Claude Project: Your Personal Hotel Knowledge Assistant

What This Builds

A Claude Project is like having a knowledgeable coworker who has memorized your hotel's entire policy manual, fee schedule, local knowledge base, and common guest question answers — and is available to answer questions instantly, 24 hours a day. Instead of spending 3-5 minutes searching through emails, PDFs, and paper binders to answer a question, you ask your Claude Project and get the answer in 10 seconds.

By the end of this build, you'll have an AI assistant that knows:

• All your hotel's policies (check-in/out times, cancellation, pet policy, fees)
• Room types, amenities, and pricing structure
• Local recommendations by category
• Common guest question answers
• Your preferred response style for common situations

Every agent at the front desk can use the same Project — building it once benefits the whole team.

Prerequisites

• Claude Pro subscription ($20/month at claude.ai) — free tier does not include Projects
• 60-90 minutes of setup time (one-time)
• Your hotel's policy documents (PDF, Word, or even just your knowledge of the policies)

The Concept

A Claude Project is a special Claude conversation that has a persistent memory — it remembers all the documents and instructions you've uploaded, and every new conversation starts with that knowledge already loaded. Unlike a regular Claude chat (which starts fresh each time), a Claude Project is permanently "briefed" on your hotel.

Think of it like this: instead of briefing a new employee on hotel policies every time they have a question, you wrote the briefing once and now they always know it.

Build It Step by Step

Part 1: Set Up the Claude Project

1. Log in to claude.ai with your Claude Pro account ($20/month)
2. In the left sidebar, look for Projects and click + New Project
3. Name it something like "Front Desk Assistant — [Your Hotel Name]"
4. You'll see a space for Project Instructions — this is where you write the permanent briefing

Part 2: Write the Project Instructions

In the Project Instructions box, paste this template and fill in your hotel's specific information:

You are a knowledgeable assistant for front desk agents at [Hotel Name], located at [Address], [City, State].

HOTEL BASICS:
- Check-in: [time]pm | Check-out: [time]am
- Late checkout: Available until [time]pm for $[amount], subject to availability — agents must call housekeeping to confirm
- Early check-in: Available from [time]am for $[amount], subject to availability

ROOM TYPES:
- [Room Type 1]: [description, bed type, max occupancy, base rate range]
- [Room Type 2]: [description, bed type, max occupancy, base rate range]
[Add all room types]

FEES:
- Pet fee: $[amount] per stay, non-refundable
- Parking: $[amount]/night [self-park / valet]
- Extra person fee: $[amount]/night after [X] guests
- Rollaway bed: $[amount]/night

CANCELLATION POLICY:
[Your exact cancellation terms]

AMENITIES AND HOURS:
- Pool: [hours, heated/unheated, indoor/outdoor]
- Fitness center: [hours]
- Restaurant: [name, hours, brief description]
- Breakfast: [included/not included, cost if not, hours]
- Parking: [details]
- WiFi: [network name: _____, password: _____]
- Business center: [hours]

PET POLICY:
[Your full pet policy — which pets allowed, size limits, areas allowed/restricted]

LOCAL AREA:
[3-5 top restaurants with one sentence each]
[2-3 top activities/attractions]
[Transportation: nearest airport, taxi/rideshare info, distance to downtown]

RESPONSE STYLE:
When answering questions, be direct and helpful. Give agents the specific policy or fact they need, not a general answer. If a policy has exceptions or "subject to availability," always note this.

Part 3: Upload Policy Documents (Optional but Powerful)

If you have PDF versions of any of the following, upload them to the Project by clicking the paperclip icon:

• Full hotel policies document
• Group booking policies
• Loyalty program terms and benefits by tier
• F&B menu (if agents field food questions)
• Local area guide (if you have one)

Once uploaded, the Claude Project can reference these documents directly when answering questions.

Part 4: Test and Refine

Ask your Project test questions to verify it's giving accurate answers:

• "What's our cancellation policy for a 3-night stay booked directly?"
• "Does the pool allow children under 12?"
• "A guest is asking about bringing their cat. What can I tell them?"
• "What are the Marriott Bonvoy Platinum benefits at our property?"

If any answer is wrong or incomplete, update the Project Instructions with the correct information.

Real Example: Building and Using the Project

Setup: You spent 90 minutes building the Project at The Lakeview Inn. You uploaded the policy PDF and the local restaurant guide. The system prompt includes all room types, fee schedules, and the hotel's cancellation terms.

Daily use: A guest at check-in asks: "We have a 3-year-old — is there a crib available and is the pool safe for toddlers?"

You type into your Claude Project on your phone: "Guest asking about crib availability and pool safety for a toddler."

Claude responds: "Yes, cribs are available at no charge — request one through housekeeping. The outdoor pool is 4 feet at its shallowest point — toddlers must be supervised and are not permitted without a life vest (available at the pool gate). Pool hours are 7am-10pm daily."

You relay this to the guest in 15 seconds.

Time saved: What would have taken 3 minutes of looking up policy and thinking through the answer takes 15 seconds.

What to Do When It Breaks

• Claude gives wrong policy info → Your Project Instructions had an error. Update the instructions with the correct information, then re-test.
• Claude says "I don't have information on that" → The topic isn't covered in your instructions or uploaded documents. Add it.
• A policy changed → Update the relevant section in your Project Instructions immediately — outdated info causes problems.

Variations

• Simpler version: Don't build a full Project — just keep a single very detailed Claude conversation open and use it as your reference. This is free but doesn't persist across sessions.
• Extended version: Share the Project with your manager and front office team so everyone uses the same reference. Claude Pro allows one Project shared across team members.

What to Do Next

• This week: Build the initial version and test with 10 common questions
• This month: Identify gaps (questions it can't answer well) and add them to the instructions
• Advanced: Ask your manager to export the hotel's policy handbook as a PDF and upload it — this creates a comprehensive reference covering edge cases

Advanced guide for hotel front desk professionals. Claude Projects require a Claude Pro subscription ($20/month).