customer story
How Ostelzzz Handles 1,000+ Calls a Month with Ecco AI
70%
of calls resolved with AI without reaching reception
Ostelzzz, a pod-style hostel in Milan, was handling a high volume of inbound calls every day: bookings, directions, and recurring questions about how the pods work. The front desk could no longer keep up. After deploying Ecco, the hostel now automates 70% of its calls and routes the rest to reception, while Ecco also closes bookings directly over the phone. In the first 30 days, it handled 219 overnight calls and generated €1,706 in bookings.
The challenge
Ostelzzz receives a high volume of calls throughout the day. Most are routine: guests calling to book, to ask for directions, or to understand how the pods work, a question that comes up often because the format is unfamiliar to many travelers.
Each call still has to be answered, and answering them pulls staff away from guests on site. Call volume was also climbing fast, from 307 in the previous cycle to 1,139. Calls outside reception hours went unanswered, and some of those were guests looking to book.
The solution
Ostelzzz deployed Ecco in March 2026. Ecco answers inbound calls, resolves routine requests during the conversation, and forwards calls to reception when a human is needed.
Over the first 30 days, Ecco resolved 70% of calls without involving the team. The remaining were passed to reception only when a human voice was needed. Ecco handles questions about availability, pricing, bookings, check-in times, the address, and date changes; reception steps in on escalations and anything requiring judgment.
This included 59 guests calling about an existing booking, with typical requests like check-in times, the address, and date changes. Without Ecco, each of those would have been a transfer to reception.
Bookings closed on the call
Beyond routing, Ecco completed bookings during the call. Over the 30-day period it confirmed 20 bookings directly over the phone, worth €1,706, with no input from reception. With a 4.3x return for the month.
Two examples:
A guest needed a bed for the same night. Ecco confirmed availability, booked a Deluxe Cabin at €78.78, and provided the address, in under five minutes and while reception was closed.
A guest could not complete a booking online due to a site error. Ecco took the request on the call, confirmed availability, and booked an Economy Cabin for three nights at €125.97.
Overnight coverage
Call volume continues after reception closes. During the period, Ecco handled 219 calls between 22:00 and 07:00 without involving staff.
Results
Call volume nearly quadrupled compared with the previous cycle, from 307 to 1,139, and was handled at the same quality. Rather than adding headcount, Ostelzzz freed reception from repetitive calls so the team could focus on guests on site.
€1,706 booked over the phone across 20 bookings
219 calls handled overnight (22:00–07:00)
4.3x return in 30 days
