What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll understand how Canary Technologies' AI guest messaging platform works, how to help your property set it up, and what the automated pre-arrival and during-stay messages look like for guests. When configured, Canary automatically handles 80%+ of routine guest inquiries via SMS and WhatsApp — reducing your front desk phone volume by 40-60% and handling messages in 100+ languages automatically.
What you'll need
- Management approval and account — Canary is a hotel-level subscription (~$200-500/month depending on property size)
- PMS integration setup (your manager or Canary's onboarding team handles this)
- Access to the Canary dashboard (your manager or front office manager sets this up)
- Time needed: 45-60 minutes for initial setup; ongoing daily review of 5-10 minutes
- Cost: Contact Canary for pricing at canarytechnologies.com
Note: This guide requires management involvement for account setup. As a front desk agent, your role is to understand the system, help configure messages, and monitor the dashboard.
How-To Guide: Set Up Automated Guest Messaging with Canary Technologies
Step 1: Understand what Canary does
Canary integrates with your PMS (Opera, Cloudbeds, Mews, and 100+ others). Once connected, it:
- Automatically sends pre-arrival messages to guests 24-48 hours before check-in
- Responds to common guest inquiries via SMS/WhatsApp automatically (check-in time, parking, WiFi password, late checkout)
- Escalates questions it can't answer to the front desk agent for human response
- Translates messages to/from the guest's language automatically
Think of it as a digital front desk assistant that handles routine questions around the clock, even at 2am when no one is at the desk.