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As a hotelier, it is important to prioritise pre-arrival communication with your guests. This is the time when you can set the tone for their entire stay, ensuring that they feel welcome and valued from the moment they book with you.
Pre-arrival communication is all about creating a positive first impression and setting the stage for a memorable experience. You have the opportunity to make your guests feel excited about arriving at your property.
On the other hand, pre-arrival guest communication can help you anticipate and address any concerns or issues your guests may have, making their stay as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Did you know that more than 85% of customers want to experience proactive communication and contact from a business? This statistic highlights just how important it is to engage with your guests before they even arrive at your hotel.
This means that by communicating with your guests in the right way before they arrive at your hotel, you have the potential to turn them into loyal customers who will return time and time again.
If you want your communication to be successful, you need to choose the right time to send them. There are two ways hotels go about this: either they send lots of information as soon as the reservation is made or they send everything one or two days before the check-in date.
Both ways are missing the timing element and the opportunity of building balanced guest journeys.
Sending all information as soon as the reservation is made will only overwhelm them, and sending it too close to the trip date will do it too.
If you want to send valuable information that will help them plan their trip, sending it out at least one week before the arrival date is ideal. However, if the message is more related to upselling, three to four days before the trip begins is the best time to send it.
Why? Because they are in the packing process, already excited about the trip, and they are more prone to consider offers.
Personalisation nowadays goes beyond addressing your guests by their name.
By looking into your guest data, you can discover valuable insights, such as preferences, origin, language, and travel patterns, that allow you to tailor communications and create a more meaningful experience.
You can also track repeat visits and past service experience to recognise loyal guests and make recommendations that feel relevant.
When done right, personalisation can enhance guest satisfaction and make interactions feel genuine rather than purely transactional.
However, manually personalising messages for every guest is time-consuming and inefficient. That’s why having the right tool is essential.
Discover how a CRM can help you personalise the guest experience with ease.
Believe it or not, a small personal touch can make a lasting impact. Listen to Daan De Bruijn, Co-Founder of Bookboost talk about the power of a delightful surprise in the guest journey in this video:
Pre-stay communication is not just about selling, it should provide real value to your guests. To accomplish this, use the value-led principle: Is this adding any value to the guest’s experience?
For example, instead of just confirming bookings or upselling services, consider sharing useful, experience-enhancing information, such as transportation details to help guests reach the hotel easily, local events and must-visit attractions nearby and insider tips on the best dining spots.
Take it a step further by customising recommendations based on guest segments: romantic activities for couples, kid-friendly attractions for families, or business-friendly spots for corporate travellers.
This will not only lower their customer effort as they will have useful information in hand that will make their experience easier, but it’s also a great way to showcase your knowledge of the area and build trust with your guests.
Looking for more inspiration? We’ve gathered 8 proven ideas to help you pick and choose what works best for your hotel.
Give your guests the opportunity to upgrade their rooms or add additional services to their reservations. But be mindful about how you do the offering.
If you expect guests to pay for extra services, you need to highlight the characteristics of those services and why they are worth the extra cost. Of course, you should use pictures that show how attractive they are.
Using generic pictures and messages will only leave guests asking, “Is this what I’m supposed to pay 20 extra euros for?”
On the other hand, remember to always stick to the services that are relevant to them. Don’t offer a couple’s massage to a business or solo traveller!
You can look into your guest data to find their booking details and see what services make more sense to offer that specific guest.
A smooth check-in sets the tone for a great stay. Share clear check-in instructions in advance and let guests know about options like early check-in or luggage storage to make their arrival hassle-free.
Offering digital check-in can elevate the whole experience since it allows guests to skip the front desk and reduce wait times. Not only does this create a smoother experience, but it also frees up staff to focus on personalised interactions and other high-value tasks.
Why should you offer an online check-in option? Hear from our Sales Director, Mark Evans, in this video as he explains how it all comes down to meeting modern guests’ expectations.
Make sure guests know about all the complimentary amenities included in their stay, whether it’s the pool, gym, or free breakfast. This not only enhances their experience but also ensures they recognise the value they’re getting.
In addition to the basics, let them know about optional services they can book, such as spa treatments, guided tours, or private dining experiences.
Unlike upselling, which focuses on upgrades, this is about helping guests take full advantage of what’s available to them.
Remember, do not exaggerate when you tell them about the services included, so when they arrive you live up to their expected image.
With so many channels of communication available, it can be challenging to determine which ones to use. That’s because the key to successful pre-arrival communication is to be multi-channel.
Some guests will read emails, while others prefer instant messaging apps like WhatsApp. The main point is that guests have different preferences, and by offering a variety of communication channels, you give them the flexibility to choose the method that best suits them.
The reality is that not all messages belong to an email. If it’s a more time-sensitive message, like a reminder to check-in or the wifi password, using instant messaging channels like SMS or WhatsApp is more recommended.
On the other hand, if it’s a more official communication like a booking confirmation, email will always be king. And the same goes for longer messages.
One of our customers, Capsule Hotel, wanted to elevate its guest journey by adding multiple communication channels. After integrating WhatsApp as a messaging channel, they saw a rise in online check-ins, which helped streamline their processes. Read their full story here.
Pre-stay communication is all about reaching guests with the right message at the right time and on the right channel. And doing this manually for all your guests is a titanic task.
Your team will be overwhelmed and personalisation won’t be as good as it could be, resulting in messages that don’t have the desired effect on guests.
The solution? Technology. Nowadays, many systems can help you automate this process, the leading example being a hospitality customer relationship management system (CRM).
With Bookboost, for example, you can create all the campaigns, and select triggers that will ensure that the message is sent at the right time: At the moment of booking, three days before check-in, on the arrival day, one day after check-out, and more.
The best part is that your team won’t have to spend hours personalising and sending messages to guests, leaving space for face-to-face interactions and other important projects.
Unexpected surprises aren’t always pleasant, but proactive communication can turn potential issues into opportunities to build trust.
If there are factors that could impact your guests’ stay, such as nearby construction, road closures, or an unusually busy holiday period, letting them know in advance helps manage expectations and prevent frustration.
Instead of waiting for guests to discover these inconveniences on their own, be transparent and offer solutions. If there’s construction noise, suggest the quietest rooms. If the city is hosting a major event, provide insider tips on navigating crowds or making reservations in advance.
Guests who book through OTAs can be hard to reach. The main point is that you need access to their real information. How to get it?
You can send a campaign to the temporary email that OTAs create for these guests and offer them access to a special offer by updating their contact details. For example, a free drink in the bar or a discount on the breakfast.
In other cases, it is enough for people to know that they need to provide their contact details in case of any last-minute communication or changes.
You can try many different approaches and decide which ones work best for your property, but the bottom line is that you need to recover the information to build a relationship with your guests. And the best moment to do it is during the pre-arrival stage, using all the tips in this article.
Discover 5 winning strategies to attract guests from OTAs and increase your direct bookings.
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