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Since 28 September 2026, Booking.com no longer sends guest phone numbers to connected hotel systems, such as your PMS, channel manager or guest messaging platform. This applies to new reservations and to changes to existing ones.
Booking.com says the change is about guest safety: it wants to reduce phishing messages that use real booking details. That's a goal worth supporting, but for hotels that welcome guests on WhatsApp or SMS, it creates a gap you'll want to close quickly.
- Changed: new and modified Booking.com reservations arrive without a phone number.
- Not changed: numbers you already have stay in place. You can still look up a guest's number in the Booking.com Extranet and Pulse app. Booking.com messaging and the masked guest email address keep working as before.
- Not affected: direct bookings are not affected.
For many hotels, WhatsApp has become the main channel for guest communication. Pre-arrival messages, check-in links, door codes and upsell offers often go there first.
Without a phone number, those messages have nowhere to go. Depending on your setup, the guest either receives a plain email through Booking.com's messaging, or nothing at all. Over time, that can mean fewer online check-ins, fewer upsells and more questions at reception.
It's also a good moment to look at how your hotel collects guest contact details. When guests share their details with you directly, with clear consent, your communication no longer depends on what a booking platform passes on.
1. Make sure no guest is silently skipped
Check every automated message that goes to Booking.com guests. If it's set to WhatsApp or SMS only, add email as a fallback. The email goes to Booking.com's masked guest address, which still reaches the guest. It takes minutes, and it means every guest still hears from you.
2. Ask guests for their details, and tell them why
Send Booking.com guests a short form shortly after they book. Ask for their phone number, email address and preferred channel, plus consent. Keep it to these few fields: a short form is much easier to fill in on a phone.
The introduction sentence matters most. "So we can send your door code and arrival details by WhatsApp" gives guests a clear reason to share. "Please update your details" gives them none. You can also add the fields to your online check-in.
3. Let WhatsApp follow the form
Once a guest shares their number, send your welcome message on WhatsApp straight away. The guest gets the experience they signed up for, and you're back on the channel that works best for your hotel.
4. Let guests message you first
Share your WhatsApp link in your pre-arrival email, and place QR codes at reception and in rooms. When a guest starts the conversation, you can reply freely within WhatsApp's 24-hour window.
5. Track two numbers
Per property, watch the share of Booking.com reservations with a phone number, and your form completion rate. If completion is low, rewrite the introduction sentence before changing anything else.
For a guest waiting outside at 1 am, look up the number in the Booking.com Extranet. Avoid copying numbers across in bulk. It brings back manual work, and it's exactly the kind of data movement this change aims to reduce.
A phone number is not permission to market. Collect consent in your form, and keep service messages and promotional messages clearly separate.
You can set all of this up today: add email fallback to your journeys, send guests a contact details form, and trigger your WhatsApp welcome as soon as it's filled in. Forms are included at no extra cost, and we have a ready-made template you can switch on straight away. If you'd like a hand, our support team can go through your journeys with you.
Not a Bookboost customer yet? Book a demo to see how hotels use Bookboost to stay in touch with every guest.
Are you ready to increase your revenue and build lasting guest relationships? Take the first step today.
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