Guest message templates: 10 ready-to-copy messages for before, during and after the stay

Paolo Vezzola

Founder · Vezpa PMS · Profile →

Most of the calls you get from guests (“What time can we arrive?”, “Where do we park?”, “What's the code?”) come from a message that never arrived, arrived too late or wasn't clear. In this guide you'll find 10 guest message templates ready to copy, one for each stage of the stay, with placeholders to replace ({guest name}, {arrival date}…) and practical advice on tone, timing, language and choosing between email and WhatsApp.

1. Before you copy: four rules for a good guest message

• One thing per message. Directions don't belong in the confirmation, and the door code doesn't belong in the house rules email. A short message gets read; a long one gets archived.
• The right moment. A door code sent three weeks early gets lost in the chat; one sent on the morning of arrival is right at the top.
• The guest's language. A German guest who reads times and instructions in German won't ring you to double-check. If you don't speak their language, plain English beats an unchecked machine translation.
• Sound like a person, not a rulebook. Write the way you'd talk at the front door, keep it friendly and sign off with your first name.

In the templates below, anything in curly brackets is a placeholder: replace it with the details from the booking.

2. Before arrival

Subject: Your stay at {property name} is confirmed

Hi {guest name},
thank you for booking with {property name}! Here are your booking details:

- Arrival: {arrival date}, from {check-in time}
- Departure: {departure date}, by {check-out time}
- Accommodation: {room or apartment name}
- Guests: {number of guests}
- Total: {total amount} (paid so far: {amount paid})

A few days before you arrive, I'll send you directions and how to get in.
If you have any questions, just reply to this email or message me on {phone or WhatsApp}.

See you soon,
{your name}

Hi {guest name},
not long now until you arrive on {arrival date}! Here's how to find us:

Address: {address}
Map pin: {map link}

By car: {directions from the motorway junction or main road}
Parking: {where to park, free or paid}
By public transport: {nearest station or bus stop and how to get here from it}

Check-in is from {check-in time}. Could you let me know roughly what time you expect to arrive? That way everything will be ready for you.

{your name}

Hi {guest name},
to save you time when you arrive, you can complete online check-in here:
{online check-in link}

We need a few details for each guest, including an ID document. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Thanks, and see you soon!
{your name}

What you have to record depends on where your property is: in the UK, for example, the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972 requires a record of every guest aged 16 or over, with passport details for overseas guests. An online check-in link is better than a photo of a passport in a chat: the details arrive complete, in one place, and don't sit around on your phone.

Subject: Payment reminder for your stay on {arrival date}

Hi {guest name},
just a quick reminder that the {deposit / balance} of {amount due} for your stay from {arrival date} to {departure date} is due by {due date}.

You can pay securely here: {payment link}
Alternatively: {bank transfer details with reference, or payment on arrival}

If you've already paid, please ignore this message, and thank you!
{your name}

Hi {guest name}, we're expecting you today!
Here's how to let yourself in from {check-in time}:

1. Main entrance: {instructions for the building door, e.g. intercom or entry code}
2. Apartment: {floor and flat number}
3. Door code: {door code}
   {how the smart lock works, or where to find the key safe}

Wi-Fi: {network name} / password: {wifi password}

If anything doesn't work, call me on {phone}: I'm available until {time}.
Safe travels!
{your name}

3. During the stay

Hi {guest name}, welcome to {property name}!
I hope your journey went well and that you've found everything in order.

A few tips for this evening:
- Dinner: {recommended pub or restaurant} ({walking distance})
- Shop: {nearest supermarket and opening hours}
- Don't miss: {a local walk, view or attraction}

If anything's missing or you need a hand, just message me here.
Enjoy your stay!
{your name}

Hi {guest name},
to keep things pleasant for you and the neighbours, here are a few house rules:

- Quiet hours from {time} to {time}
- No smoking inside (you're welcome to smoke {where})
- Pets: {allowed / not allowed / allowed on these conditions}
- Bins and recycling: {where they go and collection days}
- When you go out: please close the windows and switch off the heating

You'll find everything in the welcome folder too, {where it is}.
Thanks so much!
{your name}

4. After the stay

Hi {guest name},
tomorrow is departure day: check-out is by {check-out time}.

Before you leave:
- leave the keys {where to leave them}
- close the doors and windows
- {anything else, e.g. load the dishwasher or take the rubbish out}

Need somewhere to leave your bags or a slightly later check-out? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Safe journey home!
{your name}

Hi {guest name},
thank you again for staying at {property name}!

If you have two minutes, a review would mean a lot to us: we're a small business and guests' comments really make a difference.
{review link}

And if anything wasn't quite right, please tell me directly: I'd rather know so I can put it right.
Best wishes,
{your name}

Subject: Thank you for staying with us, {guest name}

Hi {guest name},
it was a pleasure having you with us from {arrival date} to {departure date}. I hope we'll see you again!

If you'd like to come back, booking directly on our website always shows live availability: {website link}
{any perk for direct bookers, e.g. breakfast included or late check-out}

All the best,
{your name}
{property name}

Template 10 is a chance to steer the guest towards a direct booking, but use it lightly: it's a thank-you, not a newsletter. Sending promotional offers afterwards is subject to stricter rules (in the UK, PECR): get the guest's consent first.

5. Email or WhatsApp? Pros and cons

A few precautions, without turning into a lawyer:

• Only message a guest on WhatsApp if they've given you their number, and keep it to messages about their stay. Promotions (discounts, offers for next year) need explicit consent.
• Don't ask for more data than you need in the chat. If a guest sends you a photo of their passport, use it for the registration and don't leave it in your phone's gallery.
• Follow the platforms' rules. Airbnb and Booking.com have their own messaging and rules on what can be taken off the platform: check them before asking for payments or outside contact.
• Use a business number (WhatsApp Business works) if you share a phone or several people reply to guests.

6. How Vezpa does it: ready-made messages from the booking

Copying templates from your phone's notes works while bookings are few. When there are dozens, it's easy to send the wrong code or another guest's dates. Since version 3.8.1, Vezpa has ready-made messages:

• Write them once (directions, check-in, door code, review…), give them a name and, if you like, write them in several languages. There's already a suggested message for chasing online check-in, ready in every language.
• Send them from the booking: pick the message and the placeholders for the guest's name, arrival and departure dates, property name, address or online check-in link are filled in with that guest's details. You can still tweak the text before sending.
• Email or WhatsApp: email is sent by Vezpa; with WhatsApp the message opens pre-written in the WhatsApp app on your device and you press send. It is not an automatic send.
• Send history: the booking keeps a record of what was sent, when, on which channel and in which language. “Did I already send them the code?” takes a second to answer.
• The guest's language: every booking has a guest language (taken from the booking platform or the guest's country). The message goes out in that language if you've written it in that language; otherwise in English or whichever language you have.

For messages that need to go out on their own, there are automatic email messages: schedule them relative to arrival, departure or booking date, or trigger them on an event (online check-in completed, payment received, cancellation). Booking confirmations and payment requests already go out in the guest's language: emails, online check-in and the Booking Engine are available in 22 languages. WhatsApp, on the other hand, is always sent by hand, from your phone.

Frequently asked questions

How many messages should I send a guest?

For a typical stay, four or five are enough: the confirmation, arrival information a few days before, a welcome message, check-out instructions and a thank-you with a review request. The others (registration details, payment reminder, house rules) are sent only when needed.

Can I message guests on WhatsApp?

Yes, if the guest has given you their number and expects to hear from you that way about their stay. Keep WhatsApp for practical messages about the booking, not unsolicited promotions, and don't ask for or keep more personal data in the chat than you need.

Which language should I write in?

The guest's own language where you can, otherwise plain English. Practical details such as times, the door code and the address must be clear at first reading: a message in the guest's language means fewer calls and fewer misunderstandings.

Can I offer a discount in exchange for a review?

Better not. The main platforms prohibit incentivised reviews and can remove them or penalise the listing. Ask for an honest review, at the right moment, with a direct link: that is enough.