Problem

Better Places specializes in personalized, off-the-beaten-path travel experiences. Theirtravelers move independently through destinations, which creates a constant stream ofquestions—especially during the trip itself.

These questions are often:

• Time-sensitive
• Highly contextual (location, itinerary, timing)
• Asked outside office hours
• Repetitive across travelers

Examples include:

• “What time does the Easter celebration at Mitropoleos begin?”
• “How do we get from our hotel to the bike tour departure point?”
• “Can our rental car be delivered later?”

Answering these manually meant that the operations team was spending hours per traveler responding to logistical and informational requests, limiting scalability and increasing pressureon staff.

Solution

Better Places deployed George, the GuestButler AI assistant, to provide real-time guest supportvia WhatsApp throughout the entire journey.

GuestButler was trained on:

• Better Places’ destinations and routes
• Hotels, excursions, and transfers
• Internal travel documents and itineraries

Key capabilities included:

• 24/7 availability, even across time zones
• Context-aware conversations, remembering previous questions and itinerary details
• Multilingual support with native-quality translations
• Direct integration with itinerary and booking information
• Smart escalation, involving a human only when necessary

George acted as a digital travel companion, answering guest questions instantly withoutrequiring constant intervention from the operations team.

Results

During a single Better Places trip, GuestButler handled 70+ unique guest interactions, including:

• Local transport and directions
• Cultural events and local context
• Restaurant and activity recommendations
• Real-time location sharing
• Tour logistics and rescheduling
• Emergency contact information

Impact:

• 80% of guest questions fully resolved by AI
• Travelers described the experience as clear, helpful, and friendly
• Significant time savings for the operations team
• Reduced dependency on after-hours human support
• Ability to scale personalized travel experiences without scaling headcount

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Real Guest Interactions

Q: Where can we swim in Athens?

A: Here are five public pools and one nearby beach, including maps and opening hours

Q: How do we get to the Lycabettus cable car? Is it open today?

A: Yes! Here’s the location, opening hours, and a reminder to catch the sunset at 19:45.

Q: What are the top 3 things to do near the Acropolis?

A: Acropolis Museum, Ancient Agora, and the Temple of Zeus—with ticket links included.

Q: Can we move our rental car delivery time?

A: Yes—call this number, mention your reservation, and ask to reschedule.

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Conclusion

For tour operators like Better Places, GuestButler transforms guest communication from aconstant operational burden into a scalable, reliable, and guest-friendly experience.

By resolving real-time support before, during, and after the trip, GuestButler:

• Reduces stress for travelers
• Frees up operations teams
• Maintains the high-touch experience expected from tailor-made tours
• Enables growth without expanding the back office