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Guest messaging & OTA inbox

Guest Messaging & OTA Inbox Support

Clear, consistent answers on every channel guests message you on.

Guest questions arrive through Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Vrbo and your own inbox, usually at the worst moment. Thrive Hosts handles the routine conversation from first enquiry to post-stay follow-up, escalates what needs someone on site, and keeps a record so nothing gets answered twice or not at all. It works for short-term rentals and small hotels alike.

  • Enquiry to post-stay, across channels
  • Escalation rules agreed before we start
  • 24/7 guest message coverage
Book an Operations Review

Who it’s for

  • Airbnb hosts and short-term rental owners
  • Owners listing on several channels
  • Boutique hotels and motels
  • Inns and guesthouses
  • Serviced apartment operators
Need more than the inbox? See Airbnb co-hosting or hotel & motel operations.
What we handle

The whole guest conversation, not just the first reply

Templates where they help, a written reply where the guest needs one.

1

Before booking

  • Pre-booking enquiries
  • Availability, policy and pet questions
  • Special requests and group details
  • Answers that match the listing
2

After booking

  • Reservation confirmations
  • Missing details like arrival time or guest count
  • Policy questions handled per your rules
  • Requests passed to the right person
3

Pre-arrival & check-in

  • Check-in information sent at the right time
  • Parking, directions and access steps
  • Early arrival and luggage requests
  • Reminders that cut “how do I get in?” messages
4

During the stay

  • Questions about the property or room
  • Issues logged as soon as they’re reported
  • Escalation to cleaners, housekeeping or maintenance
  • Follow-up until the guest confirms it’s sorted
5

Checkout & after

  • Reasonable checkout reminders
  • Lost property questions
  • Post-stay thank-you and review follow-up
  • Feedback passed back to the owner or team
6

Inbox setup

  • Saved replies and quick replies
  • A shared FAQ for the property
  • Tone and sign-off agreed with you
  • Consistent answers across channels
Escalation

What we answer, and what goes to you or your team

Before we answer a single message, we agree who gets contacted for what, in what order, and what we can approve without checking with you.

We handle

  • Routine questions and requests
  • Reservation and check-in messages
  • Logging and tracking guest issues
  • Contacting your cleaner, housekeeping or vendor per your rules
  • Review follow-up and feedback summaries

Stays with you or your on-site team

  • Physical emergencies and site visits
  • Refunds or compensation above agreed limits
  • Policy exceptions and disputes
  • Decisions about pricing or the property
  • Anything that needs a person at the door

Urgent safety issues always go to local emergency services and your on-site contact first. Physical emergencies stay with the owner or on-site team unless something else has been arranged.

Channels

One process across the channels guests use

We work in each platform’s own messaging tools, or in your PMS’s unified inbox where you have one, using user-level access.

Airbnb

Guest messages and reservation communication through co-host or team access.

Booking.com & Expedia

Guest and reservation messages through extranet or partner-portal user accounts.

Vrbo

Traveller enquiries and booking messages within the access you grant.

Direct & email

Direct-booking enquiries and confirmations through your booking engine or inbox.

Visibility

What you see

You shouldn’t need to read every thread to know what happened.

Message log

Conversations stay in the platform or PMS, so the history is always yours.

Open guest issues

What was reported, who it went to and whether it’s resolved.

Recurring questions

The same question every week usually means the listing or check-in info needs fixing.

Decisions needed

Anything outside the agreed rules comes back to you, clearly flagged.

Guest messages are covered 24/7. Response targets, escalation contacts and quick replies are set up in detail during the 30-day setup. Pricing depends on message volume, the number of properties or rooms, your channels and the coverage you need.

FAQ

Guest messaging questions

Do you offer 24/7 guest messaging?

Yes. Guest messages are covered 24/7. During the 30-day setup we agree response targets, what counts as urgent and who is contacted for what, so a message at 3am is handled the same way as one at 3pm. Physical emergencies still go to local emergency services and your on-site contact.

Do you message guests in our name?

Yes, as a rule. Messages go out in the property’s name, signed the way you choose and following your approved workflows and brand standards. How this works on each channel depends on your accounts and setup, and is confirmed during the 30-day setup.

What happens with an emergency?

We follow the escalation rules agreed during onboarding. Urgent safety issues go to local emergency services and your on-site contact first. Physical emergencies remain the responsibility of the owner or on-site team unless something else has been arranged.

Do you need my passwords?

No. We work through official co-host access, OTA user accounts or PMS team permissions wherever the platform supports them, so you can review or remove access at any time.

Can you work inside our PMS inbox?

Yes. We work in the PMS or channel manager you already use wherever it supports team users. If you don’t have one, or the current one isn’t a good fit, we recommend the option that suits the property. Everything is mapped in detail during the 30-day setup.

Can we start with messaging only?

Yes. Messaging can be scoped on its own. Some owners later add listing, calendar or housekeeping coordination, but that is your choice.

Free tools

Answer guests well without living in the inbox

Start with an operations review. We look at your messages, channels and escalation needs, then agree coverage that fits the property.

Book an Operations ReviewAirbnb · Booking.com · Expedia · Vrbo · Direct bookings