Pre-arrival welcome messages

Purpose

1. Automate sending tailored pre-arrival messages to guests, providing essential information, personalized greetings, directions, and access details before check-in.

2. Enhance guest satisfaction through timely, consistent, and professional pre-stay communication delivered via the most effective channels.

3. Minimize manual guest outreach, automate reminders, support staff reduction, and ensure no guest is missed.

4. Automate pre-arrival document/ID collection or request for payment completion before property access.

Trigger Conditions

1. Reservation confirmed in booking system and check-in within a set timeframe (e.g., 48 hours before arrival).

2. Payment status marked “paid,” triggering the pre-arrival automation sequence.

3. Checklist item (e.g., “send pre-arrival info”) incomplete in PMS, launching automation.

4. Guest registration form submission detected, activating automated message flow.

Platform Variants

1. Twilio SMS

• Feature/Setting: Automate SMS sends via Programmable SMS API upon booking status change.
  
• Sample: Configure message body, recipient variable, and delivery window in function triggering Twilio API.
  

2. SendGrid

• Feature/Setting: Automate transactional email via SendGrid v3 Mail Send API with dynamic email templates.
  
• Sample: Set up automation to fill personalized fields, trigger by PMS webhook.
  

3. WhatsApp Business API

• Feature/Setting: Automate WhatsApp template message send; connect PMS trigger to WhatsApp API endpoint.
  
• Sample: Pre-approved templates, guest number mapping, scheduling function.
  

4. Slack

• Feature/Setting: Automated DM to guests or internal alert using Slack Incoming Webhooks.
  
• Sample: Channel, message body, and time trigger config required.
  

5. Mailgun

• Feature/Setting: Automate email dispatch with Mailgun Send Message API.
  
• Sample: Use property/guest fields, trigger from booking workflow.
  

6. Microsoft Outlook (Graph API)

• Feature/Setting: Automate email send via Graph API when new reservation is registered.
  
• Sample: Set recipient, dynamic content, and scheduling property.
  

7. Gmail API

• Feature/Setting: Automate drafted email sends based on Google Calendar event triggers.
  
• Sample: Set automation search for event criteria and execute sendEmail function.
  

8. Facebook Messenger API

• Feature/Setting: Automate Messenger bot to initiate “Welcome/Arrival Info” conversation flow.
  
• Sample: Link booking platform webhook to Messenger Send API template.
  

9. Airbnb Messaging

• Feature/Setting: Automate pre-arrival communication using Airbnb API’s messaging endpoint.
  
• Sample: Auto-fill check-in instructions and local tips, trigger 48 hours pre-check-in.
  

10. Booking.com Messaging API

• Feature/Setting: Automate message composition/sending through Booking.com’s internal messaging API.
  
• Sample: Set trigger on status=confirmed, populate custom text, send via API.
  

11. Zapier

• Feature/Setting: Automate multi-channel message dispatch based on calendar/PMS trigger.
  
• Sample: Connect PMS to preferred communication action in Zapier workflow.
  

12. Salesforce

• Feature/Setting: Automate execution of message sends via Salesforce Flow using Email Alert or SMS extension.
  
• Sample: Lead/contact match, dynamic message mapping, automation scheduling.
  

13. HubSpot

• Feature/Setting: Automate personalized email send using HubSpot Workflows.
  
• Sample: Contact property merge, workflow timed to pre-arrival date.
  

14. Intercom

• Feature/Setting: Automate in-app or email message triggered by guest tag or arrival status.
  
• Sample: Map PMS status to Intercom automation rules.
  

15. Zendesk

• Feature/Setting: Automated ticket creation for pre-arrival support, or automated outbound message.
  
• Sample: Use trigger to send welcome note and checklist.
  

16. Freshdesk

• Feature/Setting: Automate email/WhatsApp send through Freshdesk automations on booking event.
  
• Sample: Set event, recipient field, time condition.
  

17. ActiveCampaign

• Feature/Setting: Automate advanced segmentation and send scheduled marketing/pre-arrival emails.
  
• Sample: Use automated series with scheduled pre-check-in touchpoint.
  

18. ClickSend

• Feature/Setting: Automate SMS/MMS messages scheduled for pre-arrival via ClickSend API.
  
• Sample: Use contact list from PMS, schedule send via automation trigger.
  

19. Pabbly Connect

• Feature/Setting: Automate workflow between PMS and preferred communication tool.
  
• Sample: PMS webhook, message module, and time delay settings.
  

20. Telegram Bot API

• Feature/Setting: Automate direct message with arrival info to guests in Telegram.
  
• Sample: Configure bot, message body, scheduling, and guest chat IDs.
  

Benefits

1. Automates repetitive guest communication for higher efficiency and redirection of human resources to value-added tasks.

2. Automatedly ensures message consistency, accuracy, and timeliness for every guest.

3. Automator delivers improved guest trust and experience with reliable pre-arrival touchpoints.

4. Automation reduces risk of missed messages and manual error.

5. Easily automatable processes support property management scalability across multiple units and channels.

6. Automating pre-arrival comms aids in compliance with check-in policies and security requirements.

7. Valuable for upsell opportunities and collecting missing guest registration data prior to arrival.