Dear WuBookers, we have talked many times about the importance of welcoming guests properly and making them feel immediately at the center of attention. The welcome letter is a very useful tool in this regard and can really improve the perception and experience of guests to the benefit of the property. Here is what it consists of and what cautions to have in order to write a really effective one.

What is a welcome letter (or message)

A welcome letter is a communication drafted by the hotel manager, property manager, or staff member and addressed to property guests. It may be a paper note left in the room or delivered at check-in, or a message sent by e-mail or text message prior to arrival.

In the first case, to speed up the process and avoid misunderstandings related to handwriting, the letter can be printed and signed manually. The digital version, on the other hand, can be easily preset, customized and scheduled as needed, thanks in part to the use of specific software. 

Regardless of the manner, the goal of the welcome letter is to greet guests and provide them with useful information to enhance their stay at the hotel (or B&B or vacation rental), while also encouraging positive reviews at the end of their stay.
A gesture of courtesy that offers quite a few benefits. 

Why write a welcome letter: the benefits 

Along with the welcome kit, the guest letter is a marketing tool that can have very positive indirect effects, during and after the overnight stay.
If well structured, in fact, it allows you to:

• establish a personal relationship with guests, humanizing the image of the property. Especially for those establishments that do not receive guests in person because they prefer automated solutions such as self check-in, leaving a welcome note can make the welcome less cold, conveying caring and attention;
• Prepare guests to be more tolerant of minor flaws: by declaring possible inefficiencies or unforeseen events early on, it is more likely that they will not be judged too harshly; 
• provide important and useful details about the facility and beyond, including check-in and check-out times, hotel breakfast times, local initiatives and events, included services and extras;
• increase upselling and cross-selling opportunities , including proposing dedicated offers that may not have been available at the time of booking or are worth mentioning to stimulate impulse buying;
• create a direct dialogue between hotelier and travelers: making yourself available even if you are not physically at the property and being available for feedback and needs during the overnight stay engenders trust and makes guests feel welcomed and pampered; 
• Increase the scores of positive reviews. The surprise effect should not be overlooked: pleasantly surprising guests with a friendly and warm welcome message can positively affect post-stay reviews.

For this to happen, it is necessary to take a few simple steps and follow some good practices in writing the letter. 

Writing a welcome letter for the hotel: tips and mistakes to avoid making 

Having clarified the definition, goals and benefits, it is time to get down to practicalities: how do you write a welcome letter and how do you implement the directions we have just seen together?

Let’s take a look at some useful tips to make sure you don’t get it wrong. 

1. Customize the message

The first secret is customization. Writing a different letter for each guest would be impossible, but that does not mean that you cannot still personalize each communication. The simplest thing is the name of the recipient at the beginning of the letter. Instead of “Dear Guest,” which is correct but runs the risk of being a bit impersonal, try “Dear First and Last Name” or even “Welcome Ms./Mrs. First and Last Name” or similar formulas.

This way, you can set fixed templates, changing them as needed quickly and only the minimum needed to “warm up” the communication, creating a sense of closeness between you and your guests. And, if they are loyal customers, consider welcoming them with a “Welcome Back”: it will let them know that you remember them and care about ensuring a flawless stay, just like the first time.

 the greetings, don’t forget to thank them for choosing you, while at the end of it all sign the letter in your name, also sAfterpecifying your role within the facility – it will help add an even more personal touch to the message.

2. Add details about the property and its strengths

The welcome letter provides an opportunity to remind guests of the hotel’s key features and services that might make their experience unique. 

You could, for example, mention that there is a pool, spa, or the possibility of arranging tours and experiences upon request. Certainly a standard letter is easier to prepare, but if your clientele is diverse, you could distinguish different templates depending on the target audience you are writing to. This allows you to propose ad hoc services for each category and thus increase extra sales opportunities.

Also, if there are times to be observed (e.g., for arrival and departure, or those of the Front Desk) or specific rules of behavior, this is the right place to mention them, possibly referring to the relevant documentation as well.

3. Include useful information about the surroundings and local attractions

Suggestions about the area, transportation, things to see and do are another element to consider in conveying care and attention to guests.
Receiving up-to-date advice from a local person, especially if it is useful tips or ones that may not be found online and in printed guides, can also be appreciated by those who have planned everything to the hilt.
If you have active conventions, why not mention them and grant your partners a little extra visibility? 

4. Highlights contacts, contact information and social pages 

How do guests get assistance? And who to look for in case of need? It is important that the welcome letter also include contact information, including any phone and email addresses.
Addresses to the hotel’s social pages, on the other hand, are a great way to facilitate online engagement and stimulate interactions on these channels, including through the use of official tags or hashtags.

5. Ask for reviews and feedback

Finally, remember to ask your guests for a review of their stay at the facility. Of course, at this stage it might seem premature and it is difficult for those who have just arrived to be ready to leave their opinion already. However, it can be a good way to value your guests’ opinion (the sub-text is, “we care to know what you think”) and indirectly promise excellent service (“we will do our best to make you feel good and we are ready to ask for your evaluation of it as of now”).
Not only that, it can be an effective reminder that anticipates the content of any dedicated communication you may send at check-out.

6. Care about style and keep an eye on length 

Content is important, but so is form. It only takes a few lines for each of the points seen so far to create a concise but complete welcome letter. To avoid the “wall of text” effect, take care of the formatting as well: divide the text into thematic paragraphs and add boldface on the most important words, so you will allow even the most hurried readers to grasp the overall meaning. 

If you decide to opt for a paper version, also consider well the type of paper, the envelope, if any, and the incorporation of one or more handwritten details, such as your signature or the guest’s name-everything contributes to the image of the facility. 

What about style? The tone of voice should be aligned with that of other communications, especially if they are new guests who do not know you. The important thing is to avoid unnecessarily convoluted or overly formal phrases that risk weighing down the reading or coming across as unfriendly. Better to have a basic, clear and polite letter: guests will have everything they need to elaborate more if they want to.

Useful tools and instruments for managing welcome letters

As far as writing is concerned, generative artificial intelligence (i.e., software such as ChatGPT) can be of great help. Indeed, through continuous testing and refinement, it is possible to derive one or more versions of the welcome letter to use as the basis for one’s communications, paper or digital, brilliantly overcoming the hurdle of a blank sheet of paper.

Another important point concerns the actual management of messages, especially virtual ones. Indeed, the convenience of this option lies in the possibility of scheduling communications and automating their sending, without having to worry each time about printing, signing and physically getting the letter through (not to mention saving on paper and stationery!). Operations that can be conveniently handled by the hotel PMS, if the latter provides for it.

For example, Zak, WuBook’s hotel management software, offers the opportunity to set up one or more messages to be emailed to guests depending on the situation.

In fact, thanks to the Text Modules and Email Triggers features, the hotelier can:

• Define one or more templates to be saved within the panel for use as needed;
• resort to the help of artificial intelligence (AI for short) while writing the message. In fact, Zak is directly integrated with ChatGPT and greatly facilitates the steps and writing;
• translate the text, independently or always by using AI, into 19 languages;
• personalize each message with images, links, attachments, and by automatically entering the details of the guest you are writing to (first and last name, but also reservation summary and so on);
• Set up sending rules within the software so that communications are sent only at certain times (e.g., two days before arrival, at check-in, two days after departure, etc.); 
• thanks to the Email Branding feature, send communications from the panel and manage correspondence directly from your inbox.

In summary, using these types of tools greatly lightens staff operations and saves time without sacrificing the benefits that good communication can provide.