Pre-Arrival Message
A pre-arrival message is a scheduled communication sent to guests after they book but before their check-in date. It serves to deliver essential information, set expectations, and begin the guest service experience.
Why it matters
Effective pre-arrival messaging reduces guest anxiety and day-of-arrival issues by providing clear, timely instructions for accessing the property. This proactive communication minimizes repetitive questions for the operator, streamlines the check-in process, and sets a professional tone, which can lead to higher guest satisfaction and better reviews.
Operator use case
Operators use pre-arrival messages to confirm reservation details, provide the exact property address and directions, and share access codes or keyless entry instructions. This communication is also used to remind guests of important house rules, offer early check-in or other upsells, and share links to digital guidebooks with local recommendations. The goal is to eliminate any guest uncertainty before they begin their travel.
Industry insight
A common mistake is sending too much information at once or sending it at the wrong time. An optimal flow involves two to three messages: a booking confirmation, a detailed check-in message a few days before arrival, and a brief final message the morning of. Another misconception is that automation feels impersonal. When configured correctly with dynamic fields that pull guest and property data, automated messages provide consistent, personalized, and accurate information that manual processes often fail to deliver at scale. The strategic implication is a reduction in operational load; every question answered in a pre-arrival message is one less phone call or text an operator has to field on a busy turnover day.
Tech & tools relevance
Property Management Systems (PMS) are the central hub for automating pre-arrival messages. These platforms use triggers based on booking events, such as "booking confirmed" or "48 hours before check-in," to automatically send pre-written templates. These systems integrate with channel managers to pull guest data and can use dynamic fields or variables (like `[Guest First Name]` or `[Door Code]`) to personalize the content for each reservation, ensuring accuracy across a large portfolio of properties.
How Hostfully helps
Hostfully's platform allows operators to create and automate a sequence of pre-arrival messages using templates and triggers. The system can pull reservation-specific data to populate messages with personalized details, such as the guest's name, property address, and check-in instructions. This functionality supports sending crucial information at scheduled times before arrival, which helps to streamline operations and ensure guests are well-informed.