If you’re struggling with your hotel guest communication or want to get better results out of it, you’re in the right place.
Guest communication is everything you say to your guests, from the reservation confirmation until the post-stay promo. And it never stops.
That is why nailing it is key to building a personalised guest experience, getting positive reviews, successful upselling, and more.
And the numbers agree with it: A Hilton report states that 80% of travellers say seamless digital interactions are “important” to their stay planning.
In this article, we'll review six hotel guest communication tips -from basic to advanced- to transform your communication and make it attractive, relevant and effective.
Investing time in improving your guest communication will inevitably improve your guest experience as well. Communication is not a secondary part of your strategy; in fact, it is a crucial aspect that must be assessed on time.
Level: Basic
When talking about using more than one channel for your communication, most people focus on the guest preferences, which is a very important point.
However, something you also need to consider is the type of message you are sending.
Depending on the intent, some messages will work better on email than on instant messaging platforms like SMS or WhatsApp. For example, time-sensitive messages like check-in reminders, work better via WhatsApp.
Focus on mapping the intent of every message you send, and review if the current channel is the best one. Hotels that have implemented WhatsApp into their communication strategy are seeing more conversions than with email-only.
Use the table below to guide you:
In this video, Anna teaches how to select different channels for communication. Watch until the end.
Level: Basic
Good guest communication starts with recognition. If your messages still feel generic, irrelevant or impersonal, your first-party data isn’t being used to its full potential.
Use the information you’re gathering about your guests (from your booking engine, PMS, conversations with guests) to create messages that align with their characteristics.
Why? Because when guests feel recognised, they engage more, trust more, and spend more.
Here are three ways to use your existing data to make every message feel personal and intentional:
- Respect their language. Set default templates based on language detected at booking or from past stays.
- Acknowledge repeat stays. Don’t greet a returning guest like it’s their first time. Reference their previous visit or loyalty status.
- Adapt tone to guest profile. Solo traveller? Be casual and concise. Family booking? Offer planning tips or kid-friendly add-ons.
Even small tweaks, like switching the word “stay” to “meeting” for a corporate guest, can make your messages feel intentional, not automated. And that’s what sets great communication apart.
Learn more about how first-party data powers your segmentation strategy in this article.
Now that you’ve nailed the foundations, let’s look at ways to increase guest trust and engagement.
Level: Medium
A value-led strategy in hospitality involves delivering personalised, relevant, and meaningful interactions with guests throughout their stay.
The goal is not to be on full “upselling mode” during the entire guest journey but to provide them with services, information and experiences that enhance their visit and leave a lasting positive impression.
Begin by segmenting your guests into meaningful categories. This could include business travelers, families, returning guests, and more.
Then, think about what can you say to them that helps to build a better stay and experience, instead of just thinking about how to make them spend more or take extra services.
As an example, think of it as a 70-15-15 cadence where: 70% equals helpful content; 15% equals relational and 15% equals offers.
Some ideas of helpful content:
- Instructions on how to reach the hotel from the airport or train station (based on their means of transportation)
- Family-friendly events for family guests
- Pet-friendly restaurant recommendations for guests who travel with their pets
Some ideas of relational content:
- A happy birthday message
- “We miss you” nudge
- Cultural / Local moment
Level: Medium
An SMS saying “how was your check-in experience?” to someone who hasn’t even arrived at the property doesn’t sound like an example of good hotel guest communication.
Not everyone will check in or check out at the same time, and what makes communication stand out and truly personalised is that adapts to each individual’s timeline.
So, if a guest decides to check in at 6pm, it makes sense that the “how was the check-in experience” SMS arrives at 6:20pm.
This is possible when you use automation triggers based on reservation data.
Being realistic, this is quite difficult to accomplish if you are managing your guest communication without any tools. You would have to calculate each message for every guest, write down the specific times and either schedule them or send them all at the right time.
This is why it makes no sense to neglect technology when it comes to hotel guest communication.
A CRM built for hospitality like Bookboost, can handle this in seconds. Using reservation-based triggers, you can create a workflow that establishes that guests will receive an SMS, 20 minutes after their check-in. No manual effort, no stress and more satisfied guests.
In this video, Anne Williams, Digital Marketing Manager at The Usual, explains how they use reservation-based triggers to power their guest communication.
Level: Advanced
If you already covered basic segmentation (first-timers vs. returners), it’s time to go one step further and play with advanced segmentation.
Not just targeting “returning guests” but “guests who booked a double room with no breakfast in the past 6 months”.
Think of segmentation like building a filter. The more relevant filters you apply, the more precise and effective your message becomes.
Here’s an example of a 3-layer segment you can build in Bookboost as a dynamic audience:
Layer 1: Guest type
Start by filtering for repeat leisure guests (vs. business or first-time guests).
Layer 2: Recency
Narrow it down to those who stayed within the last 60 days. They’re still warm and likely to engage.
Layer 3: Channel preference
Include only guests who prefer WhatsApp or have already interacted with you there.
Get better ideas of advanced segmentation in this article.
Ready to go beyond the basics? These next two tactics unlock serious personalisation and guest loyalty.
Level: Advanced
If you do a mid-stay check on your guests, you will be able to quickly turn around things in case the experience is not going well.
Gambino Hotels does this after check-in, with a WhatsApp message that asks guests how is everything going so far.
The idea is that you can react early when things are not going as expected. At the same time, you come up as thoughtful and caring.
This message can be automated but depending on how you structure the content and the channel you use, it can still come up as authentic and original for your guests.
If you made it this far, it means you care about your communication and your interactions with your guests. And that already makes you stand out among many of your competitors that still treat all guests the same.
If your communication is not working, don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment. Remember: a small tweak can go a long way.
Ready to make guest communication a strength, not a stressor? Book a quick demo and see how easy it can be with Bookboost.
Are you ready to increase your revenue and build lasting guest relationships? Take the first step today.
