pono
We use it in our own inn, every day.
We run two inns in Okinawa — pono 118 and pono 02. These are the live numbers from that operation, with the source disclosed for each one.
We have zero third-party case studies yet. So we're publishing our own operational data instead — formulas included.
See the answers firstThe answers, first
- Guest replies and notices: 149 sent, automatically routed.
- Online check-ins: 42 completed.
- 738 OTA messages flow into one screen (pono WINDOW), auto-translated.
- Our AI concierge (pono CONCIERGE) answers guests in a median of 7.8 seconds (430 real turns measured, average 9.1s).
- We ran 95 diagnosis passes on our own listing to tune pono LISTING.
These are all live numbers from the two inns we run ourselves in Okinawa (pono 118 in Nago, pono 02 in Motobu). In the first half of 2026 we hosted 140 bookings (cancellations excluded), and our guest reviews stand at 4.8/5 overall (86 reviews), 4.9/5 on Airbnb (52 reviews), and 9.2/10 on Booking.com (34 reviews).
See all our reviews →The numbers, with sources
Sources (for auditability)
Every figure below is measured directly from our own systems — no estimation or padding of customer data.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Guest replies & notices | 149 | Measured from our own systems (as of July 2026, cumulative) |
| Completed online check-ins | 42 | Measured from our own systems (as of July 2026, cumulative) |
| Hours given back (estimated) | ≈27 hours | Estimated from our own systems. Formula: (149 replies × 8 min + 42 check-ins × 10 min) ÷ 60 |
| OTA messages (synced to WINDOW) | 738 | Measured from our own systems (as of July 2026, cumulative) |
| LISTING diagnosis runs (self-run) | 95 | Measured from our own systems (as of July 2026, internal accounts only) |
| CONCIERGE response time | Median 7.8s · average 9.1s (430 turns) | Measured from our own systems (response-time log) |
| Bookings, H1 2026 | 140 (cancellations excluded) | Measured from our own booking system |
| Guest reviews | 4.8/5 overall (86) · 4.9/5 Airbnb (52) · 9.2/10 Booking.com (34) | Public review counts on each OTA (same figures shown at stays.ponoand.com/reviews) |
| Automation infrastructure | 120 Edge Functions · 14 AI agents | Our own system's operating scale (as of July 2026) |
Honesty notes
- This is our own case (n=1). It's real usage of pono's own tools at pono's own inn — we have zero third-party case studies yet. That's exactly why we're disclosing every source.
- The "about 27 hours" figure is an estimate. It isn't a stopwatch measurement — it comes from an operator's own estimate of per-task handling time (see the source table above for the formula). We'll replace it once we have a real measurement.
- We make no revenue or occupancy-lift claims. Attributing changes during a period confounded by pricing, seasonality, and campaigns to the tools themselves would be dishonest.
Our technical foundation
Behind this automation run 120 Edge Functions and a team of 14 AI agents.
OTAs generally charge double-digit percentage commissions — a direct booking costs only payment-processing fees.
The tools these numbers came from
None of these were built to sell to someone else first. We use them, today, at our own inn.
WINDOW
We used to get lost in the dashboard just to check a rate or a minimum stay. Now bookings, revenue, and messages line up on one screen every morning. 738 OTA messages flow in here, and 149 guest emails have gone out from it.
See pono WINDOW →CHECKIN
The booking details carry through to the door, so guests only have to confirm. 42 completions, and the guest register prints out in the format Japan's lodging law requires.
See pono CHECKIN →CONCIERGE
A midnight "the door won't open" gets the steps back in a 7.8-second median. It never guesses on uncertain things — those go to a person.
See pono CONCIERGE →LISTING
We ran 95 diagnosis passes on our own listing to tune the accuracy. Three lenses — official, practical, brand — give you the fix order.
See pono LISTING →Booking with us directly is the best deal.
A -1.5% price guarantee vs. OTAs, plus free BBQ equipment worth $40 (pono 02).