Meet your AI teammate
The Trellis AI agent is like having an experienced team member who never sleeps. It reads every guest message, understands the context — which property, which reservation, what time of day — and responds with accurate, helpful answers. But it also knows its limits. When something is outside its scope — a complaint, a refund request, a safety issue — it escalates to your team instead of guessing.What the AI agent can do
Answer guest questions
Check-in instructions, Wi-Fi passwords, parking info, house rules, local recommendations — the AI handles routine questions instantly, in the guest’s language.
Draft replies for your review
For messages that need a personal touch, the AI drafts a response and waits for you to approve, edit, or reject it.
Handle multiple languages
Guests write in their language; the AI responds in kind. Trellis supports 12 languages so communication is never a barrier.
Create tasks from conversations
If a guest reports a maintenance issue, the AI can create a task and assign it to the right person — without you lifting a finger.
Escalate when needed
Complaints, refund requests, safety concerns, or anything outside the AI’s instructions get escalated to your team immediately.
Learn and improve
The AI remembers important details from past interactions and gets better over time as you refine its instructions.
How the AI responds to guests
A guest sends a message
A message arrives in your unified inbox through any channel — Airbnb, Booking.com, WhatsApp, email, or SMS.
The AI gathers context
It looks at:
- The guest’s reservation (dates, property, number of guests)
- The property details (amenities, house rules, check-in procedures)
- Your agent instructions (tone, policies, what to escalate)
- The conversation history (what has been discussed before)
- The knowledge base (documents you have added)
The AI crafts a response
Using all that context, it writes a reply that is accurate, on-brand, and helpful. No generic responses — every answer is tailored to the specific guest and property.
Setting up your AI agent
Writing great agent instructions
Your agent instructions tell the AI how to represent your business. The better your instructions, the better the AI performs. Include in your instructions:Brand voice and tone
Brand voice and tone
Are you casual and friendly? Professional and formal? Warm but concise? Give the AI a clear sense of how you communicate with guests. Include example phrases if it helps.
Check-in and check-out procedures
Check-in and check-out procedures
Step-by-step instructions for arriving at the property — door codes, key boxes, parking, building access, and any quirks the guest should know about.
House rules and policies
House rules and policies
Quiet hours, smoking policy, pet policy, maximum occupancy, pool hours, trash collection schedule, and anything else guests need to follow.
Common FAQs
Common FAQs
The questions you get asked most often: Wi-Fi password, parking instructions, nearest grocery store, late checkout policy, how to use the hot tub.
Escalation rules
Escalation rules
Be specific about what the AI should NOT handle: refund requests, damage claims, noise complaints, safety issues, or anything that needs manager approval. The AI will escalate these to your team.
Configuring autopilot
You control how much autonomy the AI has for each type of contact:| Contact type | Recommended starting setting |
|---|---|
| Guests | Start with review mode. Switch to autopilot once you are confident in the AI’s responses. |
| Owners | Keep in review mode. Owner communications often need a personal touch. |
| Vendors | Review mode for most teams. Autopilot if vendor interactions are routine. |
Knowledge base
The knowledge base gives your AI agent access to documents and information beyond what is in your agent instructions. What to add to the knowledge base:- Property-specific guides (detailed check-in procedures per property)
- Local area guides and recommendations
- Seasonal information (pool opening dates, ski pass details)
- Cleaning and maintenance procedures your team follows
- Standard operating procedures for common situations
Create or upload documents
Write documents directly in Trellis or upload existing guides. Organize them into folders by property, topic, or team.
Agent memories
Over time, your AI agent learns from interactions and builds a memory of important details. Memories help the AI give more consistent, personalized responses.- Manual memories
- Learned memories
Add memories yourself to teach the AI specific things it should always remember. For example: “The Johnson family are repeat guests who always request early check-in” or “Unit 4B has a tricky thermostat — guests need to press and hold for 3 seconds.”
Multiple agents
For larger operations, you can create multiple AI agents — each with different instructions, permissions, and areas of focus. Common setups:| Agent | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Guest communications | Handles all inbound guest messages with a friendly, helpful tone. Knows check-in procedures, house rules, and local tips. |
| Owner updates | Communicates with property owners in a professional, business-oriented tone. Provides performance data and maintenance updates. |
| Internal operations | Helps your team with operational questions — looking up reservation details, finding property information, or generating reports. |
Each agent can have different tool permissions. Your guest-facing agent might only be able to read property details, while your internal operations agent can create tasks and update records.
The AI chat sidebar
Beyond handling guest messages, you can chat directly with the AI agent from anywhere in Trellis. Use the AI sidebar to:- Ask questions about your properties, reservations, or guests
- Get quick summaries of conversations or tasks
- Create tasks or update records by simply asking
- Draft messages for manual review
- Get operational insights and recommendations
Tips for getting the best results
Be specific in your instructions
Vague instructions lead to vague responses. Instead of “be helpful,” write “always include the property address and door code in check-in replies.”
Update instructions regularly
As your business evolves — new properties, changed policies, seasonal updates — update your agent instructions to match.
Review AI responses weekly
Even with autopilot on, review a sample of AI responses each week. Look for patterns where the AI could improve and update your instructions accordingly.
Use the knowledge base for details
Keep agent instructions high-level (tone, policies, escalation rules) and put detailed property guides in the knowledge base. This keeps things organized and easy to update.