When AI Seems Human: The Risks and Rewards of Anthropomorphizing in Hospitality

In the race to stand out in a competitive hospitality market, hoteliers are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to provide faster, more personalized guest service. Voice bots, chatbots, and virtual agents have become common tools for managing reservations, handling inquiries, and even making recommendations. But as these systems adopt more human-like qualities—first-person pronouns, conversational tones, even simulated emotions—they raise a question: when an AI “feels” human, do guests understand it’s still a machine?

This tendency to attribute human traits to AI, known as anthropomorphizing, can be both a benefit and a liability for hotels. When done well, it creates smoother, more natural interactions that encourage guest trust. When taken too far, it risks misleading guests or creating unrealistic expectations.

Why Anthropomorphizing Happens

Hospitality is built on human connection. Guests expect warmth, empathy, and attentive service— the very qualities AI developers strive to emulate. Features like natural language processing (NLP), contextual awareness, and carefully chosen pronouns make it easier for guests to communicate naturally with an AI system.

The challenge arises when human-like traits cross the line into creating the illusion of individual identity. If a guest believes they are speaking to a live person, they may attribute human judgment or emotional nuance that the AI can’t provide.

The Risk of Misaligned Expectations

A growing body of research confirms what many hoteliers already suspect: AI may know a lot about your guests, but it still doesn’t know them. It can deliver precise recommendations based on data, whether that’s suggesting a local restaurant or upselling a room package. Still, it cannot read the subtle cues that an experienced concierge would notice.

73% of consumers say they want AI to make customer experiences more helpful and efficient, not more “human” in a deceptive way. Guests appreciate quick, accurate answers, but if AI interactions feel emotionally manipulative, it can erode trust.

For hotels, managing this balance is critical. Over-promising on AI’s “personality” can lead to disappointment when guests realize the system can’t adapt to complex, emotional situations the way a staff member can.

The Opportunity for Hotels

Anthropomorphizing, when handled thoughtfully, can be a strategic advantage. Guests prefer interacting with systems that feel approachable, especially when compared to rigid, menu-driven chatbots. By blending human-like communication with clear boundaries, hotels can create an experience that feels personal without misrepresenting the technology.

Annette excels here by answering calls quickly, something that directly improves reservation capture rates, and by offering context-aware product and service recommendations. In fact, 67% of guests say they’re more likely to accept upsell suggestions when they’re relevant and well-timed.

Setting Clear Expectations

The key to using anthropomorphizing effectively is transparency. Guests should know they are interacting with an AI system from the start. This doesn’t diminish the value of the interaction — it enhances it by building trust.

Practical tips for hotels include:

• Introduce the AI by name and role: “I’m Annette, The Virtual Hotel Agent. I can help you with questions, recommendations, and guest services.”
• Avoid emotional manipulation: Expressing sympathy or excitement in a way that suggests genuine feeling can create false impressions.
• Be consistent in tone: Keep the AI’s “voice” professional yet warm, aligning with the hotel’s brand personality.
• Provide easy escalation: Ensure guests can quickly reach a live agent for complex or sensitive matters.

Why This Matters Now

Hospitality is in a moment of transformation. Industry experts predicted travel booms and labor shortages, and both have come true. In this environment, every guest interaction counts. It’s absolutely critical to take advantage of every opportunity to earn positive guest comments and improve your rankings, whether those interactions happen with a live staff member or an AI system.

As OTAs struggle with unresponsiveness, direct guest engagement (primarily through the voice channel) becomes a powerful differentiator. Unlocking the power of that channel with guest-led, conversational hotel AI can improve conversions, enhance engagement, and keep guests booking directly with your property.

Final Takeaway for Hoteliers

AI is revolutionizing hotel operations, but its success depends on clarity and authenticity. Anthropomorphizing can make systems like Annette more relatable and approachable, but it must be paired with transparency to avoid misleading guests.

When guests know what to expect and receive fast, relevant, and helpful responses, they’re more likely to leave satisfied, return in the future, and recommend your property to others. That’s how hotels can compete in the era of OTA’s like Booking.com and Airbnb, and deliver the kind of authentic, memorable experiences that drive loyalty.

For more information on how Travel Outlook and Annette, the Virtual Hotel Agent™ can transform your hotel’s operations, visit TravelOutlook.com/Annette today.

About John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook

A veteran in the hospitality industry, John has owned, developed, and managed hotels for many years.  After earning a BBA from New Mexico State University, he started his career with AT&T, gaining invaluable insight and experience in the early years of the data revolution.  His experience in technology and hospitality merged in his development of Travel Outlook, the world-class hospitality contact center.  More recently, he has branched out with the creation of Annette, the first AI-powered conversational AI assistant for the hotel industry.

About Travel Outlook the Premier Hotel Call Center™

Travel Outlook is an innovative, custom off-site central reservations office (CRO) service that serves as either a primary or overflow reservations department for hotels. Travel Outlook utilizes industry-leading talent combined with hospitality-specific AI-powered technology (Annette, The Virtual Hotel Agent™) to enhance customers’ voice channels and increase conversion rates.

Given its progressive approach to the voice channel – in terms of performance, training, transparency, testing and the tools used to measure performance – Travel Outlook, the premier hotel call center™ is the leading voice reservations team in hospitality. Travel Outlook’s valued client list includes Viceroy Hotel Group, Curator Hotels and Resorts, Outrigger, KSL Resorts, Proper Hospitality Group, Atlantis, The Irvine Company, Sage Hospitality, Noble House Hotels, HEI Hotels, Pyramid Global, and many others. Travel Outlook’s team and approach increases sales conversion and helps to create more effective voice communication between hotels and their guests, resulting in improved social scores in addition to increased voice channel revenue.
https://traveloutlook.com/

About Annette, The Virtual Hotel Agent™

Annette is a guest-led conversational AI assistant designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Annette has been programmed using a breakthrough approach to conversational AI, using natural language understanding software built from human conversations. Using social media, chat forums, and movie dialogue, Annette learns from billions of casual human conversations to understand human inflections and multi-turn queries. This revolutionary approach means Annette understands callers no matter what they say, when they say it, or how they speak. Annette can answer FAQs specific to your property, understand multiple languages, route calls, send follow up texts, and more. For more information, visit https://traveloutlook.com/annette/