The Communications Hub (Comms Hub) brings every guest conversation into one screen: WhatsApp, email and OTA messaging. This is where you reply manually, check booking details and handle Virtual Concierge escalations.
The screen has three main areas:
Conversation list (left): every conversation, with the + button in the top-right corner to start a new one.
Chat (centre): the conversation history and the message box.
Side panel (right): booking details, online check-in, message sending and internal notes.
There is also a dedicated Escalations area and a Dashboard with your account metrics.
1. Chat: replying and translating messages
In the chat you read the conversation history with the guest and send manual replies. Messages you send manually can be translated automatically into the guest's language.
To reply:
Click the guest's conversation in the list on the left.
Type your message in the message box at the bottom of the chat.
Click send.
To turn translation on or off:
Next to the AI button, find the translation selector. A grey dot means translation is off: the message is sent exactly as you typed it.
Click the arrow next to the selector. In Languages, search for and select the language the message should be sent in.
Translation is now on: the selector shows a green dot and the language code (e.g. AR for Arabic), and the Send button shows the translation icon. Write your message and click Send; it is translated before it goes out.
To turn translation off, click the selector again so the dot turns grey.
Good to know
A reply that can't go by WhatsApp is stopped before sending, so you know straight away.
Messages that can't be delivered show as failed in the conversation, and you get a failure alert. Resending sends the message to the latest number on the booking.
If a guest's phone number has changed, correct it in the Comms Hub too, not only in your PMS.
On Virtual Concierge replies, use 👍 or 👎 at the end of the message to rate the AI. With 👎, choose the issue category and describe what the correct answer should have been.
2. Quick replies
Quick replies are ready-made messages you save once and insert into any conversation in a few clicks.
To use a quick reply:
In the message box, click the book icon (Open quick replies).
In Quick Replies, search or browse the list, expand a reply to check its text, and select it. The text is inserted into the message box, where you can adjust it before clicking Send.
To create or manage quick replies:
In the Quick Replies window, click Manage.
In Manage quick replies you can search, filter by category, edit (pencil) or delete (bin) a reply, and organise Categories. Click Create new to add a reply.
Fill in Title and Message body (both required), choose a Category if you like, and keep Active ticked so the reply appears in the list. Click Create.
Quick replies are for manual messages. Automated guest-journey messages are a separate feature: changes to them are requested through the platform and reviewed by the Upmarket team before publication.
3. Side panel: booking details and actions
The side panel, to the right of the chat, shows everything about the booking for the open conversation and gathers the most-used actions.
# | Section | What you see | What you can do |
1 | Guest and booking | Guest name, booking status, phone number, assigned language, stay dates, property and number of guests | Edit the phone number and language (pencil icon); copy the guest app link with Copy Guest App Link |
2 | Online check-in | Check-in status (e.g. Pending) and how many guests have registered | Copy the check-in link with Copy Online Check-in link; tick Allow changing the number of guests |
3 | Send buttons | Two buttons below online check-in | Send the check-in reminder (Send Online Check-In Reminder) or the arrival instructions (Send Arrival Instructions) manually |
4 | Notes | Internal team notes about the booking | Add a note with a category |
To add an internal note:
Open the guest's conversation and expand Notes in the side panel.
Write the note in Add a note... (for example, a special request or something agreed with the guest).
Choose a category: General, Operational, Guest preference or Handover.
Click the save icon.
Notes are internal: your team sees them, the guest does not.
If arrival instructions fail on WhatsApp, the booking shows the send as failed, with the option to send again.
4. Starting a new WhatsApp conversation
When there is no booking or open conversation with a contact, you can start a manual WhatsApp conversation.
Click the new conversation icon (speech bubble with +) in the top-right corner of the conversation list.
In Phone Number, choose the country code and enter the contact's number (required).
In Name, enter the contact's name.
In Location Name, select the property the contact is related to.
Click New Contact and write your first message in the chat.
WhatsApp is only used when the number is valid and your WhatsApp number can send. Otherwise the message is stopped and you are notified.
5. Filtering conversations
Two tools narrow the conversation list, and they work together: the Show conversations menu and the Filters window. Combine them to find exactly the guests you need to act on.
1. Show conversations (top of the list) chooses which conversations appear:
All: every conversation.
Active: active conversations only.
All escalations: every conversation with an escalation.
Active escalations: only escalations still open.
Automation disabled: conversations where automation is turned off.
2. Filters (funnel icon) narrows the list further by booking. Tick options in one or more tabs and click Apply:
Tab | What you can filter by |
Property | The property of the booking |
Bookings | Stay dates (current guests, check-in date, check-out date, custom date range), online check-in status (Pending, Completed, Not applicable) and booking lifecycle |
Booking channel | Where the booking came from: Direct, Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Vrbo and others (search or Select All) |
Active filters appear as tags next to the funnel icon (for example, Booking Status: Confirmed). Remove one with its x, or click Clear all.
Useful combinations
What you want to see | Show conversations | Filters |
Guests arriving today who haven't done online check-in | All | Bookings → Check-in Date: Today + Online check-in: Pending |
Open escalations for one property | Active escalations | Property → the property |
Guests currently staying who booked on Booking.com | All | Bookings → Current Guests + Booking channel → Booking.com |
Guests leaving tomorrow, to prepare check-out | All | Bookings → Check-out Date: Tomorrow |
Conversations with automation turned off | Automation disabled | (none) |
6. Escalations
An escalation transfers the guest to a member of your team when the Virtual Concierge cannot or should not respond. Each escalation becomes a ticket in the Escalations section of your Comms Hub and triggers a notification via WhatsApp, email, or both.
You can find all the related information in our complete guide on Escalations here: Escalations Guide – Virtual Concierge
7. Insights (dashboard)
Insights, in the side menu, shows your account's conversation metrics. Choose the period (Last 30 Days, Last 7 Days, Today or Custom Range) and the locations to include; every number on the page follows that choice.
Metric cards (hover the ? on each card for its definition)
Metric | What it shows |
Total Conversations | Number of conversations in the period |
Automation Rate | Share of conversations handled automatically |
Escalated to Team | Share of conversations escalated to your team, and the most common escalation category |
Known vs. Unknown Contacts | Conversations with known contacts compared with unknown ones |
Avg. Response Time | Average time to respond |
Avg. Resolution Time | Average time to resolve |
Upsell Revenue | Revenue from upsells sold in the period |
Completed Orders | Upsell orders completed in the period |
Below the cards
Location Insights: the same key metrics broken down by property, so you can see which properties have the most interactions.
Daily Conversation Trends: a daily chart of conversations, which you can show for all conversations, known contacts or unknown contacts.
What guests escalate about: the most common escalation categories, with the number of escalations, their share and the change versus the previous period. Click a category to look into it.
Automation and escalation metrics depend on the Virtual Concierge (AI) being active. With the AI turned off, those numbers show little or no data.