Messaging between guests and hosts
Most stays involve a short conversation in a platform's message thread. A few good messages at the right moments prevent most misunderstandings.
The moments that matter
- At booking: a short confirmation and a sentence about who is travelling and why.
- A few days before: check-in instructions, the arrival time agreed, any special requests.
- On arrival: a quick "we're in" from the guest; a "let me know if anything is missing" from the host.
- During the stay: only when something is needed or wrong.
- Before departure: check-out time and what to do with keys.
For guests: how to get a useful answer quickly
- One topic per message, with the essential detail first.
- For a problem, a photo and a short description: "The heater shows error E4, photo attached."
- Say when you need the answer: "We arrive at 9 pm; is a later arrival possible?"
- Keep everything in the platform's thread, so both sides have a record.
For hosts: fewer questions, better stays
Most guest questions repeat: Wi-Fi, check-in, parking, rubbish, check-out. Each repeated question is a sign that the information is missing or hard to find. Put it in the check-in message and the digital guidebook, with photos.
Speed matters more than length. A two-line reply within minutes reassures more than a perfect reply hours later. If you cannot solve something immediately, say so and say when you will come back.
Templates, not robots
Saved replies and scheduled messages save time, but they must fit the place and the guest. Re-read templates regularly, remove details that are no longer true, and never let an automated message answer a complaint. Our article on AI and automation covers where to draw that line.
Cleanliness and first impressions
The message guests send most often in the first hour is about cleanliness or something missing. Hosts who check the place, or receive photos from their cleaning team, before each arrival receive far fewer of them. Guests who report an issue straight away, with a photo, get it solved faster and avoid any doubt at check-out.
Tone
Polite, short and specific works in both directions. Most problems are solved by people who feel they are being spoken to reasonably.