Post-stay email best practices for independent hoteliers

Inbox preview

Your hospitality and communication is on point while helping a guest book and during their stay with you so why not keep up the good work with amazing post-stay communication?

Post-stay email best practices

  • Keep it timely by sending it at the very least within a week of their departure but preferably around the three-day post-stay mark. You don’t want to send it out immediately after they get home and are getting back into their routine but you also don’t want it to arrive too late and they’re starting to forget small details that made their stay so special.
  • Make it mobile-friendly and easy on content. More than half of your guests are reading email on their smartphone so make sure they get value out of the email instead of constantly pulling up the screen to get the message.

Mobile preview of email campaign

  • Use their name and make it personalized! As they’re checking in, you use their first name so don’t revert to calling them “Dear Guest,” in your email communication. That’s one quick way to make their experience feel less special immediately.
  • Invite them to review by sharing links or using buttons to direct them to your Google My Business, TripAdvisor, or BedandBreakfast.com listing. GradeUs is a great resource for generating a link to your Google My Business Page. You can keep it short and to the point like Airbnb does with its survey link:

Survey invitation

Photo Credit: Airbnb email screenshot on Really Good Emails

  • Encourage them to be social with you by following your social media profiles and give them a reason to. Tell them you share specials or experiences that help them relive their vacation with you.
  • Let them know of any current or upcoming promotions that may entice them book a trip sooner rather than later. Or, take it a step further and provide a new guest only specific offer since they just stayed with you. It allows them to feel like it’s an exclusive offer and can easily be set up in your booking engine or encourage them to call to book to get the discount or offer.
  • Encourage them to sign up for continual updates and emails from you that could include promotions or area event information.
  • Remind them to book direct for their next stay for the best rates and included amenities

Best rate guarantee image. 

Published: August 31, 2016