How Regiohotel runs nearly 8% of its total business with an AI agent

Regiohotel operates a portfolio of hotels and apartments across Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in a part of Central Germany where efficiency and adaptability matter more than ever. To remain competitive and future ready, the group is investing heavily in automation and digitalisation. The goal is to streamline internal workflows, elevate the guest experience and build an operation designed for long term success.

When we spoke with Johannes Pfützner, Managing Director of the Regiohotel Group, he shared his perspective on the changing hospitality landscape and the growing influence of technology across the industry. We discussed what led Regiohotel to switch to Apaleo, how he continuously refines the group’s tech stack and how he is transforming the business from a traditional hospitality model into a modern digital service provider.

Challenge: An outdated PMS lacking flexibility

Regiohotel needed a new PMS because its previous system had simply reached its limits. It was outdated, lacked the flexibility the group required and offered no clear path forward. Restricted API access also made it difficult to integrate third party solutions or retrieve relevant information quickly and efficiently. Instead of working with the right data in real time, staff often had to rely on time consuming workarounds that tied up valuable resources. The same limitations were reflected in automation, with core tasks such as pricing still having to be handled manually and adding unnecessary effort to daily operations.

“We are a highly data driven hospitality business, so having easy access to our data at all times is essential for us,” Mr Pfützner added.

Solution: Apaleo, the API first platform

Switching to Apaleo gave Regiohotel the open infrastructure it had been looking for. Full API access made it easy to connect third party solutions while giving the team far more freedom to streamline and automate everyday workflows. One example is the integration with LIKE MAGIC and Make.com, which now fully automates invoice distribution and payment reminders.

As Johannes Pfützner put it, “With Apaleo, the possibilities for automation and workflow design are almost endless.”

That same focus on automation extends well beyond the back office and is increasingly shaping the guest journey. All incoming reception calls are handled by a phone AI agent that automatically processes requests and generates both short and detailed transcripts of every conversation. If a guest hangs up early due to uncertainty or a misunderstanding, the agent will automatically call the guest back to clarify the issue and ensure the request is captured correctly.

To ensure quick response times, all enquiries handled by the phone AI are visible digitally and easy for staff to track. Tasks are created instantly for unresolved requests and are marked in red if not resolved within five minutes. This ensures that guests receive timely follow up unless the request has already been resolved automatically.

The continuous improvement of the phone AI is supported by a constantly expanding knowledge base that is updated daily. Any question the agent cannot answer is added to the database the following day. As a result, the range of requests it can handle continues to grow, from room rates and live bookings to arrival times, opening hours and resending invoices.

Simon Pfützner, from the next generation of the hotel group, is responsible for this AI agent and is already helping other hotels implement this phone solution.

Technically, this setup is powered by Apaleo’s open APIs and the Apaleo MCP server. The MCP server converts Apaleo’s APIs into tools the AI agent can use directly. This allows the phone AI to process property specific data from each hotel efficiently and in real time, while also creating a standardised access layer that enables the agent to operate without the need for custom integrations.

Result: An AI agent that turns calls into bookings

Regiohotel’s phone AI has now been in use for three months and is already delivering promising results. Acting as a fully automated answering service, it ensures that no incoming call goes unanswered. Guests no longer have to deal with long waiting times before their first point of contact, creating a much smoother experience from the very beginning. At the same time, the solution significantly reduces pressure on the reception team, allowing staff to focus more on personal guest interactions instead of constantly monitoring the phone.

Today, the agent already handles around 8% of Regiohotel’s total business and around 30% of its phone-based business, with both figures continuing to grow. Most importantly, these interactions are already translating into real bookings.

What’s next

Regiohotel continues to refine its digital reception model while steadily expanding the role of automation and AI. One of the next steps is for the AI to proactively contact guests whenever check-in details are incomplete, helping collect missing information before arrival and making the entire pre-check-in process even smoother. The group’s central inbox is also increasingly being supported by AI.

AI will therefore play a much bigger role across a wide range of Regiohotel’s day to day operations. Soon, it could automatically trigger orders with local bakeries or manage laundry requests based on occupancy levels and buffer stock. Another planned use case is the automated reconciliation of commission invoices, with OTA invoices being checked against Apaleo and cancellations reported automatically where necessary.

Alongside these developments, Regiohotel remains focused on healthy and sustainable growth. With the right opportunity for another property, the next Regiohotel may not be far off.

A dive into the tech stack of Regiohotel:

Browse apps in the Apaleo Store:

• LIKE MAGIC – Digital guest journey

• helloTESS! – Point of sale

• happyhotel – Revenue management system

• DATEV Connector – Accounting software

• Make.com – Visual automation platform

• Feratel – Identity management system

• n8n – AI workflow automation