Comal Inn: From paper check-ins to automated guest messaging

About Comal Inn

Tucked into downtown New Braunfels, Texas, Comal Inn is exactly what a boutique vacation rental should be: small enough to feel personal, yet run with the professionalism of a much larger operation.

Purchased by Brent and Julie Downey in 2015, it remains a family-run business today. One of its five accommodations, the New Braunfels Cottage, dates back to 1872, adding a touch of local history to every stay. Just minutes from the Comal River, Schlitterbahn, and the town’s restaurants and bars, guests can park once and explore everything on foot.

General Manager Joshua Downey oversees the day-to-day operations across all five accommodations, from guest experience to the technology that keeps the business running smoothly.

What started as a COVID necessity became a core part of how we communicate with guests. Guest communication is faster, more consistent, and more professional than it was when we were stuffing envelopes.

Joshua Downey

General Manager

From simple messaging to automation

What started as a simple contactless check-in solution quickly became a central part of Comal Inn’s guest experience. As the business grew, the team expanded from basic SMS messaging to automation, live chat, and a fully connected communication workflow.

A four-stage communication journey

Comal Inn started with two-way SMS before introducing message templates, scheduled messages, and finally automating guest communication by connecting Textmagic with its property management system through Zapier.

Personalized messaging for every stay

Each accommodation has its own check-in instructions, while review requests and follow-up messages are tailored differently for direct bookings and OTA guests.

Live chat for faster guest support

Guests can quickly request extra linens or toiletries, ask questions, and receive instant answers to common queries like WiFi details or check-in times. Prospective guests also use the chat widget to enquire about availability and rates.

Adapting to OTA platform changes

When online travel agencies stopped providing reliable guest phone numbers, Comal Inn adjusted its workflow by combining automation with scheduled templates, ensuring communication remained consistent.

Responsive support

After a website redesign, Comal Inn noticed the chat widget was slowing page performance. Textmagic’s support team optimized the widget within two weeks using lazy loading, reducing total blocking time from 2,580 ms to 350 ms while maintaining a 1.38-second real-world load time.