Best practices: Automated messages for a guest's reservation cycle

There are specific Auto Messages to include before, during, and after a guest's stay that can help manage and maintain your reservations.

Our guide below will cover which Auto Message you should include through the reservation cycle — including last-minute reservations and extended stays.

Basic setup

Schedule your Automated Messages (and their content) based on how long in advance the guest booked the reservation, and the length of their stay.
This ensures that the necessary information is received at the correct time with all the needed information within one message, while avoiding any extra or unnecessary messages.

We highly recommend that guests should receive the following types of Automated Messages before, during, and after their stay:

Last-minute reservations

If you allow last-minute stays at your properties, you can create a specific Automated Message setup to ensure a smooth check-in and pleasant communication experience for your guests.

Keep the following in mind when creating messages for last-minute reservations:

1. Ensure communication is sent correctly
   If a reservation is confirmed after an Automated Message is due to be sent, the message will still be sent. This ensures that guests won't miss any important information when making last-minute reservations. However, this can lead to multiple messages being sent to the guest at the same time, and can cause confusion or loss of information.
   

   For example: Let's say you have an Automated Message scheduled to be sent upon confirmation, and the check-in instructions will be sent 3 days before check-in. If the reservation is made less than 3 days in advance, the guest will receive two separate messages upon confirmation.

   In this case, you can use the "Same day booking" template when you create a Workflow/Message Automation.
   
   

2. For check-in instructions, make sure the scheduled time for the message is "After Confirmation" rather than "Before Check-in".
   When creating or editing an Automated Message template, you can choose when the message should be sent.
   When creating a setup for last-minute reservations, we recommend using the "After Confirmation" option rather than "Before Check-in" as the trigger for the check-in instructions Automated Message.
   Sending the message sometime after confirmation ensures that the guest has time to comply with all your requirements before sending them their check-in instructions.

   For example: Let's say you schedule an Auto Message for check-in instructions to be sent 8 hours before check-in. If a last-minute reservation is confirmed 6 hours before check-in, Guesty will try to send the check-in instructions upon confirmation, but other factors (like pre-check-in requirements) can cause the message not to be sent. For Pro users: Learn more about scenarios with Check-in Forms and rental agreements.

3. Create a message specifically for last-minute reservations
   Create a second message with exactly the same check-in instructions, but this time include the confirmation text in the same message. This should be sent upon confirmation if a reservation is confirmed less than a number of days before check-in (you can use sending conditions to add this setting).
   

   For example: Choose "Reservation is confirmed exactly or less than 3 days in advance". This way, when a guest makes a last-minute reservation they will receive all the needed information in one message upon confirmation.

4. Create a message for reservations that aren't last-minute
   Add the sending condition called "Advance notice" to any Automated Message template that is due to be sent before check-in.
   

   For example: If a message is due to be sent 3 days before check-in, choose "Reservation is confirmed more than 3 days in advance" and add the same condition to your separate confirmation message. This way, for reservations that are made in advance, guests will receive a confirmation message upon confirmation and the check-in instructions closer to the check-in date.

   
   
   

Auto Messages for extended stay reservations

If you are offering longer-term reservations at your properties, cater to this by optimizing your Automated Messages setup.
For example, offer mid-stay cleans for guests with longer stays, or reduce the manual work by sending messages later into their stay to check that everything is in order.

Sending messages based on whether or not a reservation is an extended stay

When creating an Automated Message to be sent to guests with longer-term stays, select the "Number of nights" sending condition, and specify that the number of nights is equal to or greater than the minimum number of nights you consider as an extended stay.

Selecting your extended stay listings

When creating or editing an Automated Message template, specify that the messages should only be sent for reservations at your extended stay listings.

You can do this by adding a tag to all listings that allow extended stays and specifying that the message should only be sent for these listings.