An Airbnb pre-booking message is a good chance for you to get to know more about your guests and the reason for their trip. You can set their expectations, remind them to read your house rules and let them know that you’re on hand to answer any questions they have.
Read on to find out the best way to format your ‘thanks for booking’ message, and what to include in it!
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What is a Good Pre-Booking Message Airbnb Example?
A good pre-booking message contains a greeting and thank-you, a short introduction to the guest, any relevant questions that need answering, and a call to action. For example:
“Hi Holly, thank you so much for choosing to book The Hideaway. My name is James and I’ve been hosting on Airbnb for 5 years now. I’d appreciate it if you could let me know the purpose of your trip, whether you’ve been to the local area before, and how many guests will be staying, in order for me to best prepare my property for your stay. Get in touch if you have any questions! Many thanks, James.”
What is an Airbnb Pre-Booking Message?
An Airbnb welcome message is an automated message sent by hosts to guests when they send a booking request using Airbnb’s ‘Instant Book’ feature. It gives hosts an opportunity to introduce themselves, provide guests with additional information, and find out more about the guests and their requirements.
Many hosts choose to carefully craft an Airbnb welcome message so that they can:
- Introduce themselves as friendly and inviting hosts from the get-go
- Establish the reason that the guests are visiting the short-term rental property e.g., for work, leisure, family, etc.
- Collect information about the types of guests that want to book the vacation rental property
- Ascertain what time the guests will be arriving
- Make sure the guests are aware of any house rules
Do you need help writing the perfect Airbnb welcome message? Get in touch to learn more about my Airbnb copywriting service.
What Should I Include in a Pre-Booking Message on Airbnb?
When you are writing your pre-booking message, you need to thank your potential guests for their booking request, introduce yourself, ask them relevant questions to find out more about them and their stay set their expectations and then give a call to action. Your message should be polite, friendly, and professional in order to give a good impression.
Read more: How to Get More Bookings on Airbnb
Thank Them
The first thing you want to include in your Airbnb welcome message is a polite ‘thank you’ to them for choosing to book your short-term rental property. This shows the guest how much you appreciate their business, and helps you to appear professional yet welcoming. For example:
Hi [guest name],
Thank you for choosing to book my property, [property name]. I’m very much looking forward to accommodating you [and your family/and your partner], and I hope that you have a lovely stay.
Introduce Yourself
The next thing to do in your pre-booking message to potential guests is to introduce yourself. Guests generally feel more comfortable proceeding with a booking if there is a friendly face behind the process. You could say something like:
My name is [name], and I’ve been an Airbnb host now for [number] years. In my spare time, I love to [insert hobbies], but enough about me!
Read more about how to write a dazzling Airbnb profile to create a great first impression.
Ask Relevant Questions
Think carefully about what details you want to know about your guests when they make a booking, and pick three to five questions to ask them in your ‘thanks for booking’ message. Any more than this and your guests may feel a little overwhelmed!
Here are a few questions you could ask:
- What is the purpose of your trip?
- Have you visited the area before?
- What time are you planning on checking in?
- Are you traveling with anyone, e.g., your family, or a partner?
- Do you have any special requirements for the vacation rental property? This could be a cot, highchair, ramp, etc.
- Would you like to read my guide to the local area?
- Do you or any other guests have any allergies?
Consider which facts are most important for you to know about your guests, and include only the relevant questions. You could write:
In order for me to help you make the most of your stay, it would be great if you could take a minute or so to answer these questions:
What brings you to the area?
How many guests will be staying at the property in total, including children?
What time will you be checking in?
Set Expectations
At this stage in the pre-booking message, it is important to set any expectations and address any common misconceptions about the property or area, in case the guests have not fully read your listing description.
Read more about how to write the perfect Airbnb listing description.
If your vacation rental property is unsuitable for wheelchair users or children, for example, you might want to mention this to confirm with your guests that they have understood.
You may also want to reiterate your level of involvement in their stay; do you provide an all-inclusive experience, giving tours of the area and providing some food, or do you live far away from the property and have minimal interference?
You could say something like:
If you need anything at all during your stay, I will be a 10-minute drive away, and am happy to help with local entertainment and food recommendations! I often give guests a tour of my vineyard which is located 25 minutes down the road.
Be sure to send guests an informative guidebook once they book as well.
Call to Action
Lastly, you’ll want to give your guests a call to action, or a ‘next step’. Often, this includes making sure they have fully read the listing description and any house rules that accompany it. It might also include giving more information that has not been requested already. For example:
Before you arrive at the property, please make sure you have read the Airbnb listing description and the house rules in full, and get in touch if you have any questions!
Thank you again for your booking, I look forward to welcoming you to [property name].
Many thanks,
[Airbnb host name]
Pre-Booking Message Template and Examples
Pre-Booking Message Template
Hi [guest name],
Thank you for choosing to book my property, [property name]. I’m very much looking forward to accommodating you [and your family/and your partner], and I hope that you have a lovely stay.
My name is [name], and I’ve been an Airbnb host now for [number] years. In my spare time, I love to [insert hobbies], but enough about me!
In order for me to help you make the most of your stay, it would be great if you could take a minute or so to answer these questions:
- What brings you to the area?
- How many guests will be staying at the property in total, including children?
- What time will you be checking in?
If you need anything at all during your stay, I will be a 10-minute drive away, and am happy to help with local entertainment and food recommendations! I often give guests a tour of my vineyard which is located 25 minutes down the road.
Before you arrive at the property, please make sure you have read the Airbnb listing description and the house rules in full, and get in touch if you have any questions!
Thank you again for your booking, I look forward to welcoming you to [property name].
Many thanks,
[Airbnb host name]
Minimal Messaging
The following pre-booking message example ticks all of the boxes but is short, sweet, and to the point. It gets all the information across, whilst making the guest feel like they are in good hands.
Hi [guest name],
Thank you for requesting to book my Airbnb listing! Myself and my wife Jane would appreciate it if you could confirm the number of people who will be staying at the property, and take the time to check out our house rules before your stay. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us. We look forward to hosting you!
Kind regards,
[Airbnb host name]
Quick Questions
This ‘thanks for booking’ message is longer and more structured and includes a few more questions for the guests to answer.
Hi [guest name],
Firstly, I’d like to say thank you so much for booking my property in South Wales. My name is Fran and I love to fix up old properties and give them a new lease of life!
In order to give you the best experience possible, I’d love to get to know you a bit more. Please assist me by taking a couple of minutes to answer the following questions:
- What is the primary reason for your trip?
- Will you have any children staying with you, and if so, do you require a cot or highchair?
- Do you or any other guests have any allergies?
If you haven’t done so already, I’d be grateful if you could take the time to read my listing description in full and familiarise yourself with the house rules before your stay.
Thank you so much again for your booking, and I look forward to welcoming you!
Best wishes,
[Airbnb host name]
In order to write an effective and welcoming pre-booking message, make sure you include the following:
- A thank you
- A brief introduction to you
- Relevant questions
- A sentence to set expectations
- A call to action
Doing so will make you seem professional yet friendly, and will ensure that both you and your guest have all the information you need to have a successful stay! If you’d like to improve your listing description, title, or messaging on Airbnb, why not take advantage of my vacation rental copywriting service! Alternatively, I have a number of great free resources available including the Airbnb Listing Hacks e-book, the Airbnb Superhost Checklist, and the Airbnb SEO Bible.