The guest message timeline, from booking to checkout

Map the stay before writing the messages

Every contact should meet a guest need, not fill a calendar slot. Before drafting, organise the stay around five jobs. This lets you spot gaps in your operation before trying to fix them with more messages.

• Confirm: guests need to know what they have booked. You need verified dates and accommodation details.
• Prepare: guests need to understand what remains to be arranged. You need to distinguish missing information from answers already received.
• Enter: guests need to find the property and get inside. You need current instructions and someone available to help.
• Resolve: guests need a way to report a problem and get follow-through. You need a clear owner for their reply.
• Leave: guests need clear departure arrangements and a way to settle outstanding issues. You need to verify those arrangements and the status of the stay.

Turn the five jobs into an operational map

1. Write down what the guest needs to accomplish and what your team must confirm to support it.
2. Mark needs already met and gaps that require a team decision.
3. Use the table in the next section to place the seven touchpoints, from booking through departure follow-up, and decide which ones apply.

Worked example: apartment 402

In this illustrative example, the guest in apartment 402 has already explained their arrival plans. That question is settled. But nobody has decided who will help if they cannot get inside. You need an owner, not another message.

Tip: Keep a touchpoint only if it provides useful information or helps resolve an outstanding need.

If you cannot name its contribution, leave it out. This map adapts to the booking. It does not require seven messages or turn a service decision into a fixed sending frequency.

Set when each message sends, skips or stops

Schedule sending conditions, not just times. Before each contact, check that the booking is still active and the message still serves a purpose. Use the stages below as an adaptable operating schedule, not a required contact frequency.

Keep three states separate. Expected arrival time is an estimate. Confirmed arrival means you know the guest has reached the property. Successful entry means they got into the accommodation. Sending access instructions proves none of these on its own.

1. Review upcoming bookings before each shift

1. Check the dates, unit, booking status and most recent contact.
2. Read the guest’s replies, including relevant answers received through another channel, before asking again.
3. Decide whether to send, skip or stop. A recent booking does not need a one-week reminder sent late merely to complete the sequence.
4. Stop pending messages when a booking is cancelled. When dates change, stop messages tied to the old schedule and reassess which still apply. Remove reminders for requests already resolved.
5. Name an owner and a backup for contacts outside the usual shift. Record who will review each pending item and when.

For an illustrative example, a guest in unit 402 says they will arrive after your shift ends. Assign arrival follow-up to the night receptionist rather than leaving an unattended scheduled message to stand in for support.

Tip: Before sending, ask: “Does this message still help, given what we already know?” Let the schedule suggest the contact. Let the current booking status decide whether it happens.

Give each message one clear job

Before drafting, finish this sentence: “This message helps the guest…” If the answer contains two unrelated tasks, separate them or remove the less useful one. Asking for an arrival time and promoting an extra service are different jobs.

One purpose does not mean one piece of information. Include enough context for the guest to act without searching through earlier messages.

1. Choose the outcome, then trim the draft

1. Name the need. For example: get the guest’s estimated arrival time.
2. Add brief context: identify the booking or unit and explain why the information matters.
3. Keep only confirmed information that supports that purpose.
4. Request a specific action only when necessary. An informational update does not automatically need “please confirm receipt.”
5. Read the conversation before sending. If the guest has already answered, update the internal task instead of asking again.

Worked example: replace two reminders with one

This illustrative example uses apartment 402.

Before, as separate messages:

“Hi, please remember to tell us when you’re arriving.”

“To coordinate your arrival at apartment 402, we need your estimated arrival time. Let us know if it changes.”

After, as one message:

“Hi [name], please reply with your estimated arrival time so we can coordinate your arrival at apartment 402. If your plans change, let us know here.”

The combined version preserves the important instruction: report a change. It does not create a second request or leave the guest wondering whether both reminders need an answer.

Copyable message structure

Use the subject line only where the channel supports it. Replace the placeholders and remove any line that does not serve the message’s purpose.

Subject: [Reason for message] | [Booking reference or unit]

Hi [name],
About your booking [reference or unit]: [brief reason for writing].
[Confirmed information or necessary instruction].
[Specific action, only if needed].
For help, contact us through [support channel].

Common mistakes to remove

Keep team comments, unconfirmed diagnoses and other guests’ details out of guest-facing text. “Maintenance thinks…” is not a verified explanation. State what you know and the next step you can support.

Tip: If a message adds no new information, corrects nothing and requests no outstanding action, do not send it.

A shift change is not a reason to repeat instructions either. Pass context to the next colleague internally. The guest should not have to manage your handover.

Confirm the booking and prepare for arrival

1. Check the details before confirming

Match your message to the current booking: arrival and departure dates, booked accommodation or assigned unit, guest count and confirmed conditions. If the unit is not assigned yet, confirm the accommodation booked without naming a unit. A request for early entry is not an approved arrangement.

Keep the confirmation short. Include only conditions you can verify, and remove any field that does not apply:

Subject: Your booking at [property]

Hi [name], your booking is confirmed from [arrival date] to [departure date] for [guest count].
[Relevant confirmed condition].
We will send your arrival instructions through [agreed channel]. Reply here if any booking details need correcting.

2. Ask only for missing information

Read the booking details and earlier conversations before requesting anything. If the guest has already provided an estimated arrival time, use it. Explain why you need any outstanding information. Separate preferences from arrangements that need coordination: an arrival outside normal reception hours may need planning, while early entry requires a confirmed availability check.

For identification and guest registration, check which obligations apply to your property and guests with Migración Colombia for SIRE and MinCIT for TRA. Consult the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio for guidance on personal data processing, information provided to guests and security measures. Use current official guidance rather than treating an old form as authoritative.

Do not assume that email, chat or a form is secure by default. Choose the collection channel based on the information requested, its safeguards and who can access it.

Tip: Before requesting a detail, check whether you already have it and whether you actually need it.

3. Prepare for arrival using current information

Before sending the day-before message, check:

• Dates and accommodation details are still correct.
• The estimated arrival time is recorded or marked as outstanding.
• Special requests have a confirmed answer or an assigned owner.
• You are requesting only relevant missing information.
• Someone is covering the help channel.

If a necessary detail is missing, use this version:

Subject: Getting ready for your arrival at [property]

Hi [name], we look forward to welcoming you on [confirmed arrival date]. To coordinate your arrival, we still need [required detail]. Please provide it through [designated channel].
[Confirmed response to a request, if applicable].
Your access instructions will follow through [agreed channel]. Let us know here if your estimated arrival time changes.

If you already have everything needed, send a complete update that requires no reply:

Subject: Your arrival at [property]

Hi [name], we look forward to welcoming you on [confirmed arrival date]. We have the information needed to coordinate your arrival.
We will send your access instructions through [agreed channel]. There is no need to reply to this message.
If your estimated arrival time changes or you need to update your arrival arrangements, contact us through [contact channel for changes].

Collecting information and providing access are separate tasks. Keep credentials out of these templates. Choose the version that matches the booking's actual status. A scheduled message is not a reason to make the guest repeat themselves.

Make arrival simple and check in after entry

Make entry verification a separate task from sending instructions. Assign someone to confirm that the guest got inside and handle any difficulty.

1. Check the entry route before sending it

1. Open the current booking and verify the address, unit and stay dates. Do not reuse instructions from an earlier conversation without checking them.
2. Confirm that the access method belongs to that unit and is still valid. Check any credentials with the person responsible before sharing them through the approved channel.
3. Verify who will handle an entry problem and which contact the guest should use. Do not promise support beyond your agreed coverage.
4. Send only what the guest needs to get inside: address, correct entrance, unit, access steps and support contact. Keep codes out of uncontrolled shared records and never forward outdated credentials.

Adapt this template and send it only after verifying the booking and access. Fill in the steps with checked instructions. Keep internal notes and real access codes out of the shared template.

Subject: Arrival instructions for [unit]
Hi [name], here is how to reach your accommodation:
Address: [confirmed address].
Entrance: [correct entrance and how to recognise it].
Unit: [confirmed unit].
To get inside:
1. [Step for entering the building].
2. [Step for reaching the unit].
3. [Step for opening the door using the approved access method].
For help, contact [staffed support contact] through [channel], available during [confirmed hours]. Give your name, unit and the step you are having trouble with. Do not share access credentials in group conversations.
Please reply here once you are inside.

Record that the instructions were sent without copying the code into the log. Then look for confirmation from the guest or the team member who welcomed them. Until you have it, keep the status as entry unconfirmed.

Worked example: an access problem at apartment 402

In this illustrative example, the guest reaches the building and reports that the door to apartment 402 will not open. The night receptionist takes ownership:

1. Establish which door the guest is at and check the unit against the current booking. Do not ask the guest to post an access code in a group conversation.
2. Pause the routine first-night message while checking access with the person responsible.
3. Give the guest the next verified step. Leave out internal troubleshooting notes and do not promise an unconfirmed fix.
4. Ask the guest to confirm that they are inside. Record the outcome before resuming the message sequence.

If entry is still blocked, keep the case open. The receptionist remains responsible unless there is an explicit handover.

Tip: Ask how the stay is going after entry is confirmed, not while the guest is still trying to unlock the door.

2. Ask one question you can act on

Send a short check-in once the guest has had time to settle and someone is available to respond. For a late arrival, avoid waking them with a routine message. Move it to a suitable time the following day. This does not replace support for an active access problem.

Subject: Settled into [unit]?
Hi [name], have you settled in comfortably, or is there anything you need us to check? You can reply here.

If the guest reports a problem, assign an owner and confirm the next step. Do not add a review request or mark the issue resolved merely because you have replied.

Adapt the timeline to late bookings and changes

The current booking takes priority over the original schedule. Before rescheduling, check what was sent and what changed. Update the affected contacts rather than restarting the conversation.

1. Decide which exception takes priority

1. Address any access or safety problem first.
2. A confirmed cancellation stops stay-related contacts. A confirmed date change replaces the old dates; a request alone does not.
3. If identification is missing, check which communication can continue and which checks must be completed before access. Do not stop every message by default.
4. If an answer arrived through another authorized channel, use it to resolve the outstanding request instead of asking again.
5. Adjust affected sends manually. Use automation only after verifying that the available functions can apply and check these conditions.

Tip: Before resuming messages, ask: “Which pending message could contradict what we have just agreed?”

Worked example: arrival booked for today

In this illustrative example, a guest books unit 402 for that afternoon. The receptionist checks the confirmation already sent, then combines the remaining confirmation and preparation details into one contact: dates, unit and expected arrival. Skip the week-before reminder. Release access instructions once the relevant checks are complete, not simply because the scheduled sending time has arrived.

Worked example: extending a long stay

In this illustrative example, the guest in unit 402 asks to stay longer. While reservations checks availability, the receptionist holds the checkout reminder for review without suggesting the extension is approved. If it is not confirmed, clarify the current departure arrangements before resuming that contact.

Once approved, update checkout and remove the old farewell message. To manage the period between the first night and departure:

1. Record the services already agreed, without adding unconfirmed services.
2. Identify which ones require the guest to coordinate timing or access.
3. Agree on the channel and timing for the necessary contact.
4. Suppress reminders when there is no new need. Stay length alone is not a reason to send a message.

Use this template only for a confirmed service:

Subject: Arranging [confirmed service]
Hi [name], [service] is confirmed for your stay in [unit]. We still need to arrange [timing or access]. Please confirm [required action] through [agreed channel] so we can make the arrangements.

A longer stay does not need another welcome sequence. Keep only the contacts that still serve a purpose.

Make checkout clear and close the conversation

The evening before departure, send only what the guest needs to leave: the agreed checkout time, key return or access procedure, necessary instructions already agreed, and a contact for changes. This is a reminder, not a chance to introduce chores, charges or new conditions.

1. Check the details before sending

1. Verify the current departure date and checkout time against any approved changes.
2. Check where keys should go or what the guest needs to do with their access method.
3. Look for an unresolved request or issue. Hold the routine message if it conflicts with the conversation already underway.
4. Provide a clear way to ask for help. Do not request a reply unless you need a decision.

Subject: Checkout from [unit] on [date]
Hi [name], your agreed checkout time tomorrow is [time].
Please [agreed key return or access instruction].
If you need to discuss a change, contact us through [channel]. We will confirm whether it is possible.
Thank you, [team].

Worked example: a 10:30 checkout and a late checkout request

In this illustrative example, the guest in unit 402 asks to stay beyond 10:30. The receptionist checks with the housekeeping lead before agreeing: would the change still allow the unit to be prepared for the next arrival?

While checking, tell the guest that the request is pending and 10:30 remains the agreed checkout time. If a later time is approved, confirm it to the guest and update the shared housekeeping record. Do not leave two competing times in circulation.

Tip: A request is not a confirmation. Validate the operational impact before promising a later checkout.

2. Verify departure before sending thanks

Check that the guest has left before sending the closing message. If an access problem, forgotten item or another issue remains unresolved, hold any routine message that would imply the case is closed. Keep an owner assigned. Tell the guest the next step and when you will update them, without promising an unverified outcome.

Subject: Thank you for staying at [property]
Hi [name], thank you for staying with us.
If you need to reach us after your departure, please contact us through [channel].
Best wishes, [team].

Keep any optional review invitation separate from the operational close. Do not use it to pressure the guest or replace follow-up on an unresolved problem.

Choose tools and give each conversation an owner

Choose a tool that lets the next shift see what is pending and who will respond. More channels will not fix unclear ownership. Keep one reliable place for your team to check before sending anything.

1. Choose the channel and assign ownership

1. Name a primary channel for the guest conversation. If the guest answers elsewhere, record where the answer sits before asking again.
2. Assign an owner and a backup. Specify when the backup takes over, including outside the owner's shift.
3. Decide who may view, edit and send. Avoid shared accounts when they hide who sent a message.
4. Keep sent, confirmed delivery where channel evidence exists, and reply received as separate statuses. A guest reply alone does not prove that the request is resolved.

2. Make the handover verifiable

In an illustrative example, the guest in apartment 402 requests another pillow. The receptionist records the outstanding task. The night receptionist accepts ownership and checks for updates before replying.

Copy this form into your internal record. Never paste it into a guest message. Include only what the next person needs to continue the work.

Booking reference: [reference]
Pending need: [request or issue]
Last reply: [text or reference and time]
Next action: [action]
Owner: [name]
Backup: [name]
Next update: [date and time]
Handover accepted: [name, date and time]

Tip: A handover is not complete when you leave a note. It is complete when the next owner acknowledges the pending task.

Paper, spreadsheets and software can all support this process. Several people may contribute to a conversation, but one visible owner should remain accountable for the next step.

Recover failed messages without adding noise

1. Check the evidence before sending again

No reply does not mean no delivery. Check the recipient, current booking, channel, sent content and available delivery status. A read receipt does not prove the guest understood the instructions or got inside. Look for answers in other authorised channels before repeating a question.

Identify the failure: an undelivered message, no response, incorrect instructions, another booking’s details or a duplicate send. These need different fixes, not another automatic reminder.

2. Pause conflicting messages and name an owner

Stop pending messages that would contradict the correction. Assign one person to resolve the issue and a backup if their shift ends. If there is an immediate risk, prioritise assistance and verified local procedures over the messaging sequence. Check the relevant official assistance channels for your location with the local mayor’s office, or alcaldía.

3. Correct through an available, authorised channel

1. For failed delivery, verify the destination and use an authorised alternative channel if one is available.
2. For no response, decide whether you actually need the guest to act before proceeding. Do not chase an unnecessary acknowledgement.
3. For incorrect instructions, identify the message being replaced and provide only verified, current information.
4. For mixed-up guest details, do not repeat the exposed information in your correction. Review the incident with your privacy lead and consult guidance from Colombia’s Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio.
5. For duplicate sends, remove the pending repeat. Send a clarification only if the duplicates caused confusion.

If access credentials were exposed, check with the person responsible for access what can be revoked or changed and how the correct guest will retain entry. Never promise deactivation before verifying it.

Tip: Fix what is blocking the guest before restarting routine messages.

4. Verify the outcome and record the resolution

“Correction sent” is not the same as “problem resolved”. For an access failure, for example, confirm that the guest got inside. Record the evidence, owner and next action without copying credentials or internal notes into guest-facing text.

Before closing the issue:

• Check whether the question was already answered elsewhere.
• Validate any promise with the responsible team.
• Confirm the outcome, not just a read receipt.
• Remove internal comments from the guest-facing message.
• Confirm which pending messages can resume.

Track messages and audit the sequence each quarter

Keep enough detail to reconstruct each contact: what was due, what went out and what still needs attention. Record where to find the evidence behind each status, such as a message identifier in the authorised conversation. Keep identity documents and access credentials out of this log.

Copyable tracking sheet

Copy the table and replace the illustrative examples. Fill in [date] and [date and time] before using it. Evidence references should point to access-controlled records, not copies of sensitive information.

Retain the exact template version and any edits sent to the guest. A duplicate staff request means asking again for something the guest has already provided or resolved. Record it in its own column, even if the guest does not complain.

1. Calculate comparable metrics

• On-time sends: messages sent within your defined window ÷ applicable planned sends. Exclude messages correctly skipped after a cancellation or change, and record why. Define “on time” before counting.
• Repeated questions: bookings with questions already answered in the sequence ÷ bookings reviewed. This measures questions the guest asks again, not duplicate staff requests. Count each booking once.
• Duplicates: messages repeated without an operational need ÷ messages reviewed. Include duplicate staff requests when they meet that definition. Do not count a necessary correction as a duplicate.

All three formulas produce proportions. To display them as percentages, multiply each result by 100 without changing its numerator or denominator. If the denominator is zero, record “not applicable”.

Use the same period and definitions when comparing results. These measures do not prove readership, satisfaction or resolution. For response times, separate time during staffed coverage from waiting outside coverage. Do not present staffed time as the guest’s entire wait.

2. Audit each stage and channel quarterly

1. Review logs and conversations, including unresolved cases and exceptions. Record which bookings and channels you reviewed.
2. Group guest questions by stage and channel. Is information missing, late or unclear? Review duplicate staff requests separately.
3. Check the actual message. If the information arrived late, change the timing rather than adding another reminder.
4. Assign an owner, label the revised template and set the next review to compare results.

Tip: Treat a repeated question as a clue, not a guest failing. Your log should help you decide what to remove, move or clarify.

Test your timeline before putting it into use

Run the sequence with clearly labelled fictional bookings, without sending anything to real guests. Check the messages prepared for delivery and those that should be held back. A successful test proves what will not be sent, too.

1. Build a version you can inspect

1. Gather your existing messages across channels. Identify repeated requests and remove duplicates without losing essential instructions.
2. Approve each template alongside its send and stop conditions. Make unfinished fields obvious rather than filling them with guessed details.
3. Name an owner and a backup for each conversation. Decide who handles a reply that arrives during a shift handover.
4. Run the cases below. Write down the expected outcome, then compare it with the messages actually prepared for sending.
5. Fix failures and rerun the affected tests before extending the sequence to more bookings.

2. Test the bookings that disrupt the schedule

• Advance booking: each message adds useful information and uses current booking details.
• Same-day booking: preparation reminders that no longer serve a purpose are skipped.
• Date change: pending messages follow the revised arrival and departure dates.
• Late arrival: someone owns the conversation, and the first-night question does not disturb the guest's rest.
• Long stay: scheduled contacts remain relevant, and checkout matches the confirmed departure date.
• Cancellation: arrival instructions and stay reminders stop for the cancelled booking.

3. Make the go-live decision

For every proposed message, ask: What need does it meet? Is the information still current? Who responds if the guest replies? What event stops the next message? If you cannot answer all four, hold that message for review.

Tip: Keep human review for access instructions and exceptions. An approved template can still be wrong for a particular booking.

Inspect the first results before expanding the sequence. Check whether the expected messages were prepared, unnecessary ones were stopped and replies had an owner.