Guest messaging and calls for hotels and homestays
Answer room enquiries, confirm arrivals and pick-ups, collect balances and stay in touch with guests during and after their stay.
Which channels should a hotel or homestay use to communicate with guests?
Hotels and homestays get most value from WhatsApp for booking confirmations, directions, check-in details and in-stay requests, an IVR on the reservations number to route rooms, banquets and restaurant calls, AI Voice to confirm arrivals and remind groups about advance payments, and SMS confirmations for guests who do not use WhatsApp. Bulk promotion matters less.
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Key facts: messaging and calls for hotels and homestays
- Start with
- WhatsApp Business API (Before and during stays)
- Channel mix
- WhatsApp Business API, IVR, AI Voice, Bulk SMS
- One account
- Shared contacts, delivery reports and webhooks across every channel
- Integration
- REST API and webhooks into any CRM or app that can call an API. API and webhooks
- Pricing model
- Prepaid credits quoted by volume, GST extra; WhatsApp at Meta's rate by category plus a platform fee. How pricing works
Which channels work best for hotels and homestays?
Bulk promotional channels are a weak fit for most hotels; past guests respond better to a personal WhatsApp message than to mass campaigns.
How do the channels work together for hotels and homestays?
- EnquiryIVR or AI VoiceThe reservations line routes the call, or AI Voice notes dates and guest count after hours.
- BookingWhatsApp confirmationThe guest gets booking details, a map pin and the cancellation policy, with an SMS copy.
- Day before arrivalArrival callAn AI call confirms check-in time and asks whether a station or airport pick-up is needed.
- During and afterWhatsApp conciergeGuests ask for towels or late checkout in the chat, then receive the invoice and a feedback request after checkout.
What does each channel do for hotels and homestays?
- Direct booking confirmation
- Pre-arrival details
- Guest Wi-Fi login code
- Booking confirmation with directions
- Pre-arrival details
- In-stay requests
- Booking confirmation card
- Pre-arrival message
- Upgrade and early check-in
- Reservations first
- Banquet and wedding line
- Existing bookings to front desk
- Pay-at-hotel booking confirmation
- Wedding and event guest reminder
- Staff shift and function alerts
- Tariff card from highway hoardings
- Wedding and banquet enquiries
- Festive and long weekend packages
Step-by-step guides for hotels and homestays
Use-case guides with templates, set-up steps and metrics that fit this industry.
Questions about messaging for hotels and homestays
Can hotels message foreign guests on WhatsApp?
Yes. The WhatsApp Business API can message international numbers, which suits foreign guests who may not receive Indian SMS reliably while travelling. Meta charges by the recipient's country under its current pricing, so check Meta's rate card for the countries your guests come from.
Is WhatsApp better than SMS for hotel booking confirmations?
Usually, because the confirmation can carry a map pin, photos, a payment link and a chat for questions. Send a short SMS copy too for Indian guests who book by phone and may not use WhatsApp, and for travel agents who prefer it.
Can an AI phone assistant take room bookings?
It takes booking requests: dates, guest count, room preference and contact details, which it passes to your reservations team or booking system to confirm availability and rate. Callers who want to negotiate or ask about weddings and events are transferred to the front desk.
Do guests need to opt in before a hotel messages them on WhatsApp?
Yes. Collect opt-in when the guest books, for example with a checkbox on your booking form or a line in the confirmation call. Booking and stay updates go as utility templates, while offers to past guests are marketing templates and depend on that opt-in.
Can this connect to our property management system or channel manager?
It can, provided the PMS calls an API or accepts a webhook. New bookings, check-ins and checkouts can trigger the right message automatically. Homestays without a PMS can send messages from a Google Sheet of bookings through Zapier.
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