Introduction

Jack The Butler is a free, open-source AI chatbot for hotels and hospitality businesses.

Jack The Butler is a free, open-source AI concierge that handles guest communication 24/7 across WhatsApp, SMS, email, and web chat. Self-hosted on your own server, your data stays private and under your control.

What is Jack?

Jack acts as a central hub connecting your guests, staff, and hotel systems:

  • Guest channels — WhatsApp, SMS, email, web chat
  • Staff interfaces — Dashboard, internal messaging
  • Hotel systems — PMS, POS, housekeeping, maintenance

The AI chatbot handles routine guest requests automatically while intelligently routing complex issues to the right staff members with full context.

Key Features

Multi-Channel Inbox

WhatsApp, SMS, Email, and Web Chat in one dashboard

AI-Powered Responses

Claude, GPT, or local models — your choice

Smart Escalation

Routes complex requests to staff automatically

Self-Hosted

Your data stays on your server, GDPR compliant

Knowledge Base

Train Jack on your property's information

Guest Memory

Remembers preferences across conversations

For Developers

Technical documentation including architecture, API specs, and contribution guidelines on GitHub.

Who is it for?

Jack is designed for hospitality businesses of all sizes:

  • Hotels — Boutique to mid-size properties
  • Vacation Rentals — Airbnb, VRBO, and direct bookings
  • Hostels — Budget-friendly accommodation
  • Property Managers — Managing multiple properties

If you're looking for an AI concierge without expensive monthly SaaS fees or giving guest data to third parties, Jack is for you.

How it works

  1. Guest sends a message — Via WhatsApp, SMS, email, or web chat
  2. Jack understands the request — Using AI to classify intent and extract details
  3. Jack responds or escalates — Answers automatically or routes to the right staff member
  4. Staff reviews if needed — Complex requests appear in the dashboard for human handling

Why self-hosted?

  • ✓ Data privacy — Guest data never leaves your server
  • ✓ No per-message fees — Pay only for AI API usage (or use local AI for free)
  • ✓ Full control — Customize everything, no vendor lock-in
  • ✓ Works offline — Local AI option requires no internet for responses
  • ✓ Open source — Audit the code, contribute improvements

Pricing

Jack is free and open source. Your only costs are:

  • Hosting — Free tier on Railway/Render, or ~$5-10/month for production
  • AI API — ~$5-20/month for Claude/OpenAI, or $0 with local AI
  • Channels — WhatsApp Business API (Meta), Twilio for SMS (pay-as-you-go)

For a small property, expect under $20/month total. Compare that to $200-2000/month for commercial hotel chatbot solutions.

Next Steps

Ready to get started?

  1. Quick Start — Deploy Jack in 5 minutes
  2. Setup Wizard — Configure your property
  3. Knowledge Base — Train Jack on your information