Russian booking platform Otello has rolled out an AI assistant designed to simplify hotel selection and trip planning. Users can describe their accommodation needs in natural language, ask about hotel amenities, and receive tailored activity plans for their destination. The assistant uses hotel data, partner inventory, and 2GIS’s extensive local directory to generate personalized recommendations.
How Otello’s AI assistant works for hotel booking
Users can simply type their requests in conversational language, such as ”going to Sochi for the weekend with friends, want a hotel with a pool,” or ”hotel near the Hermitage.” The neural network curates a list of current hotel options, displayed as interactive widgets featuring hotel cards. Each card includes a photo gallery, descriptions highlighting specified criteria, a favorite button, and a map pin. Hotels can be selected and booked directly within the chat interface.
The assistant remains engaged throughout the travel process-even after booking-answering questions about hotel policies such as parking, breakfast times, luggage storage, or hairdryer availability. It also provides weather forecasts and packing advice. Importantly, the AI tracks context, remembering which hotel was booked and the travel dates to deliver relevant information.
Dar’ya Rezanova, Otello’s product manager, states that 20% of customer support inquiries concern hotel conditions during or after booking. This insight shaped how the AI model was trained and prioritized.
City information and itinerary planning with Otello’s AI assistant
Beyond hotel bookings, the AI assistant integrates data from 2GIS-a Russian mapping and business directory service-to recommend nearby amenities and attractions like restaurants, cafes, tours, shops, pharmacies, and museums. It can also draft daily agendas and suggest route logistics for a seamless travel experience.
Rezanova highlighted the team’s plans to expand the assistant’s capabilities, improving existing features and adding new ones to help users select travel destinations, not just individual hotels.
Otello’s AI assistant enters an evolving market of conversational travel tools, competing with technologies like Google Duplex for hotel reservations and hospitality chatbots from Booking.com and Expedia. Its integration of local business data from 2GIS sets Otello apart by combining accommodation search with comprehensive, hyperlocal travel planning.
As AI reshapes how travelers plan trips, Otello’s focus on multi-stage assistance-from hotel selection to post-booking support-could establish new standards for travel AI in Russia and beyond. Future expansions may include deeper integration with city guides and coverage extending outside Russian cities.