What is hotel pre-arrival messaging?

Pre-arrival messaging serves four purposes simultaneously: **1. Reduce no-shows.** Many no-shows are forgetfulness or plan changes, not malice. A 48-hour-out message with one-click cancellation lets guests cancel politely — and cancellations are partially resaleable while no-shows are not. Hotels with disciplined pre-arrival messaging cut no-show rates 20-40%. **2. Reduce check-in friction.** Including a link to online check-in lets guests fill in registration data from their phone before arrival. Front-desk time per guest drops 60-90 seconds; queue length drops accordingly during peak arrival hours. **3. Pre-arrival upsell.** A targeted offer in the pre-arrival message — late checkout, early check-in, room upgrade, F&B package, transfer booking — converts 5-15% depending on offer and segment. Higher than any other touchpoint. **4. Set expectations.** Travel info (parking, public transit), local context (restaurant recommendation, event happening that night), and policy reminders (check-in time, ID requirements) prevent surprises at arrival. **What to include:** - Booking reference and dates - Check-in time and process - One-click cancellation link (counter-intuitively reduces no-shows) - Online check-in invitation (link) - Practical arrival info (parking, public transit, ETA flexibility) - One relevant upsell offer (don't overload) **What to avoid:** - Heavy marketing material disguised as confirmation - Generic templates with no personalisation - Sending too early (5+ days out — guests forget) or too late (day-of — they've already made plans) - Multiple competing offers (one focused upsell converts better than three) **Channel choice:** Email is universal. SMS has 95%+ open rate but is more expensive. WhatsApp Business API combines high open rate with lower cost where available. For international guest mix, WhatsApp typically wins.