Draft replies to guest reviews in the guest's own language, free, on your own computer

🧰 Before you start

• A reasonably recent laptop or desktop (Windows, Mac or Linux) with 8 GB of memory or more; no graphics card needed
• LM Studio, a free app for running AI models offline (Jeffrey used a small server called llama.cpp; LM Studio is the easier, click-to-install route to the same kind of model)
• A few of your recent reviews to test with

🪜 Steps (tick as you go)

1. ☐
   1. Install LM Studio

   Download it from the button below and install it like any other app.

2. ☐
   2. Download a model

   In LM Studio, open the search (Discover) tab and search for Gemma 3 4B, the free Google model Jeffrey used. Download the version LM Studio marks as suitable for your computer (about 3 GB). Bigger models write a little better but need more memory.

3. ☐
   3. Save your reply rules

   Open a new chat, choose your model, and paste the 'Review reply rules' prompt below into the system prompt box (LM Studio lets you save it as a preset). Fill in your property name, your sign-off and anything you never say.

4. ☐
   4. Paste a review

   Copy a guest review from your listing and paste it into the chat. The model replies with the detected language, what the guest liked and disliked, and a draft reply.

5. ☐
   5. Check, then post

   Read the draft, fix any facts, and post it yourself on the review site. If you can't read the language, paste the draft into a translator to double-check before posting.

6. ☐
   6. Do a weekly batch

   Once a week, paste in all new reviews one at a time. It usually takes a few minutes for a week's worth.

💬 Prompts to copy

You reply to guest reviews for [property name], a [type: hotel / guesthouse / restaurant] in [town].
For every review I paste:
1. Say which language it is written in.
2. List in one line what the guest liked and in one line what they complained about.
3. Write a reply in the SAME language as the review: thank them by first name if given, mention one specific thing they liked, respond calmly to each complaint without arguing or making excuses, say what we're doing about it only if I've told you, and invite them back.
Keep it under [90] words. Sign off as '[name], [role]'.
Never offer refunds or discounts, never mention other guests, and never invent facts about the property.

This review is angry. Draft a reply that stays calm and short, apologises for how they felt, gives our side in one neutral sentence only if it's a fact I've given you, and offers to continue by email at [email]. Same language as the review.

🔗 Links

• Jeffrey Turov: offline review-reply concierge for his family's hotel (source): https://dev.to/jeffreyturov/i-built-an-offline-review-reply-concierge-for-my-familys-hotel-eu0-per-reply-five-languages-no-bol
• review-concierge source code (for technical users): https://codeberg.org/veysel-devia/review-concierge
• LM Studio documentation: https://lmstudio.ai/docs

From https://usecasy.com/use-case/offline-hotel-review-replies/ · Guide checked 21 October 2026 · Prices are rough and shown in USD unless stated (MYR where relevant).