Home / Use cases / AI receptionist · Hospitality & restaurants

A reservations agent for restaurants.

Table requests, group bookings and allergy questions on WhatsApp and the phone, booked straight into your reservation system while the team is busy with service.

Short answer

For restaurants and hospitality venues, an AI receptionist takes table requests on WhatsApp, web chat and the phone, checks real availability in your reservation system (SevenRooms, Zenchef, OpenTable, TheFork or Formitable), books and confirms, answers questions about opening hours, menus and parking, and hands group bookings, events and every allergy question to staff. ORVL builds it from €3,900 (AED 15,900) excl. VAT.

The problem

Why restaurants and hospitality businesses look at ai receptionist.

The phone rings hardest exactly when nobody can answer it: between 19:00 and 21:00, in the middle of service. Missed calls turn into lost tables, and WhatsApp booking requests pile up until someone checks the phone after closing.

Most of these contacts are simple: a table for four on Friday, can we bring a dog, is there parking. The ones that are not simple, a group of 25 or a severe nut allergy, deserve a person's full attention rather than a hurried answer during service.

The workflow

What the agent does, step by step.

TriggerCall or message

Booking request by phone, WhatsApp, Instagram or website chat.

CheckLive availability

Reads covers and tables from the reservation system for the requested time.

BookConfirm and remind

Creates the reservation, sends confirmation and a reminder on the day.

AnswerVenue questions

Opening hours, menu link, dress code, parking, terrace, from your approved list.

Hand offGroups, events, allergies

Large parties, buy-outs and any allergy or dietary question go to the manager.

Integrations

Systems it works with.

Reservation platforms differ in API access; some only allow bookings through partner integrations, which the Blueprint checks first.

SevenRooms, Zenchef, OpenTable, TheFork or Formitable
WhatsApp Business Platform
Phone line with voice agent
Instagram messaging
Google Business Profile booking link
Guardrails

Where a human decides.

Food safety and allergen information carry legal duties, so the agent stays out of them.

Never confirms a dish is safe for an allergy; allergen questions go to staff (EU Regulation 1169/2011 applies to the information you give)
Deposits and cancellation fees explained exactly as in your policy
Group bookings above your limit always confirmed by a manager
Callers can always reach a person or leave a callback request
Measuring it

How you know it works.

Measure: answered-call rate during service, reservations created by the agent per week, and no-show rate after reminders.

Example with assumed numbers: a 90-seat restaurant misses 15 calls on a Friday evening. If a third of those were booking requests averaging three covers, that is about 15 covers a Friday that currently depend on callers trying again.

The example uses assumed numbers to show the method. It is not a client result or a promise.

Price

What it costs.

One systemfrom €3,900AED 15,900 · one-time · live in 30 days or setup fee back
Plan first€1,950AI Blueprint · AED 7,900 · 100% credited if you build within 60 days
Keep it running€490/moRun & Care · AED 1,990/mo · cancel monthly

All prices excl. VAT. The fixed quote comes from the AI Blueprint.

Honest fit check

When this is not the right build.

If you are walk-in only, or most bookings already come through an online widget, a voice agent adds little. Fix the widget and Google listing first.

FAQ

Common questions.

Can it take bookings for hotels too?

It can answer guest questions and pass room requests to your PMS team. Room bookings and rate decisions are usually better left in your booking engine.

Does it work in Dubai and Amsterdam?

Yes. Arabic and English for the Gulf, Dutch and English in the Netherlands, matched to your reservation platform.

Free 30-minute audit

Want this in your business?

Tell us how you work today. We'll tell you honestly what AI can take off your team's plate, what it costs, and whether we are the right fit.