How to simplify hotel reservation confirmation 

What is a reservation confirmation?

A reservation confirmation is a document that a hotel provides to guests that confirms the details of that guest’s booking.

Hotel reservation confirmations are a guarantee to guests that their stay is locked in, at the price they agreed to, and potentially that payment has been taken. It gives the guest the opportunity to check that all of the details are correct, and guards against any unwanted surprises on the day of check in.

As the primary pre-arrival document, it is critical that the information listed on the hotel reservation confirmation is accurate. The good news is that hotel technology makes this easier than ever: automation can reduce human error by as much as 80%, to ensure every confirmation perfectly reflects every booking.

In this guide we’ll take a closer look at confirmations for hotel reservations: why they’re important, what they look like, and how to create accurate documents for the guests of your small, independent hotel.

Why is reservation confirmation important for small hotels?

By formally confirming each booking, independent hotels provide guests with clarity, build trust with their customers, and can reduce instances of no-shows, because guests know it is their responsibility to show up (or face late cancellation/no-show fees).

Small hotels only have a few rooms and a handful of staff. A single missed or miscommunicated reservation can mean losing critical revenue, not to mention the brand damage that comes from frustrated guests who are caught up in an overbooking or a missed reservation.

A confirmation email or message acts as a contract between your hotel and your guests, reassuring them that their stay is secured. It is also a chance to show a bit of personality through customised text, and you can even present upselling opportunities by mentioning additional complementary services that you offer.

Importance of reservation confirmations:

• Prevent booking errors and miscommunications
• Build guest confidence and brand trust
• Minimise cancellations and no-shows

What should you include in a hotel reservation confirmation?

Why it’s important to get your hotel reservation confirmation right:

• Across industries, order and reservation confirmation emails see about a 65% open rate, far higher than the 17.7% average.
• Hotel confirmation emails have an even higher open rate of 72%.
• Timely, branded communications reassure guests their reservation is secure and set a professional and positive pre-arrival tone.

There are a few key considerations that a hotelier should keep in mind when creating a hotel reservation confirmation. The document should be clear, timely and uniquely yours. It should be designed to reassure guests that their booking is secure, set clear expectations for their stay, and make the most of opportunities.

1. Essential information

A hotel reservation confirmation should be clearly laid out and easy to read, and include the essential booking details below to ensure a smooth check-in experience:

• Guest details: Name, contact information, number of guests.
• Booking summary: Check-in/check-out dates, room type, rate, number of nights.
• Payment information: Deposit paid, remaining balance, payment methods, cancellation/refund policy.
• Hotel info: Phone, email, address (including clickable map/directions).

2. Professional presentation

Looks aren’t everything, but they certainly help. By creating a document that is beautiful, clearly laid out and sent at the exact right moment, you win a guest’s trust before they even arrive.

• Tone: Include warm, professional messaging that reflects your hotel’s personality.
• Branding: Prominently featuring your logo and brand colours can make your hotel more memorable and encourage return visits.
• Timing: Send the confirmation immediately after the booking is made, followed by a reminder a few days before check-in.

3. Operational details

The best hotel reservation confirmations answer every question a guest could reasonably have about your hotel and their stay. You should include the following details on yours.

• Check-in instructions: The earliest and latest arrival times, reception hours and self-check-in codes and instructions.
• Cancellation policy: Clearly state deadlines and cancellation/refund rules using simple, guest-friendly language.
• Terms & conditions: Add a link or brief summary of important policies, like house rules, pet policies or payment terms.

4. Enhancement opportunities

A hotel reservation confirmation isn’t just an obligation – it’s also an opportunity. Make the most of the moment by including:

• Extras or add-ons: Any upgrades, requests or packages selected by the guest, plus any potential upsell opportunities based on what you know about the guest.
• A personalised sign-off: A customised reservation confirmation message (“thank you [GUEST NAME], see you soon”) to make a good first impression and build rapport.

What to do next:

• Personalise messages and highlight relevant upsell offers.
• Audit your current confirmation template for missing information and opportunities.
• Automate confirmation and reminder emails to send at key pre-arrival moments.
• Add clear check-in instructions, policies and contact info to save staff time.

Hotel reservation confirmation examples

The 3 main types of hotel reservation confirmation:

• Email: A detailed summary of the booking
• Text: A brief summary, usually linking to a more detailed confirmation
• On-screen message: A pop-up that appears on screen instantly post-booking

Reservation confirmations come in a number of different forms, from basic on-screen pop-ups to comprehensive emails. Most hotels will use a combination of different types of confirmation, and will inject a bit of uniqueness and brand personality into each.

1. Reservation confirmation email

A confirmation email for hotel reservations offers the chance for the hotel to outline, and for the guest to review, every single detail of the booking. It offers the guest the chance to confirm that all the details are correct, which can somewhat reduce the hotel’s liability for any mistakes, particularly if they were made by the guest during the booking process.

Email confirmations also offer the opportunity to upsell or cross-sell guests, to maximise the value of every single booking.

Example: “Subject: Your stay at Seaview Hotel is confirmed!

Body: Hi Alex, thanks for booking with us!

Your reservation for 14-16 July for a 2-person Queen Room is confirmed. You can check in from 2pm; the full details can be found below. 

You might also be interested in booking a luxurious on-site spa session with our expert team of beauty and massage therapists. Find out more here!”

2. Reservation confirmation message on-screen

You might be familiar with the feeling: you click ‘Book Now’ on a big purchase – a long-haul plane ticket, a 10-day tour – and face a nervous five minutes as you constantly refresh your email browser waiting for the booking confirmation to drop.

An on-screen confirmation, whether a pop-up or a dedicated page, can allow your guests to avoid this anxious wait when they book directly with you.

Example: “Happy days: your reservation is confirmed! Thank you for booking with Seaview Hotel. A confirmation email has been sent to [email protected].”

3. Reservation confirmation text

This type of reservation confirmation is sent directly to the guest’s phone soon after a booking is made. This is most commonly a brief summary confirmation that points the guest to the proper booking confirmation that has been emailed to them, or offers up a link that allows the guest to bring the full confirmation up in a web browser.

Example: “Hi Alex, your booking at Seaview Hotel is confirmed for 14-16 July. Check-in from 2pm. See you soon! Reservation confirmation: link.here”

Reservation confirmation priorities for independent hotels:

• Consider sending a reservation confirmation text to ensure you reach all guests.
• Start with your confirmation email, as this is the most important.
• If you offer direct bookings, develop an instant, on-screen reservation confirmation.

“My only regret about Little Hotelier is that I didn’t use it sooner. It blows my mind how powerful it is, it makes my life so much easier. Little Hotelier frees up my time so I actually can grow my business.”

Sean O’Neill,

Owner

Devereux Residences

Read more

What tools can be used to automate reservation confirmation? 

There are a few ways in which you can automate the process of generating and sending out hotel reservation confirmations, that range from the basic (and somewhat limited) to the purpose-built (and ultra-capable).

• OTAs and booking channels: If you secure a booking through a third-party like Booking.com or Airbnb, a confirmation will be sent automatically by the OTA, though you won’t be able to edit or customise it much.
• Email automation tools: While they aren’t built for the job, tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Zapier can be configured to automatically send out booking confirmations in response to certain triggers.
• Property Management Systems (PMS): All-in-one tools like Little Hotelier and Cloudbeds give you total control over your bookings, including creating your own reservation confirmations and automating every step of the process.

If you own or manage a small, independent hotel, the choice of tools is obvious.

As the name suggests, Little Hotelier is an all-in-one platform that has been designed specifically for small accommodation providers. It can help you automate reservation confirmations, to ensure every guest has a clear and comprehensive understanding of their upcoming stay.