Guests who speak other languages: what the AI translates and what you should check
By GuestChat Team ·
Hosting a guest who writes in Polish or Japanese shouldn't be a problem. But it helps to understand what gets translated on its own, where you see it, and what deserves a second look, so nothing catches you off guard.
The AI replies in the language the guest writes in
The AI looks at the language the guest actually writes in, not the one the booking site lists (which is usually the language of the browser they booked with). If they write in German, it replies in German. With very short messages, two or three words, it's sometimes impossible to tell the language for sure. In that case it sticks with the language it had already detected in the conversation or, if there isn't one, with the language the booking site gave at booking time. Only when there is no clue at all does it use English, trying to mirror the guest's language, instead of assuming it's Spanish.
You read it in your language
In Conversations, messages are shown translated into your dashboard's language. The header tells you whether the content is translated and, if some messages are still waiting, gives you a button to translate everything at once. Hover over a translated message to see the original, which is handy when the nuance matters (a complaint, a special request).
The booking details also translate what the guest wrote when they booked, in the box showing what they asked for.
You write in your language and they get it in theirs
When you reply from the dashboard, your message is translated into the guest's language before it goes out. Your original version is also kept in the history, so when you read it back you see what you wrote, not a re-translation. Any links you paste are set aside before translating so they don't break; and if something goes wrong with the translation, your original text is sent rather than a broken link.
Automated messages
Each automated message has a Spanish version and an English version. Write one and press Auto-translate to the other language to get the second. When it's sent, if the guest writes in another language (French, Italian, Dutch...), the message is translated into theirs. That way the welcome and the arrival instructions, which matter most, never reach them in a language they don't speak well.
Door alerts
If the virtual key can't open the door, the alert the guest sees appears instantly in Spanish or English and, for every other language, translated. Never with technical messages or manufacturer names.
What you should check yourself
- Proper names and addresses. A street name doesn't get translated. Write it in the property profile exactly as it appears on the sign.
- Local expressions. Phrases like “head down to the chiringuito” (a Spanish beach bar) or “the cove below” can sound odd once translated. In the property information, explain what it is in simple words.
- Complaints. When a message sounds like a complaint, read the original. The translation is good, but the tone of a complaint comes through better in its own language.
- Room names. If you call a room “the altillo” (the loft), explain what it is: the translator doesn't know.
Practical tip
Write your property profile in clear, plain language, with short sentences and no abbreviations. Anything that's easy to understand in your own language is easy to translate. “Parking: spot 15, level -1, entrance from the street behind” works in any language. “Pkg 15 x back” doesn't even work in English.