Hotel guest messaging is a digital communication system that allows hotels to send and receive messages with guests via SMS, text, and chat throughout their entire journey—from pre-booking through post-stay. HelloShift's guest messaging platform is AI-powered and PMS-integrated, enabling automated, personalized communication at every touchpoint without requiring guests to download an app. It transforms traditional hotel communication by making it instant, convenient, and available 24/7.

No. HelloShift's guest messaging works through standard SMS text messages and web chat, so guests receive messages directly on their phones or devices without downloading anything. This eliminates friction and ensures maximum reach, as 98% of text messages are opened within 3 minutes. Guests can simply reply to your messages using their regular text messaging app.

You can send messages at every stage of the guest journey: Pre-booking (answer questions, provide information), Pre-stay (welcome messages, check-in instructions, special offers), In-stay (satisfaction surveys, service requests, amenity information), and Post-stay (thank you messages, review requests, future booking offers). Messages can be automated based on triggers from your PMS, or sent manually by staff. You can also include multimedia content like photos, documents, and links.

HelloShift's AI automatically responds to common guest questions 24/7 using natural language understanding. You train the AI by providing your hotel's FAQs, policies, and operational documents. When guests ask questions like "What's the Wi-Fi password?" or "What time is breakfast?", the AI provides instant, accurate answers based on your hotel's specific information. For complex inquiries, the system seamlessly escalates to human staff. The AI learns from interactions and can handle up to 70-82% of routine guest communications automatically.

HelloShift integrates deeply with major Property Management Systems including Opera, Cloudbeds, RoomMaster, SkyWare, Little Hotelier, WebRezPro, and 40+ others. This integration enables automatic message triggers based on booking status (reservation confirmed, check-in approaching, checked in, checked out), guest data synchronization for personalized messages, automatic guest profile updates, and seamless coordination between messaging and hotel operations. The integration runs automatically once configured, requiring no manual data entry.

Yes. HelloShift allows you to create automated message sequences for the entire guest lifecycle. You can set up triggers based on booking events, time before/after arrival or departure, or guest actions. For example: automatically send a welcome message 24 hours before arrival, a satisfaction survey on day 2 of stay, and a review request the day after checkout. Each message can be personalized with guest name, reservation details, and hotel-specific information. This automation can reduce staff workload by up to 30% while improving guest satisfaction.

An effective welcome message should be sent 1-2 days before arrival, include the guest's name for personalization, confirm key details (arrival date, reservation number), offer assistance before arrival, provide useful information (check-in time, parking, early check-in options), and maintain your brand voice. Example: "Hi [Guest Name], we're excited to welcome you to [Hotel Name] on [Date]! Check-in is at 3 PM. Need anything before your arrival? Just reply to this message. We're here to help!" Keep it warm, concise, and actionable.

A strong post-stay thank you message should be sent within 24 hours of checkout, express genuine appreciation, reference something specific about their stay if possible, invite feedback, include a review request (with direct links), and offer an incentive for future bookings. Example: "Thank you for staying with us, [Guest Name]! We hope you enjoyed your time at [Hotel Name]. Your feedback helps us improve—would you mind sharing your experience on Google? [Link] We'd love to welcome you back with 10% off your next stay!" This approach can increase review collection by 40-60%.

Effective guest satisfaction surveys should be sent mid-stay (day 2-3) to catch issues while fixable. Include: Overall rating (1-5 stars or NPS score), Room cleanliness and comfort questions, Staff friendliness and helpfulness rating, Amenities satisfaction (Wi-Fi, breakfast, pool, etc.), Open-ended question for specific feedback, and Request for service recovery if rating is low. Keep surveys short (5-7 questions max) to increase completion rates. HelloShift automatically escalates poor ratings to management in real-time, allowing immediate guest recovery before they check out.

Guest messaging improves reviews through multiple mechanisms: In-stay surveys catch and resolve issues before they become negative reviews (guest recovery), Post-stay automated review requests with direct links make it easy for happy guests to leave reviews, Customized review dashboard with your branding increases completion rates, Strategic timing (send requests 1-2 days after checkout when experience is fresh), and Targeted requests (only ask satisfied guests to leave public reviews, while privately collecting feedback from unsatisfied guests). Hotels using HelloShift typically see a 40-60% increase in review volume and improved average ratings.

Yes. HelloShift provides a unified inbox where staff can see all guest conversations in real-time and respond instantly. Guests can text your hotel number and reach staff directly, request services (extra towels, room service, maintenance), ask questions at any time, and receive immediate responses. The system works across SMS, web chat, and in-app messaging, all managed from a single platform. Staff can respond from desktop or mobile, ensuring guests always have a direct line to your team.

When guests send service requests via message, HelloShift automatically creates a task and assigns it to the appropriate department (housekeeping, maintenance, front desk, etc.). Staff receive instant notifications, can update task status in real-time, and communicate directly with the guest about timing. The guest receives confirmation that their request was received and updates on completion. This automation ensures nothing falls through the cracks and provides guests with transparency. Common requests include extra amenities, room service, maintenance issues, early check-in/late checkout, and transportation arrangements.

Yes. HelloShift's guest messaging platform tracks and stores guest preferences from previous stays, including room preferences (floor, bed type, view), amenity preferences (extra pillows, specific toiletries), service preferences (housekeeping timing, newspaper), dietary restrictions, and special occasions (anniversaries, birthdays). For returning guests, HelloShift automatically creates a task for your front desk to prepare their preferred amenities before arrival. This level of personalization significantly improves guest loyalty and satisfaction, making guests feel recognized and valued.

Yes. HelloShift employs enterprise-grade security measures including end-to-end encryption for all messages, secure data storage compliant with GDPR and data protection regulations, PCI-compliant handling of any payment information, role-based access controls for staff, and automatic data retention policies. Guest conversations are private and only accessible to authorized hotel staff. We never sell or share guest data with third parties. All communication channels (SMS, web chat) use industry-standard security protocols to protect guest information.

Hotels using HelloShift's guest messaging platform typically see measurable improvements: 20-35% increase in direct bookings through website chat engagement, 30% reduction in staff workload through automation, 40-60% increase in online review volume, 14% improvement in guest satisfaction scores, 70-82% of routine guest inquiries handled automatically by AI, Faster response times (from hours to minutes), and Higher guest engagement rates (98% text open rate vs. 20% email). Results depend on implementation thoroughness, PMS integration, and staff adoption, but most hotels see ROI within the first quarter.