Long ago, people would search for the facilities, availability, and price of a hotel room by phoning round the options. This took a lot of time, and for the hotel staff answering queries it was a tedious and inefficient exercise. The internet speeded things up, and now bookings and confirmations could be accomplished by email, but were still time intensive. There was one big benefit to these old-fashioned methods though - they were personal. Guests received real answers to their enquiries, which were then confirmed in a custom-written emailed reply. However with the increasing automation of hotel booking processes, that personal touch became somewhat lost. Until now.
Personalised and automated
Personalisation is one of the big current trends in the hospitality industry. Guests want to be ‘seen and heard’ as individuals, with their needs understood and responded to by the hotel they are staying with. Even the way they are greeted in the booking confirmation can establish the tone of the guest journey: ‘Dear Guest’ or ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ doesn’t compare to using the guest’s name, when they feel welcomed from the start.
Nowadays an automated booking confirmation can be efficient, and individual, by using templates that are effective in conveying all the necessary key information, while also being welcoming. It’s the best of both worlds, and is easy to achieve. Templates give a professional look from the off, reflecting the hotel’s branding and identity. The guest sees that their name is used, along with a personal reservation number, and perhaps the acknowledgement of important details such as allergies or dietary preferences.
Anything that demonstrates that the hotel ‘goes the extra mile’ is effective: If the guest has said what time they expect to arrive, this can be acknowledged, and suggestions made about available refreshments, especially if outside normal restaurant hours. And why not let them know of a member of staff who will be their personal contact - before, during and after their stay? Everything the hotelier can do to put themselves in the shoes of the guest will mean that the booking confirmation email becomes more personal, and welcoming.
The guest journey has begun!
Accuracy and consistency guaranteed by booking templates
The template approach also has benefits in terms of accuracy and consistency. Using a template, all the necessary information is automatically included in the booking confirmation, reducing the chances of errors or omissions by staff. This in turn avoids any misunderstandings with guests about their reservation, and helps create and maintain guest satisfaction.
Using a booking confirmation template also ensures consistency, with a standardised format that contains all essential information such as reservation details, check-in/check-out dates and times, and room type. Like this, your staff don’t have to remember every detail to convey to a guest, because the system does it for them. So it’s a win-win for both guest and hotel, but how does a template work, and what is a ‘typical’ layout?
Making the booking confirmation template suit the hotel
Hotels and guesthouses come in many different shapes and sizes, and booking confirmation templates need to reflect this. In all cases a striking image and logo can set the tone, followed by a greeting using the name of the guest. The greeting should always reflect how the guest has named themselves, so if they have booked as ‘Mr’ then use that title with their family name. On the other hand, using their first name usually feels more friendly, and is more suitable for boutique hotels or apartment rentals. And don’t sound awkward by using all the titles and names of a guest! ‘Dear Margaret’ is fine, and ‘Dear Mrs Brown’ is fine, but ‘Dear Mrs Margaret Brown’ comes over as too formal and automated. Particularly with smaller establishments, the friendly tone is all important, while grand hotels may opt for a certain coolness in their greeting.
The essential ingredients of a booking confirmation template
Whatever the status of the hotel, the same essential information needs to be relayed, in a template format which can look something like this:
[Hotel Name + Address]
[Phone Number + Email Address + Website]
[Date]
[Guest Name + Guest Address]
Dear [Guest Name],
Thank you for choosing [Hotel Name] for your upcoming stay. We are pleased to confirm your booking with the following details:
Check-in Date: [Check-in Date] / Check-out Date: [Check-out Date]
Number of Guests: [Number of Guests]
Room Type: [Room Type] / Room Rate: [Room Rate]
Total Cost: [Total Cost]
Payment Total Amount: [Total Amount]
Deposit Paid: [Deposit Paid]
Remaining Balance: [Remaining Balance]
Payment Method: [Payment Method]
Additional Information (for example):
[Complimentary breakfast is included with your stay /
Use of all leisure facilities is included] (+ List any additional amenities or services provided and whether free or at extra cost)
Special Requests: (Include any specific requests made by the guest, for example): We note that [Guest name] is gluten intolerant and are pleased to be able to offer a complete gluten-free menu at all mealtimes.
Check-in time is from [Check-in Time]. If you require an early or late check-in, please let us know in advance, and we will do our best to meet your request.
Check-out time is at [Check-out Time]. Late check-outs may be subject to additional charges, but please speak with Reception, or use our ‘GuestAdvisor’ mobile app to arrange this.
Cancellation Policy: [Outline the cancellation policy and any associated charges or deadlines]. (At this point outline other policies such as smoking restrictions or pets policy if this is in keeping with the status of your hotel, and how you have marketed it to guests).
We look forward to welcoming you to [Hotel Name] and ensuring you have a comfortable and enjoyable stay. If you have any questions, please contact us at [Phone Number] or [Email Address].
Thank you again for choosing [Hotel Name]. We are pleased to welcome you as our guest!
Best Regards,
[Manager’s Name and Title] (eg, ‘Jean Williams, Manager’)
See this template in action here.
Decide on the tone of your hotel booking confirmation template
Of course depending on the ‘tone’ and size of the hotel, you can substitute ‘delighted’ for ‘pleased’ or ‘Best Wishes’ for ‘Best Regards’, and so on. Anything you can do to make this personal and match the formality - or informality - of your establishment improves the messaging. The aim is to make it feel that this is a handcrafted welcome from the management, which at the same time shows the vital information that will set the guest’s mind at rest: ‘Yes, all the details are correct, everything’s good, it’s going to be a great stay!’
Keeping hotel booking confirmation templates clear and timely
Clear and timely hotel booking confirmations contribute to guest satisfaction. When guests receive an appropriately-worded and informative confirmation email, they feel reassured about their reservation and have a better overall impression of the hotel. Booking confirmation templates for hotels streamline the reservation process, improve efficiency, maintain consistency, and enhance guest satisfaction. By using templates, hotels can communicate with guests more effectively, and maintain a highly positive impression of their brand.
We’ll make template creation even easier for you
At SabeeApp we have over ten years of experience in providing an innovative Hotel Management System for modern hoteliers, and we are dedicated to assisting hotels, hostels and apartment rentals to leverage technology to provide customised and effective solutions that benefit guests and venues alike.
That includes the small but important detail of how to craft the best booking confirmation template for your business. As with everything we do at SabeeApp, the aim is to make things easy for hoteliers, with technology that is simple and intuitive to use.
If you are interested in automated hotel solutions and how to grow your business, book a free demo with us!