Guest messaging: the communication sequence that protects your winter stays
In a ski resort, a winter stay is often won or lost before check-in: snowy roads, no parking, a forgotten lockbox code at 10 pm. A well-built messaging sequence prevents most incidents, late-night calls and four-star reviews. Here is the sequence we apply to every booking.
Why communication matters more in winter
In summer, a guest running an hour late finds their way easily. In winter, everything gets harder: mandatory snow chains, closed passes, night arrivals after a six-hour drive, regulated resort car parks. Every missing piece of information becomes a stressed phone call or a midnight message. Airbnb and Booking reviews rate precisely "communication" and "check-in", two criteria that drag the overall score down at the slightest hiccup. An anticipated messaging sequence turns these risks into strengths. It also lightens the operational load: fewer repetitive questions, fewer improvised call-outs, and guests who arrive knowing exactly where to park, how to get in and where to find the ski room. It takes a few hours of writing and pays for itself within the first season.
The standard sequence: from booking to check-out
We structure guest communication in five steps. At booking: a warm confirmation, the exact address and access conditions (winter equipment, arrival times). Seven days before: a weather and road reminder, the link to the digital guidebook and an offer of services (ski hire, grocery delivery, mid-stay cleaning). The day before: full access instructions, the entry code, a photo of the door and the parking spot. The day after arrival: a simple "is everything going well?" that lets you fix a problem before it becomes a review. Finally, the day before departure: check-out time, waste-sorting rules and key return. Each message is short, timed and sent in the guest's language.
Winter information that prevents incidents
Some details make the difference between a smooth arrival and a ruined evening. State whether winter tyres or chains are required and what the access road is usually like. Explain where to park, whether a permit or barrier code is needed, and how far the property is if parking is remote. Describe how the heating, wood burner or stove works, with the related safety rules. Point out the ski room, boot dryer and shuttle times. For late arrivals, provide a clear plan B: on-call number, backup lockbox, cut-off time. A photo beats a paragraph: the snowy façade, the front door, the parking space. Sent at the right moment, these elements cut emergency calls and reassure an international clientele that is often discovering the mountains for the first time.
Automate without losing the hospitality touch
A messaging sequence only has value if it goes out for every booking, without fail, including on a February Saturday when twenty stays overlap. That is why automation through your channel manager or messaging tool matters: triggers based on arrival date, personalised variables (first name, code, times) and translation into the guest's language. The trap is the cold, generic message. Keep a personal tone, sign with a first name, and reread every template as a demanding guest would. Above all, keep a human behind it: replies to questions must stay fast, especially on arrival day. At SmartStay, automated messages are configured property by property, and our local team steps in as soon as a guest writes.
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