What does your ideal pre-check-in message look like?

Category: Guest Communication

By: James Wu

Posted: 2026-01-20T05:07:16.195Z

I send a message to guests 24 hours before check-in with the address, door code, WiFi password, and parking info. But I feel like it could be better — more welcoming, more helpful, less like a data dump. What does your pre-arrival message look like? And how far in advance do you send it? For context I manage 3 properties in San Diego and I don't use any automation — I manually copy-paste from a Notes file. I know there's a better way.

Reply by Rachel Patel:

I've spent way too much time perfecting my message sequence. Here's my pre-check-in flow: **5 days before:** Booking confirmation + "what to expect" overview **24 hours before:** Full check-in details (code, address, WiFi, parking) **Check-in day (3pm):** Quick "hope you arrived safely, let me know if you need anything" The 24-hour message is the most critical. Here's my template (sanitized): --- "Hi [Guest Name]! We're excited to host you at [Property Name] 🎉 Your check-in details: 📍 Address: [address] 🔑 Door code: [code] (front door keypad) 📶 WiFi: [network name] / Password: [password] 🅿️ Parking: [specific instructions] A few quick things: • Check-in is anytime after 3:00 PM • The full house manual is on the counter — it covers everything from the TV remote to local restaurant recs • Nearest grocery: [store name], 5 min drive If you need anything at all, just message us here. Enjoy San Diego!" --- I automate all of this through Hospitable (https://hospitable.com). It syncs with Airbnb and VRBO and sends the right message at the right time. I literally set it up once and haven't thought about it since. Also, the house manual at https://strspecialist.com/tools/house-manual-generator is a great tool for creating a professional digital guide.

Reply by David Okafor:

The game-changer for me was switching from text-heavy messages to a **digital guidebook**. I send ONE link and the guest has everything — check-in instructions, WiFi, house rules, restaurant recommendations, emergency contacts. Tools like Touch Stay and Hostfully offer this, but honestly a well-formatted Google Doc with your branding works too. The key is giving guests a SINGLE reference point instead of scrolling through 10 messages to find the WiFi password. I use our message library tool at https://strspecialist.com/tools/message-library to keep all my templates organized. Saves a ton of time.

Reply by Anika Sharma:

Three properties with manual copy-paste? You're losing hours every week. Get a messaging automation tool ASAP. My recommendations: - **Hospitable (https://hospitable.com):** Best for multi-platform hosts. Sends scheduled messages, auto-fills guest names and check-in times, handles both Airbnb and VRBO. - **Guesty (https://guesty.com):** If you also need a channel manager + messaging in one platform - **Host Tools (https://host.tools):** Budget option, basic automation but cheap I switched to Hospitable 2 years ago and it's saved me 5-10 hours/week across 6 properties. The ROI is insane — $25/month per listing to save dozens of hours? No brainer.