The von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort is a 96-room property with a historic legacy spanning 75 years. Owned by descendants of the Trapp Family Singers, this family business sits in Vermont amid sweeping mountain views reminiscent of the Austrian Alps. The property appeals to every type of traveler by offering thrilling outdoor adventures alongside cozy activities like fireside fondue.
This resort is deeply rooted in history but eager to adopt new hospitality technology—especially if it helps create an outstanding guest experience. To that end, they adopted Canary’s AI Webchat and AI Guest Messaging to streamline guest communication. We spoke with Monica Daubenspeck, Revenue and Reservations Manager, to learn more.
There are many benefits to a scenic, remote property, but one con? Staffing. Monica told us, “In this part of Vermont, it’s not uncommon for someone to have a one-hour commute. That means fewer employees, more turnover and a lot of training.”
Canary’s AI Webchat reduces staff workload while providing great service to potential guests. Travelers researching the hotel on its website can get instant answers from the AI-powered chat tool. “Answering phones all day quickly leads to burnout,” said Monica. “AI Webchat handles 500 messages a week for us. It’s reduced call volume by 30% and our employees are much happier.”
The property’s previous website chatbot required hoteliers to manually enter each possible question and answer, necessitating a major time investment each time updates were needed. After switching to Canary AI, training the AI model to provide property information and accurate answers to guests was a breeze.
“Updating the AI’s knowledge base is super easy to do,” Monica told us. “It was a seamless process to get set up. I recently updated our pet pricing and it took me two seconds. It’s immediate.”
AI Webchat helps the resort deliver the exceptional guest experience it's known for. Because the property offers so many activities, guests often have questions about details, hours of operations and logistics.
This would have previously necessitated frequent, time-consuming phone calls for front desk staff. Now, AI Webchat handles it all instantly—all while maintaining a concierge-level experience. “We’ve significantly reduced hold and wait times, and the AI sounds natural rather than robotic. People often think they’re talking to a person,” said Monica.
The resort keeps the seamless communication going throughout the guest journey with Canary’s AI Guest Messaging, which provides instant answers to guests. Since the introduction, their average response time to guest messages has decreased from 9 minutes to under 30 seconds.
“It saves time and the mental bandwidth of getting guests’ information,” Monica told us. “It really just works exactly how it’s supposed to.”
Embracing AI-powered communication has given the Trapp Family Lodge and Resort an entirely new way to keep guests informed and increase staff satisfaction. From leadership down to hotel employees, their team has seen firsthand how beneficial AI can be. “Our Executive Vice President is a big proponent of AI,” said Monica. “He was all for it, and now, after seeing how much it enhances our ability to serve guests, we’re all on board!”
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