Now competing with third-party booking sites, hotels worldwide are looking for ways to incentivize direct bookings through their channels. Hospitality messaging through digital channels such as Google Business Messages — accessible from the most popular search engine as well as apps such as Google Maps — creates a connection before the guest even gets to the hotel and can help boost a hotel’s direct booking rates.

Reach billions of users where they’re at

Creating numerous access points for guests to communicate with hotel teams is key for driving bookings directly through a property site. With Google Business Messages, guests searching for hotels in a certain area can be brought to an option to chat directly with a property!

This gives hotels the option to answer common questions about parking, availability, and local offerings to help incentivize their property over another. Plus, by utilizing hospitality messaging via channels like Google Business Messages, hotels can engage with over 2.5 billion Android users.

These channels are also more accessible to guests, as only Wi-Fi is needed to access messaging via Google. Hello, even more guests and interactions!

Heighten the guest experience with lean teams 

While front desk teams are already busy juggling anything that comes their way, interacting with guests pre-arrival isn’t usually on their mind. But with the ability to message guests via Google Business Messages, it can be a quick and sometimes even automated process.

Team members can reply with a template full of answers to common questions, and message multiple guests simultaneously—or even while checking someone in or on a phone call. 

This allows for lean teams to accomplish more while maintaining that element of human interaction!

Answer questions ahead of time 

Providing great customer service before the guest even gets there is a surefire way to increase direct bookings and repeat business.

Say a guest who found a property via Google sends a message regarding a common question. Anyone on the team can respond via their hotel texting platform, quickly or even automatically—templates with answers to common questions or suggested replies are available on top hotel text messaging platforms.

This allows for quick response times and guests getting answers they need quickly, which in turn causes them to want to stay at a property that can provide great service even before they walk in the door!

There are tons of ways that hotel guest messaging through digital channels benefits both hospitality teams and guests. Learn more about top hotel text messaging systems or schedule a conversation today!