AI Guest Communication in Short-Term Rentals: Building a Human Brand at Scale with Sabrina Mulligan

"Guests want and deserve answers instantly — and when you learn the art of great communication, they'll keep talking to Zoe even after they find out she's AI."

What happens when a guest asks mid-conversation, "Are you AI or human?" — and then just keeps chatting anyway?

That's not a glitch. That's the goal.

In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Sabrina Mulligan, AI-First Hospitality Brand Strategist at Zzzing — a tech-driven hospitality brand managing over 550 keys across hotels, vacation rentals, and boutique guesthouses in Malta. Sabrina has spent the last three years at the intersection of brand, guest experience, and AI, building systems that let a growing portfolio still feel personal, local, and boutique.

What unfolds in this conversation is genuinely rare. This isn't a surface-level talk about chatbots saving time. Sabrina walks through exactly how she built an AI character named Zoe, how she earned her team's trust, and how that trust translated into 80–85% of all guest and owner communication being handled by AI — without losing the soul of the brand.

Whether you're just starting to explore AI for guest communication in short-term rentals or you're already using automation and want to level up the experience, this episode will shift how you think about hospitality in the age of AI.

🔗 Connect with Sabrina Mulligan

🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sabrinamulligan

🔺 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sab_mulligan/

Sabrina is also getting ready to launch a series of private mastermind sessions for STR professionals who want to go deeper on AI and guest experience — focused on where AI truly fits in the high-touch space, and how to monetize the guest experience without losing the human element. Keep an eye on her LinkedIn for details.