
- Check-in and check-out times, and your late-arrival routine
- Parking, the nearest bus stop, and whether you recommend a car
- The nearest beaches and what they’re like on windy days
- Your favourite tavernas, the supermarket and the pharmacy
- House rules: quiet hours, pool hours, breakfast times
Then use a prompt like this: “You are the front desk of [Hotel] on Rhodes. Answer the guest’s question using only the facts below. If the answer isn’t in the facts, say we’ll check and get back to them. Reply in the guest’s language, warmly and briefly.” Paste in the guest’s message, check the answer and send it. A German guest asking about the bus to Lindos gets a German reply in seconds, and you still read it before it goes out.
Replying to reviews without losing your temper
Every small hotel on Rhodes eventually gets the review about the wind, the steep road, traffic noise or the walk to the beach. A calm, specific reply matters, because future guests read it. Here’s an example reply to a mixed review:
Thank you, Anna, for staying with us and for your kind words about breakfast and Maria’s welcome. You’re right that the road up from the main street is steep. We mention it in our listing, but we’ll make it clearer in our pre-arrival message so nobody is caught by surprise. We hope to welcome you back, perhaps in spring, when the island is green and quiet.
The formula is simple: say thank you, acknowledge the specific issue, explain or fix it, and invite the guest back. AI can draft this in your voice, in any of your guests’ languages. You then adjust the details.
Listing copy that says where you really are
“Close to everything” means nothing on an island this size. Good Booking.com and Airbnb copy tells guests honestly which Rhodes they’re booking. That might be a quiet village on the east coast, a place within easy reach of the Old Town, a family spot near a sandy beach, or a base for exploring the south. Honest listings attract the right guests, and the right guests leave better reviews.
FAQ
Do I need to pay for ChatGPT or Claude?
No. The free versions are enough for guest messages, translations and review replies. You can upgrade later if you want to.
Will the AI know local details about Rhodes?
Only in general terms, and it can get things wrong. That’s why you give it your own fact sheet and always read the answer before sending it. You’re the local expert. The AI just types faster.
My guests write in lots of languages. Is that covered?
The Promethe templates come in English, Greek, German, French and Italian. For other languages, one of the included prompts helps the AI translate naturally. Check the result carefully if it’s a language you don’t speak.
How long does setup take?
About one focused afternoon. You write your fact sheet, personalise the templates and save them as quick replies in WhatsApp Business, Booking.com or Airbnb. The kit includes a one-page setup guide.
— Gal Tuvyahu, Promethe