Why email still matters for small hotels
Social media posts come and go in a feed. Many of your followers never see them. An email goes to one person's inbox and stays there until they read it or delete it.
Email also belongs to you. A Booking.com or Airbnb guest is, in a way, the OTA's customer. An OTA (online travel agency) is a website that sells your rooms for a commission. When a guest who stayed with you gives you their email and permission, you can invite them back without paying that commission again.
And email is simple. You do not need a designer or a big budget. A clear subject line, a few short sentences and one link are enough.
There is a practical side too. Guests already expect some emails from you: a booking confirmation, directions, a receipt. Those emails are part of email marketing, even if they do not feel like it. A good confirmation email makes guests trust you, and trust is what brings them back.
Building your list the legal way
A list is the set of email addresses you are allowed to send to. The most important word is "allowed".
Ask for permission clearly
Email rules are different in each country, but the idea is the same everywhere: get permission and make it easy to say no. Here are three examples.
This is not legal advice. If you send to many countries, check the rules with a local adviser. A safe habit for everyone: only send marketing emails to people who said yes, and put an unsubscribe link in every one.
Good places to ask
- At check-in. A small tick box on the registration form: "Send me news and offers. You can stop any time."
- On your website. A short sign-up box on the booking page or footer.
- At checkout. Staff can ask, "Would you like a note from us when we have a special offer?"
- On your booking engine. A tick box during a direct booking.
Keep a note of when and how each person said yes. If anyone ever asks, you can show it.
Be honest about what people are signing up for. "Send me news and offers" is clear. A hidden tick box that is already ticked is not. If a guest says no, respect it and stay just as warm.
When someone unsubscribes, remove them quickly and do not add them back later. Keep one master list, so an address removed in one place does not stay in another file on a staff laptop.
A warning about OTA guest emails
Many OTAs do not give you the guest's real email address. Some share a masked address that forwards messages through the OTA. Each OTA also has its own rules about contacting guests, and most do not allow you to use their guests for marketing.
So do not copy OTA guest emails into your newsletter list. Instead, give OTA guests a reason to share their own email with you during the stay, for example a tick box at check-in.
Six emails worth sending
You do not need dozens of emails. These six cover the whole stay, from booking to the next visit. The first four help every guest. The last two are true marketing and need permission.
| Email | When to send | Main goal |
|---|
| Booking confirmation | Right after booking | Make the guest feel sure and safe |
| Pre-arrival | 2 days before arrival | Share directions, check-in time and extras |
| In-stay check | Morning after arrival | Catch small problems early |
| Thank-you | 1 day after checkout | Say thanks and invite them back |
| Return offer | Near the anniversary of the stay | Bring them back direct |
| Low-season note | Before your quiet months | Fill empty dates |
Below are six ready-to-copy templates. Change the words in [brackets], and keep each email short.
1. Booking confirmation (right after booking)
Every guest opens this one. Our guide to the hotel booking confirmation (opens in new tab) lists everything to include.
Subject: Your booking at [Property] is confirmed: [dates]
Hi [Name], thank you for booking with us! Your [room type] is ready for [dates]. Total: [price]. Paid so far: [amount]. Our address: [address] ([map link]). Questions? WhatsApp us at [number].
2. Pre-arrival (2 days before arrival)
Subject: Your check-in details for [day]
Hi [Name], we can't wait to welcome you on [day]. Check-in is from [time]. Here is the map: [link]. Parking: [details]. Need an airport pickup? Reply or WhatsApp [number] and we'll arrange it.
Here is the same email filled in for a made-up villa in Ubud, for a guest arriving just before Nyepi, Bali's Day of Silence:
Subject: Your check-in details for Tuesday
Hi Sarah, we can't wait to welcome you on Tuesday. Check-in is from 14:00. Here is the map: [link]. Our driver can meet you at Ngurah Rai Airport for your 11:30 flight. Just reply "yes" and we'll book it. One special note: Wednesday is Nyepi. The whole island rests for 24 hours, the airport closes and everyone stays in. We will stock your villa with breakfast and snacks, so you can enjoy a very quiet, starry night.
Our pre-arrival message templates (opens in new tab) give you more versions.
3. In-stay check (first morning)
This one often works better on WhatsApp. The goal is to fix a broken fan before it becomes a bad review.
Subject: Is everything OK with your room?
Good morning [Name]! Is everything OK with your room? If anything is not right, just reply and we'll fix it today.
4. Thank-you (1 day after checkout)
Subject: Thank you for staying with us, [Name]
Hi [Name], thank you for staying with us. We hope you enjoyed [one thing from their stay]. Next time, you can book with us directly here: [booking link].
5. Return offer (about a year later, permission only)
Subject: It's almost a year since your visit
Hi [Name], it's almost a year since you stayed with us. If you'd like to come back, book direct at [link] and we'll add [free breakfast or late checkout]. To stop these emails, click [unsubscribe].
6. Low-season note (before your quiet months, permission only)
Subject: Quiet dates and a calm pool in [month]
Hi [Name], [month] is a lovely time to visit: fewer crowds and a calmer pool. We still have open dates from [date] to [date]. Book direct at [link]. To stop these emails, click [unsubscribe].
Do this inside Kiyo. Emails 1 and 2 do not need to be written each time. In Kiyo, guest email automation sends the booking confirmation and the pre-arrival email by itself, on every plan. You edit each template once so it sounds like your team. Emails 3 to 6 you send yourself, with permission.
For more ways to fill quiet dates, read our list of small hotel marketing ideas (opens in new tab).
Writing for guests who live on WhatsApp
In Indonesia and much of Asia, many guests check WhatsApp far more often than email. This changes how you write it.
- Short subject lines. Say what is inside: "Your check-in details for Friday".
- One main point per email. If the guest only reads the first line, they should still get the message.
- Mobile first. Most people read email on a phone. Use short paragraphs and big buttons.
- Add a WhatsApp link. Let guests reply in the app they prefer.
- Match the language. If most guests are Indonesian, write in Bahasa. If you have a mix, keep the English simple.
Email is good for details guests want to keep, like a confirmation or a receipt. WhatsApp is good for quick questions and fast replies. Our guide to WhatsApp guest messaging for hotels (opens in new tab) explains how to do the WhatsApp side well.
How often to send, and what to avoid
For most small hotels, guest emails tied to a booking go out as needed. Marketing emails to your list can be much less often. A few well-planned emails a year is a good start. Watch your results and adjust.
Things to avoid:
- Buying email lists. These people never chose you. It can break the law, and it hurts your sender reputation, which decides if your emails reach the inbox or the spam folder.
- Sending too often. If unsubscribes go up, slow down.
- Long emails with ten offers. Pick one offer per email.
- Fake urgency. "Only today!" when it is not true makes guests trust you less.
Two small details also help your emails reach the inbox. Send from an address with your property's name, like hello@yourvilla.com, not a personal free email account. And use a "From" name guests will recognise, such as "Sunset Villa Ubud". If guests do not know who wrote, many will delete the email before they read the first line.
Measuring what works without made-up benchmarks
You will read many "average open rates" online. They come from very different businesses and countries, so they tell you little about your guesthouse. Compare your emails with your own past results instead.
Track these simple numbers in a sheet:
- How many people received the email.
- How many clicked the link.
- How many direct bookings came in the next two weeks.
- How many unsubscribed.
Number 3 is what matters most. A campaign with fewer clicks but more bookings is the better one. Give each campaign a simple code, like a promo name, so you can see which email a booking came from.
A made-up example: a 12-room guesthouse in Lombok sends a low-season note to 400 past guests who said yes. Thirty people click the link. Five book direct in the next two weeks, and two unsubscribe. Next time, the owner tries a different offer and compares the same four numbers. Over a year, these small tests show which offers bring guests back.
Write the numbers down after each campaign. After three or four campaigns, you will see what your guests like.
Where Kiyo helps with guest emails
Kiyo is a PMS and channel manager for independent hotels, villas, guesthouses and hostels. A PMS is the system where your bookings and guest details live. It takes care of the guest emails tied to each booking, so your marketing has a strong base.
- Guest emails on every plan. Guest email automation (opens in new tab) sends the booking confirmation, a reminder, a payment receipt and a pre-arrival email two days before check-in.
- Your own branding. You can edit email templates so they look like your property and sound like your team.
- Guest journeys on Pro and Business. Automated guest journeys and mid-stay messages come with the Pro and Business plans.
- One inbox. On Pro and Business, the guest inbox (opens in new tab) keeps WhatsApp, Instagram, email and OTA messages together.
- Direct bookings. The direct booking engine (opens in new tab) gives every email a place to send guests who want to book again.
Your next step: write emails 3 to 6 in your own words, and let Kiyo send the booking emails for you.
Plans start from Rp40k per room per month (opens in new tab), with Payment links & guest emails included. Free setup, pay from go-live, 14-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
You can reply about their booking through the OTA's own messaging. For marketing, ask the guest for permission directly, for example at check-in, and do not copy OTA addresses into your list.
Start with a few a year, tied to real reasons: a return offer, a low-season note, a new room. Slow down if unsubscribes rise.
One main story, one offer, a few photos, a booking link, your address and an unsubscribe link. Keep it short enough to read on a phone.
They do different jobs. Many Indonesian guests check WhatsApp more often, so it is best for quick questions during a trip. Email is best for confirmations, receipts and offers guests may want to keep.
In plain words: yes, if you follow the rules. Indonesia's Personal Data Protection Law (UU No. 27 Tahun 2022) says you need a legal basis to use personal data. Carrying out an agreement, like a booking, is one basis, so emails about the stay are normal. For marketing emails, ask for a clear yes first, keep a note of it, and add an unsubscribe link. This is not legal advice.
It is one full system. Front desk, housekeeping, a channel manager, a direct booking page and a revenue and expenses dashboard all sit in Kiyo, so you are not jumping between apps.
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