Most hoteliers know the importance of maintaining their online presence through an updated website, listings and even a presence on social media. They also do a great job of providing customer service to their guests once they‰’re on the property. But if you‰’re not sending emails to your hotel guests, you could be missing an opportunity.

Why is Email Important?

By sending emails to your hotel guests, you‰’re filling a communication gap that you might not have known was missing. Travelers can easily check their email on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops, so email allows you to reach them wherever they are. You can also provide better customer service to hotel guests by sending emails that help them feel assured that you have their reservation, room and service under control.

Here are a few types of emails to send to help to improve your hospitality:

Confirmation Email:

Send a confirmation email as soon as the guest books with your hotel. This will assure the guest that their online or phone booking was successful and give them the information they need to check-in to your hotel. Bonus: Add helpful information to make their trip more smooth. Include links to directions, parking information, and more.

Check-In Email:

An email at check-in will help your guests feel welcome at your hotel. This is also a great time to do a ‰temperature check‰ on their experience so far. Encourage them to contact the manager if their first impressions of the hotel didn‰’t meet expectations, that way you can resolve any issues or negative feelings they had from the start. Bonus: Include suggestions on things to do and places to eat nearby.

Check-Out Email:

Once the guest checks out of your hotel, send them an email thanking them for their stay with you. Bonus: Ask them for feedback on their visit to your hotel so that you can improve guest experiences in the future. Strategic reputation management programs can even use check-out emails to improve your ranking on hotel review websites.

Promotional Emails:

Add the hotel guest to your email list so that you can regularly update them on special rates, events at your hotel and improvements to your property. There‰’s nothing better than being able to turn a guest into a return guest!

Reaching travelers in their inboxes is another way to provide the best possible customer service to your guests.