FOR HOTELS, HOMESTAYS & RESORTS
WhatsApp booking system
Answer guest enquiries using your configured rooms, rates and availability. Share a payment link and manage direct reservations for your hotel, homestay or resort.
Guests message at 11pm, during the checkout rush and from the back seat of a cab on the way in. Your booking desk should work around the clock, even when nobody is standing at it.
Built by property owners for property owners · 0% commission · Direct payments to your bank
From enquiry to reservation
ILLUSTRATIVE BOOKING WORKFLOW
Guest enquiry
Dates, guest count and stay requirements
Property quote
Available rooms, total price and inclusions
Payment link
Collect the advance using your booking rules
Confirmed reservation
Record the stay after payment verification
Your rates. Your booking rules. Your reservation calendar.
THE CONVERSATION YOU ARE LOSING
Keep the booking conversation with your property
Across hotels, homestays and resorts, the same thing keeps happening. A guest messages you on WhatsApp because it is the fastest way to ask “is this available” and get a real answer. If nobody replies within a few minutes, that guest does not wait. They message the next property on their shortlist or they book through an OTA “just to be safe” and you end up paying commission on a guest who was never really lost to begin with.
THE COST OF SILENCE
The cost of missed enquiries
A guest who calls during a checkout rush and gets a busy line does not call back. They book the hotel two lanes away, the homestay down the road or a resort with the same view and a faster reply. None of that shows up as a line item anywhere, but multiplied across a season, it is bigger than most of the commission you already know you are paying.
END TO END RESERVATIONS
What a WhatsApp booking system actually does
It sits on your existing WhatsApp number or a new WhatsApp Business number and takes over the parts of a booking conversation that do not need a person doing them from scratch every time.
Hotels, homestays and resorts can all share configured quotes and payment links on WhatsApp.
Answers instantly, any hour
Guest messages get a real answer within seconds, day or night, without anyone standing by a phone.
Quotes the right rate
Replies use your configured room types, rates and OpenStays availability. Keep those details current and check external bookings when an iCal feed has not yet refreshed.
Collects the advance
Share the payment link in the same chat. Gateway payments follow the connected provider’s confirmation flow. Direct UPI payments need verification by your team before confirmation.
Confirms and syncs
Confirmed OpenStays bookings update your reservation calendar. Connected iCal feeds refresh periodically and share blocked dates, so external availability can lag.
BUILT AROUND HOW EVERY PROPERTY RUNS
Takes the desk work off the desk
Once it is set up, most of what used to need a person watching WhatsApp all day happens on its own.
No missed enquiries
Every message gets answered, even the ones that come in at 2am or during a rush.
No manual rate lookups
Whoever is on shift does not need to remember every rate for every room type or season.
Keep direct availability current
Record and confirm bookings in OpenStays to keep your direct booking availability current. Check external calendars while an iCal refresh is pending.
No chasing payments
The advance is collected before the booking is confirmed, not after.
Guest IDs linked to the stay
Collect guest IDs through your configured check-in workflow and keep them linked to the reservation. OpenStays can flag Form C requirements for foreign guests. Your property remains responsible for the required submission.
Upsells offered automatically
The moment a booking is confirmed, the same chat can offer the upgrade, the early check-in or the extra bed that a busy front desk usually forgets to mention.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
Three properties, one busy evening
A 14-room hotel in Manali, Saturday evening
A 14-room hotel uses configured WhatsApp replies while the front desk handles checkouts. Guests can receive a room quote and payment link in the same conversation. Staff record a walk-in in OpenStays to update direct availability. Compatible iCal feeds refresh periodically, so the team checks external availability during any delay. Foreign guest IDs can be linked to the stay and a Form C requirement flagged for staff to complete.
A 5-room homestay in Coorg, Tuesday morning
A five-room homestay owner serves breakfast while a guest asks about weekend availability. The assistant replies using configured rates and can offer an eligible discount within the owner’s rules. A gateway-confirmed payment follows the connected payment workflow. A direct UPI transfer requires staff verification. The owner can review the conversation and take over when a guest needs a personal answer.
A resort near Wayanad, the Friday before a long weekend
A resort receives enquiries about cottages, meals and group stays before a busy weekend. Configured replies share the available options and a payment link. The team checks complex group requirements before confirming the allocation. Guest ID requests and pre-arrival messages can follow the configured workflow. Staff review exceptional requests instead of treating every enquiry as a guaranteed automatic booking.
BOOKING CHANNELS
Compare booking workflows
Swipe to see all booking channels.
| WhatsApp booking system | OTA-only | Phone & front desk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers at 2am | Yes | Yes, but pays commission | No |
| Commission per booking | None | 20% illustrative | None |
| Guest data | Yours | Held by the OTA | Yours, if someone wrote it down |
| Confirms without a human | With supported gateway confirmation | Yes | No |
| Works when the desk is busy | Yes | Yes | No |
Illustrative comparison only. OTA commissions and payment fees vary. Taxes are separate. Direct UPI transfers require verification by your team.
HOW IT WORKS
Live in a few days, not a few weeks
Setting up a WhatsApp booking system with OpenStays takes about a few days.
Connect your WhatsApp number
Your existing number or a new WhatsApp Business number, whichever you prefer.
Load your rooms or units and rates
Room categories for a hotel, individual units for a homestay, packages for a resort.
Set your booking rules
Advance percentage, cancellation window, any blackout dates.
Go live and share your WhatsApp link
On your website, Instagram bio, Google Business Profile and anywhere else guests already look for you.
Keep using WhatsApp Business on your phone while AI works on the same eligible number. See how WhatsApp coexistence works.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
How to evaluate any WhatsApp booking system
- Does it collect payment inside the chat or does it just answer questions and leave the booking half done?
- Does it check real-time availability before confirming or can it double-book you?
- Does it handle guest ID and compliance steps for foreign guests, not just Indian guests?
- Can a person take over the conversation without the guest having to repeat themselves?
- Is the guest data yours to keep or locked inside the vendor’s own app?
Frequently asked questions
Do we need the WhatsApp Business API?
For most properties, yes, since the API is what allows automated replies, payment links and multi-agent access. OpenStays handles the API setup as part of onboarding.
Can a person take over the chat if a guest needs to talk to someone?
Yes. Anyone on your team can jump into the same conversation at any point without the guest starting over.
Where does the guest’s advance payment go?
Straight to your own bank account. OpenStays does not hold guest money at any point.
Can we keep our OTA listings running alongside this?
Yes. Most properties keep their OTA listings live and simply route direct enquiries through WhatsApp instead of losing them to a phone call or a form.
What languages can guests use?
Guests can write in English or common regional languages and the system replies in the same language they used.
Is guest data safe on a WhatsApp booking system?
Guest details stay in your own account and are not sold or shared. You can export or delete them at any time.
How are guest ID and compliance requirements for foreign guests handled?
The system can prompt for ID and keep records linked to the reservation. Form C requirements can be flagged for foreign guests. OpenStays does not automatically submit Form C or Form III. Your property must complete the required reporting.
Can we embed booking on our own website too?
Yes, the same booking flow can sit behind a widget on your website in addition to WhatsApp.
What happens to guests who prefer calling instead of messaging?
They can still call. The WhatsApp system handles the guests who would rather message, it does not replace your phone line.
Will we lose our current WhatsApp number or chat history when we switch this on?
Eligible WhatsApp Business App numbers can use coexistence to keep the app alongside the Business Platform connection. Eligibility and onboarding requirements apply. Confirm your number’s setup before connecting it.
How much time does setup really take if we are running the property alone?
Most solo owners are live within a couple of days, since the setup is mostly loading your rooms or units and rates rather than anything technical.
Does it work differently for a resort selling packages compared to a single hotel room?
The underlying system is the same, but a resort can set up multi-night packages and add-ons, while a hotel typically sets it up by room category.
We only have three or four rooms. Is this overkill for a property this small?
No. Smaller properties often see the biggest relative benefit, since one missed enquiry is a bigger share of a small property’s monthly bookings. Setup takes the same amount of time regardless of size and features you do not need can simply stay switched off.
Can it handle large group bookings or corporate offsites for a resort?
Yes. Group size, headcount and multi-room or multi-cottage requirements are handled in the same chat, with quotes that adjust automatically as the group size or package changes.
Do we need a website before we can take direct bookings?
No. The WhatsApp link and your existing number are enough to start taking direct bookings. A website is not required, though the same system can sit behind one if you already have it.
Is the room or cottage held before payment comes in?
A short hold window keeps it available while the payment link is open, so it is not lost to another enquiry mid-conversation, but nothing is confirmed and blocked on the calendar until the advance actually clears.
What happens if a group’s headcount changes after booking?
Guests can update headcount or room mix directly in the same chat up until the change window closes. The quote and any additional balance adjust automatically, without a phone call back to the desk.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What changes in the first month
Start by checking your room details, rates, booking rules and payment flow with a few real enquiries. Review the replies and refine your setup before relying on automation during busy periods. Your team can still take over a conversation and guests can continue to call or book through other channels.
Answer every guest, on the app they already have open.
Every guest who messages you deserves a reply before they message someone else.