A Message Button. Right on the Order.
Guests message your team straight from their room-service or table order — no app, no account, nothing to download. Your staff reply from a live inbox, and the full conversation stays on record afterwards.
A Real Conversation, Not a Contact Form
Built Into the Order, Not Bolted On
There's no separate chat widget to configure — the message option lives on the same screen a guest is already ordering from.
guest order types it's built into today: room-service and table-service, including QR-code table ordering.
apps, accounts or logins a guest needs — just a name and a message from the screen already in front of them.
conversation, not a one-off message — replies stay in the same thread until it's resolved.
with the HDS Cloud Apps platform — no separate module fee to switch it on.
What a Conversation Looks Like
A Question. A Real Answer.
A guest's message opens a thread — not a single message into the void.
A working illustration based on the real HDS Cloud Apps message thread — guest and staff messages shown as they actually appear.
From Question to Answer
How a Message Gets Answered
Five steps, from a guest typing a question to a resolved, recorded conversation.
Guest Sends a Message
Typed straight from the room-service or table order screen — no app, no account.
Staff Get Alerted
It lands on a live inbox board in the back office with an audio alert.
Staff Reply
A team member opens the thread and replies directly, person to person.
Guest Sees the Reply
Checking back on the same order screen, the reply appears in the thread.
Kept on Record
The full conversation remains available afterwards for review.
Why This Beats a Phone Call
Small Details, Handled Without a Call
Nothing to Install
The message option sits on the same screen a guest is already using to order — no app download, no account, no separate login to lose.
A Thread, Not a One-Off
Replies stay together as a conversation, so a follow-up question doesn't get lost as a separate, disconnected message.
Impossible to Miss
New messages land on the same live board as service-call bell presses, with an audio alert so nothing sits unanswered.
Kept, Not Forgotten
Every conversation is kept on record after it's resolved — useful for training, and for checking back on what a guest actually asked.
Straight Answers
What's Actually Included Today
No exaggeration — here's exactly what's live, and what isn't.
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Messaging on room-service orders | ✓ Included |
| Messaging on table-service & QR-at-table orders | ✓ Included |
| No app or guest account required | ✓ Included |
| Threaded, two-way conversation | ✓ Included |
| Live staff inbox with audio alert | ✓ Included |
| Conversation kept on record after resolution | ✓ Included |
| Self-serve kiosk messaging | ✕ Not available — kiosk ordering doesn't currently have a message option |
| Guest directory messaging | ✕ Not a feature of the guest directory's amenities pages |
| Golf / course ordering messaging | ✕ Not available today |
| Automated, AI or instant answers | ✕ Not available — every reply comes from a member of your staff |
We'd rather tell you what this doesn't do than have you assume it does. This is genuine two-way messaging for room-service and table orders, answered by your own team — not a chatbot, and not yet available on every ordering surface.
Where We Operate
Live Chat Across the UK, Ireland, Malta, Spain & Gibraltar
The same guest messaging and staff inbox, wherever your business trades.
United Kingdom
Our home market, with local on-site engineers and 24/7/365 support alongside the full platform.
View UK EPOS ›Ireland
Full coverage across Dublin, Cork, Galway and every HDS-served Irish city, with the same guest messaging.
View Ireland EPOS ›Malta
Guest messaging built for Malta's hotel room-service and restaurant table-service operations.
View Malta EPOS ›Spain
Served through our partner network, with the same messaging tools available.
View Spain EPOS ›Gibraltar
A compact market where a quick, no-app-needed message option genuinely gets used by guests.
View Gibraltar EPOS ›One Feature, Two Order Types
Built for Room Service & Table Service
Live Chat runs wherever room-service or table-service ordering does — across every sector that uses them.
Hotels
Guests message straight from their room-service order — a quick question answered without a phone call to reception.
View Hotel EPOS ›Restaurants
A message option on table and QR-at-table orders, so a quick question doesn't need flagging down a server.
View Restaurant EPOS ›Bars & Pubs
Guests ordering at the table can ask a quick question without waiting to catch someone's attention.
View Bar EPOS ›Cafes
Table-service cafes get the same built-in message option as full-service restaurants.
View Cafe EPOS ›Getting Started
Live in Your Room & Table Orders From Day One
Book a Demo
See a real guest message land on the staff inbox and get a reply, live.
We Switch It On
Live Chat is enabled on your room-service and table-service ordering as part of setup — nothing extra to configure.
Go Live With 24/7 Support
HDS provides around-the-clock support from day one, with any changes managed remotely in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Live Chat Questions Answered
Getting Started
What is the Live Chat module?
A messaging feature built into room-service and table-service ordering, so a guest can send your team a message directly from their order and get a real reply back, without calling or flagging someone down.
Is it an extra cost?
No, Live Chat is included with the HDS Cloud Apps platform.
Do guests need to download an app or create an account?
No. A guest just types their name and a message from the room-service or table order screen already open in their browser — there's nothing to install and nothing to sign up for.
How It Works
Where does a guest send a message from?
From the room-service or table-service ordering screen, including QR-code table ordering — there's a message option right alongside the menu.
Do guests get an instant automated answer?
No. This is a genuine message to your team, answered by a person — there's no chatbot or automated response behind it.
Does a guest need to stay on the page waiting for a reply?
No. Once sent, the guest can check back on the same order screen for a reply, and the conversation stays open as a thread rather than a single message.
Where It's Available
Does Live Chat work on the self-serve kiosk?
Not currently. Today it's built for room-service and table-service ordering; the self-serve kiosk doesn't have a messaging option.
Does it work on the guest directory?
The message option appears on the same guest-facing mobile screens as room-service and table ordering, but it isn't a feature of the guest directory's amenities pages specifically.
Does it work for golf or course ordering?
Not yet — this isn't available on golf/course ordering today.
Staff & Accountability
How do staff see and reply to a message?
New messages appear on a live inbox board in the back office with an audio alert, alongside any service-call bell presses. Staff open the message and reply from the same screen.
Is there a record of the conversation afterwards?
Yes. The full thread is kept and can be reviewed later, including from your reporting screens.
Which staff can see incoming messages?
Any logged-in member of staff can see and reply to messages on the inbox board — it isn't restricted to a specific role today.
Ready to Give Guests a Way to Ask?
Book a free demo and see a real guest message land on the staff inbox and get answered, live. No obligation, no sales pressure.