Effective guest communication is the backbone of any successful short-term rental business. However, managing messages manually can quickly become overwhelming—especially as your bookings grow. Thankfully, modern vacation rental communication tools can streamline this process, improving efficiency, guest satisfaction, and your overall hosting experience.
Below, we’ll explore the benefits of automating your messaging, provide a practical step-by-step guide, and share helpful Airbnb automated messages examples.
Why automating guest messaging matters
Managing communication manually might seem doable at first, but as your listing count or occupancy increases, responding individually to every inquiry, booking confirmation, and request becomes nearly impossible. That’s where guest messaging automation comes in handy. Here’s how automating your messages can significantly boost your short-term rental business:
1. Save valuable time
Automating routine messages frees your schedule, allowing you to focus more on enhancing guest experiences and strategically scaling your rental business. Instead of manually responding to the same questions repeatedly, you can invest your effort in growth initiatives or attending to more complex guest interactions.
2. Faster responses and better reviews
Guests value timely communication. With Airbnb automated messages, responses can be sent instantly upon booking, check-in, or checkout. Prompt, accurate communication leads to higher guest satisfaction and ultimately better reviews—critical to your property’s ongoing success.
3. Improved guest experience
Automated messages ensure consistent, accurate information delivery at key points of the guest’s stay, reducing confusion. Providing essential details proactively—like check-in instructions or local recommendations—enhances the overall guest experience and encourages repeat bookings.
To streamline the entire messaging process efficiently, consider leveraging dedicated tools such as Guesty’s automation tools, which allow you to effortlessly manage and schedule your messages across multiple listings.
How to automate Airbnb messages: Step-by-step guide
To effectively implement guest communication automation for Airbnb, follow this structured process:
Step 1: Create your message templates
Before automating, prepare a set of standardized, reusable message templates for various scenarios. These can include booking confirmations, pre-arrival instructions, check-in/out procedures, and follow-up messages. Clear templates ensure consistency and professionalism across all guest interactions. If you’re new to template creation, Airbnb’s Scheduled Messages Overview can help you get started.
Step 2: Set triggers and conditions
Define exactly when your automated messages should be sent. Examples include:
- Immediately after booking confirmation.
- Three days before arrival (pre-check-in).
- On the day of check-in.
- One day before check-out.
Adjust message triggers based on events or conditions, such as booking channels, length of stay, or guest language preferences.
Step 3: Customize messages with variables
To avoid impersonal messages, use placeholders (or variables) that pull guest-specific data automatically. Personalization such as the guest’s name, check-in date, or rental address adds warmth to your automated messages, maintaining a human touch.
Common variables include:
- Guest’s name: {{Guest First Name}}
- Check-in/out dates: {{Check-In Date}}, {{Check-Out Date}}
- Rental location/address: {{Listing Address}}
Step 4: Choose delivery channels and recipients
Decide through which channels you want messages delivered—email, SMS, or directly through Airbnb’s messaging system. Also specify the intended recipients (e.g., guests, housekeeping teams, or property managers). Platforms like Guesty’s unified inbox simplify managing multiple communication channels seamlessly.
Step 5: Test and refine your automation flow
Once you’ve configured your automated messages, test the full flow thoroughly to ensure each message triggers correctly, arrives at the right moment, and contains accurate, personalized information. Refine your process as you go, based on feedback from guests and your team. Using a comprehensive solution such as Guesty’s guest communication management can streamline this process, ensuring smooth interactions from start to finish.
Automated Airbnb messages examples
Knowing exactly how to automate Airbnb messages becomes clearer when you have concrete examples. Use these ready-made Airbnb automated messages templates to enhance your guest communication:
1. Booking confirmation message
Sent immediately after a guest confirms a reservation:
Example:
“Hi {{Guest First Name}}, thank you for booking your stay with us! We’re thrilled to host you. We’ll follow up with detailed check-in instructions closer to your arrival. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions in the meantime!”
2. Pre-check-in reminder
Typically sent 2–3 days before guest arrival:
Example:
“Hello {{Guest First Name}}, your stay is just a few days away! Here’s a quick reminder of your upcoming reservation details:
- Check-in date: {{Check-In Date}}
- Address: {{Listing Address}}
We’ll send you full check-in instructions tomorrow. Safe travels!”
3. Detailed check-in instructions
Sent the day before or on the morning of arrival:
Example:
“Hi {{Guest First Name}}, it’s almost check-in time! Here are your detailed check-in instructions:
- Check-in time: from 3:00 PM
- Address: {{Listing Address}}
- Access: You’ll find the keys in a lockbox by the door. Your unique code is 1234.
- Wi-Fi password: Welcome123
Please let us know if you need anything—enjoy your stay!”
4. Mid-stay checkup
Sent after the first night to check guest satisfaction:
Example:
“Good morning, {{Guest First Name}}! We hope you’re enjoying your stay. If there’s anything we can do to make your visit more comfortable, please let us know—we’re here to help!”
5. Check-out and review reminders
Sent one night before check-out and again after guests have left:
Check-out reminder example:
“Hi {{Guest First Name}}, just a quick reminder that check-out is tomorrow at 11:00 AM. Please leave the keys in the lockbox. Safe travels home!”
Review request example (sent after check-out):
“Thank you for staying with us, {{Guest First Name}}! We hope you enjoyed your visit. We’ve left you a great review and would greatly appreciate it if you could review your stay too. Your feedback helps us continually improve!”
How Guesty simplifies message automation
While Airbnb offers built-in scheduled messages, fully automating guest communication across multiple listings or platforms often requires more robust solutions. That’s where dedicated guest messaging software like Guesty becomes invaluable.
Centralized message management
Guesty offers a powerful Unified Inbox that combines all your guest communication—across Airbnb, email, SMS, Vrbo, Booking.com, and more—into one intuitive dashboard. This centralization saves you time by eliminating the need to switch between different platforms.
Comprehensive automation features
Guesty’s guest communication management empowers you to automate messages at every stage of the booking cycle. You can set highly specific conditions (such as length of stay, booking platform, or guest preferences) to trigger messages precisely when they’re most impactful.
Continuous refinement and optimization
With Guesty, you’re equipped to continuously refine your messaging strategy. Track message effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your automation rules accordingly—all within one user-friendly interface.
Finally
By implementing these strategic automation practices, your short-term rental communication becomes effortless, more professional, and perfectly tuned to delivering consistently outstanding guest experiences.