Alexa Guest Questions Script

You already covered the obvious stuff — wifi, checkout, parking, trash. But check your Airbnb message thread from the last six months and you will find a stranger list. ‘Is the tap water okay to drink?’ ‘Where are the extra towels?’ ‘Does the oven take a few minutes to heat up?’ ‘What channel is the football game on?’ ‘The toilet handle is sticky — do I jiggle it or just push harder?’ That is the long tail. The basic concierge script handles the top 10. This alexa guest questions script handles the next 25 — the small, weird, property-specific things that turn into a 30-second message thread you would rather not have.

Build these routines on top of your core script and an Echo Dot 5 or Echo Show 8 starts feeling less like a gimmick and more like a real on-property assistant. If you have not built the foundation yet, start with the parent guide on building an Alexa concierge for Airbnb and the baseline Echo concierge script before you layer the long tail on top.

Who this is for

You have already built the core Echo concierge script — or you have an Echo on the property and the basics covered some other way (printed binder, digital guidebook). You are now ready to expand. This is for hosts whose properties have quirks: an old water heater that needs a minute, a wonky Roku remote, a hidden second bathroom, a hot tub that demands a specific power-on sequence. The bigger or older the property, the more value here. A small studio apartment will not need most of these.

It is also for hosts running boutique places who want their Airbnb voice assistant setup to feel genuinely helpful, not generic. Generic answers come from generic scripts. Specific answers — ‘the second bedroom blanket is in the closet under the stairs’ — come from you taking the time to write them down.

How to find your long-tail questions

Open your Airbnb inbox. Filter for the last 6 to 12 months. Skim every guest thread and write down any question that came in after check-in. You are looking for the stuff that is not in your listing description but a guest still needed to ask. Three categories will emerge.

Where-is questions. Towels, extra blankets, iron, hairdryer, coffee filters, beach chairs, the breaker box.
How-do-I questions. The Roku TV, the Bosch dishwasher, the Nespresso, the Weber gas grill, the gas fireplace, the Schlage Encode lock.
Is-it-okay questions. Tap water, eating dinner on the deck, using the firepit, having a guest over briefly.

You probably end up with 30 to 50 questions. You will turn the top 25 into routines in the Alexa app under More → Routines → +. Pick a distinctive trigger phrase, set the action to Alexa Says, and paste your response. Repeat 25 times. It takes about an hour.

The where-is script

Towels

Triggers: ‘where are the towels,’ ‘extra towels,’ ‘more towels.’ Response: ‘Bath towels are in each bathroom. Extra towels and beach towels are in the [LINEN CLOSET / HALL CABINET]. There are also pool towels in the bin by the back door.’

Extra blankets and pillows

Triggers: ‘where are the extra blankets,’ ‘extra pillows,’ ‘more blankets.’ Response: ‘Extra blankets are in the [LOCATION]. Extra pillows are in the [LOCATION]. The Ecobee thermostat in the hallway can go up if you want it warmer overnight.’

Iron, hairdryer, basics

Triggers: ‘where is the iron,’ ‘is there a hairdryer,’ ‘where is the hairdryer.’ Response: ‘The iron and ironing board are in the hall closet. There is a Conair hairdryer in the primary bathroom under the sink.’

Coffee supplies

Triggers: ‘where is the coffee,’ ‘where are the coffee filters,’ ‘is there coffee.’ Response: ‘Coffee, filters, and a bag of beans are in the cabinet above the coffee maker. Help yourself.’

Trash bags, paper towels, soap refills

Triggers: ‘where are the trash bags,’ ‘extra paper towels,’ ‘extra toilet paper.’ Response: ‘Refills for trash bags, paper towels, and toilet paper are in the pantry. Take what you need.’

Breaker box and water shutoff

Triggers: ‘where is the breaker box,’ ‘where is the fuse box,’ ‘where is the water shutoff.’ Response: ‘The electrical panel is in the garage. The main water shutoff is under the kitchen sink. If you have an issue, message the host through the Airbnb app first.’

The how-do-I script

TV and remote

Triggers: ‘how do I work the TV,’ ‘how do I turn on the TV,’ ‘TV instructions.’ Response: ‘The TV is a TCL Roku. Press the power button on the black Roku remote. Use the home button to switch between live TV and Netflix or Hulu. Both are signed in — please do not sign out.’

Dishwasher

Triggers: ‘how do I run the dishwasher,’ ‘dishwasher instructions.’ Response: ‘Cascade pods are under the sink. Drop one in, close the door, press Normal, then Start. It runs for about an hour. Please run a load before checkout if you have used dishes.’

Washer and dryer

Triggers: ‘how do I use the washer,’ ‘laundry instructions,’ ‘how do I do laundry.’ Response: ‘Tide pods are on top of the washer. Use one pod per load. The dryer takes about 50 minutes — clean the lint trap before you start. Please do not wash beach towels with sand still on them.’

Coffee maker

Triggers: ‘how do I use the coffee maker,’ ‘how do I make coffee.’ Response: ‘Fill the Keurig reservoir with water, drop a K-Cup in the top, press Brew. About 90 seconds per cup. Pods and a spare bag of ground coffee are in the cabinet above.’

Grill

Triggers: ‘how do I use the grill,’ ‘grill instructions,’ ‘how do I light the grill.’ Response: ‘Open the propane valve under the Weber Spirit, lift the lid, turn a burner to High, then press the igniter. Always close the propane valve when you are done. There is a brush hanging on the side for cleaning.’

Fireplace

Triggers: ‘how do I turn on the fireplace,’ ‘fireplace instructions.’ Response: ‘The fireplace is gas. Use the remote on the mantel — press On. Wait about 10 seconds for ignition. Press Off when you are done.’

Smart lock

Triggers: ‘how do I lock the door,’ ‘how does the lock work,’ ‘how do I get back in.’ Response: ‘The front door is a Schlage Encode keypad lock. Enter your code, then press the Schlage logo. To lock, just close the door — it auto-locks after 30 seconds. Your code works for the entire stay.’

The is-it-okay script

Tap water

Triggers: ‘is the tap water safe,’ ‘can I drink the water,’ ‘is the water okay.’ Response: ‘The tap water is safe to drink. There is also a Brita pitcher in the fridge if you prefer cold filtered water.’

Eating outside

Triggers: ‘can I eat on the deck,’ ‘can I bring food outside,’ ‘can we eat by the pool.’ Response: ‘Yes — please use the outdoor melamine dishes in the cabinet by the back door, not the indoor ones.’

Firepit

Triggers: ‘can I use the firepit,’ ‘is the firepit available.’ Response: ‘Yes. Wood is stacked next to it. Please make sure it is fully out before you go to bed — there is a hose right there.’

Visitors

Triggers: ‘can I have a guest over,’ ‘can a friend visit.’ Response: ‘Brief daytime visitors are fine. Overnight guests beyond your booking are not allowed without messaging the host first. Quiet hours are 10 PM to 8 AM.’

Privacy and safety notes

Two things worth flagging as your script grows. First, do not put anything sensitive in routine responses — no alarm codes, no neighbor’s contact info, no door codes guests should not have. Anything Alexa says, anyone in earshot can hear. Second, if you have a smart lock paired with the same Alexa account, do not give the lock a voice unlock command. Phrases like ‘unlock the front door’ can be triggered by anyone within earshot of the speaker, including someone outside an open window. For the bigger picture on which voice features to leave off entirely, the rundown on building a privacy-first smart speaker for Airbnb guests goes deeper.

Common mistakes

Building from your imagination instead of your inbox. The questions you think guests ask and the questions they actually ask are not the same. Use real data.
Using technical names. ‘The HVAC system’ means nothing to a guest. Say ‘the heat’ or ‘the AC.’
Letting the script go stale. When you replace the TV or move the iron, update the routine that day.
Forgetting that Alexa can hear background TV. Some routines will trigger spuriously. Use distinctive trigger phrases for sensitive responses.
Skipping the printed cheat sheet. Even with the routines built, a one-page card on the counter telling guests what to ask is what actually drives usage. The Airbnb voice commands cheat sheet covers exactly what to print.

FAQ

How many routines is too many for an alexa guest questions script?

There is no hard cap, but past about 60 routines you start hitting trigger collisions — one phrase accidentally matching two routines. Stay under 50 to be safe. Audit twice a year and prune anything that has not been used.

Can I see what guests have asked Alexa?

Yes — the Alexa app shows voice history under Settings → Alexa Privacy → Review Voice History. This is useful for finding routines you should add. But because it captures every utterance, set it to auto-delete every 3 months as a privacy default and only review when you specifically need to.

What if guests are asking questions you do not have routines for?

Add them. The script is never ‘done.’ Each new property quirk or guest question becomes a candidate routine. Five minutes a month keeps it current. The companion guide on getting Alexa to answer guest questions covers the underlying skill setup that makes new responses sound natural.

Is this overkill for a small studio?

Probably yes. A studio guest is rarely lost — everything is in one room. Stick to the basic 10-routine script. The long tail matters most for multi-bedroom houses, properties with outdoor amenities, or older homes with quirky systems.

Should I use an Echo Dot or an Echo Show?

For pure question-answering, the Echo Dot 5 is fine and runs about $50. If you want guests to also see a visual house guide, the Echo Show 8 is worth it — you can pin a house manual to the home screen. The walkthrough on using an Echo Show as an Airbnb guidebook covers exactly how to set that up.

Next steps

Pull your Airbnb inbox tonight, screenshot every post-check-in question from the last six months, and build the top 25 into routines this weekend. Audit your inbox once a quarter, add the new routines, and move on with your day. If you also run a non-Alexa setup or want to send the same answers via SMS, the broader guest scripts pillar has the message templates that pair with these voice routines.