Marketing tips
The ultimate guide to guest messaging: Templates, timing, and tone
15 Sept 2025
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By Amanda Sanders
Effective guest messaging isn’t just nice‑to‑have, it’s central to building trust, earning good reviews, and simplifying your workflow as a host. When done well, pre‑arrival, in‑stay, and post‑checkout communication reassures guests, prevents misunderstandings, and turns a stay into a raving review. In this guide we cover best practices for each stage, suggested message templates, how to set timing, the ideal tone - and how Travelnest tools (including Scheduled Messaging, Guest Messaging, and Property Experts) can help you get it right.
Why guest messaging matters
Before diving into templates and timing, it’s worth understanding the benefits:
Trust & clarity: Guests feel confident when they know exactly what to expect. Clear communication reduces last‑minute confusion over arrival, access, house rules, etc.
Fewer issues during stay: Many guest frustrations arise from misunderstandings. Proactive messages help prevent repetitive questions (e.g. “Where is the WiFi password?”, “How do we get in after dark?”).
Better reviews and repeat bookings: Guests who feel well‑cared‑for are more likely to leave positive reviews, recommend your property, or return.
Efficiency and scale: Automating parts of communication frees up your time, especially if you manage multiple properties.
Sources like Minut’s “Vacation Rental Guest Communication: Ultimate Guide” emphasise that automation + personalisation are key.
Travelnest features that support great messaging
Here are some of Travelnest’s tools that make it easier to message well:
Guest Messaging: A unified inbox for communications across different channels (Airbnb and Booking.com), with mobile app support and instant notifications.
Scheduled Messaging: Lets you set up automatic messages using templates (Booking Confirmation, Pre‑check‑in, Post‑check‑in, Checkout, Follow‑up Thanks). Templates are editable, timing adjustable, and you can attach guides, rules or local tips.
Mobile App: The app lets you respond on the go, ensures you don’t miss messages, and manage attachments etc.
Property Experts: If you need help with tone, local tips, or setting up templates that feel authentic for your market, your assigned Property Expert can assist.
Tone tips: What works & what to avoid
Personalised over generic: Use guest name; reference something specific if possible (e.g. “hope you enjoyed the walk up the lane”, “we know how helpful early check‑in is for travellers arriving late”).
Clear and concise: Avoid long messages that bury useful details. Use bullet points for instructions (WiFi, parking, access).
Friendly and professional: Warmth builds trust; keep professionalism in spelling, grammar, punctuation..
Anticipatory and helpful: Think of what your guest might forget or ask about and include it pre‑emptively.
Respect privacy & avoid over‑communication: Too many messages can annoy. Find balance. Use automated tools to send when useful, not redundant.
How Travelnest enables these best practices
Here’s how Travelnest helps hosts put these practices into action smoothly:
Templates + Scheduled Messaging: Travelnest’s Scheduled Messaging feature provides five smart templates (Booking Confirmation, Pre‑check‑in, Post‑check‑in, Checkout, and Follow‑up Thanks), with smart defaults for timing and content. You can edit them, attach welcome guides or house rules, and enable them when you’re ready.
Customisable timing: If you want a pre‑arrival message two days before, or 24 hours before, you can adjust. Enables you to match your guests’ needs or local arrival logistics.
Attachments: You can include welcome guides, house rules, local tips etc., in messages. Helps centralise information so guests don’t have to hunt for it.
Unified inbox and mobile app access: Because messages from different channels (e.g. Airbnb, Booking.com) are centralised, hosts avoid losing track. Mobile app means you can respond on the go.
Property Experts: If you’re unsure about tone or what content resonates best in your location (local tips, what guests care about), your Property Expert can provide advice.
Common mistakes & how to avoid them
Here are pitfalls hosts often fall into - and how to prevent them:
Mistake | Why it Matters | How to Avoid with Good Messaging / Travelnest Tools |
Waiting until guests arrive to send essential info | Guests often arrive with uncertainty; last‑minute questions cause stress | Use pre‑arrival templates; Scheduled Messaging ensures key info (check‑in, access, parking) is sent ahead of time. |
Overwhelming guests with too much data at once | Large messages can get ignored; guests may miss critical instructions | Break info into stages (booking, pre‑arrival, first day). Use attachments (welcome guide) in Travelnest so detailed info is downloadable. |
Using overly formal or generic tone | Guest may feel disconnected; less trust, lower satisfaction | Personalise: use guest name; mention property features or local suggestions; adjust tone to match your style / property. Review examples with your Property Expert if needed. |
Missing messages / delayed responses | Guests’ satisfaction drops quickly with slow replies; bad reviews may follow | Centralised inbox + mobile app notifications in Travelnest help you respond swiftly. Scheduled messages cover automatic touch‑points. |
Forgetting to ask for reviews or feedback | Reviews drive bookings, trust, visibility on platforms | Use post‑checkout / thank you template in Scheduled Messaging; mention reviews politely; make it easy for guests to leave feedback. |
Final takeaways
Map out your guest journey and decide exactly what messaging you need at each stage.
Use a tone that is warm, helpful, and consistent.
Don’t reinvent the wheel: leverage templates and automation.
Keep messages relevant, clear, and timely - avoid both over‑messaging and leaving gaps.
Use Travelnest features (Scheduled Messaging, Guest Messaging, attachments, mobile app) plus Property Expert support to build a messaging flow that saves you time and delights your guests.
With thoughtful messaging, you build trust before guests arrive, manage expectations, reduce friction during stay, and leave a positive final impression-boosting reviews and encouraging repeat bookings.
