By The Hospitable Team
In November 2020, Airbnb released their Scheduled Message feature, which is now available to all hosts. This tool allows hosts to schedule automatic messages when guests take actions like booking, check-in, or check-out. Let’s compare it to Hospitable’s Guest Experience functionality.
Message triggers
Airbnb: Events that trigger a message: booking, check-in, check-out.
This means that you may send messages to your guests with potentially useful information. No customization: you decide what information you want to share, and every guest will get it the same way.
You can schedule a message at any time, and you can always choose to skip or send messages early. You can also use the Quick Replies feature and send these message templates manually instead of automatically.
Hospitable: Events that trigger a message: check-in, check-out, a new inquiry, new pre-approval, new booking request, new reservation, new cancellation, expired pre-approval, inquiry/booking denied, new special offer, new payment issue, and many, many more!
Our AI will recognize specific questions from your guests and will answer on your behalf. Currently, our system recognizes the 20 most common topics of questions. This means that you can share appropriate information with every guest without bothering them with unnecessary information automatically.
Moreover, Hospitable will look for specific criteria and will send a message when relevant. For example, Hospitable can automatically upsell an extended stay or late check-out if your listing is available. We can even ask guests without verified IDs a bit more about their stay.
The ultimate result of this is an actual conversation with your guest. This creates rapport, as you appear helpful and attentive to their needs and willing to take the time to talk to them. At the same time, you won’t spend a minute.
Last-minute bookings
Airbnb: Messages won’t be scheduled for last-minute bookings or short stays where the trigger time is greater or equal to the lead time.
Hospitable: No restrictions. In fact, Hospitable offers an additional smart feature for last-minute bookings. Your guests can receive a single message to thank them for booking your place and sharing the check-in instructions and house rules. You won’t annoy your guests with multiple messages coming one by one. You won’t need to worry about your guests not receiving important information either.
Personalization with short codes
Short codes are those small text snippets that you embed in your response. They help you customize your response with specific guests’, booking and listing details. For example, you may include the guest’s name, a wifi password, info about the neighborhood, etc.
Airbnb: 34 shortcodes available
Hospitable: 50+ short codes available and more to come
Customization options
Airbnb: There are none
Hospitable: Sometimes, you may want to create a custom code that is only included for guests that meet certain criteria. For example, you may tailor your communication to people traveling with an infant. Or you may send the instructions to use the sofa bed only if three guests book your 1-bedroom apartment. There are endless customization options; your creativity is the limit. 
OTAs integration
Airbnb: Obviously works with Airbnb only
Hospitable: Works with Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You get all your messages in one place and can even continue your conversation with a returning guest booking your place through Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. (with more coming soon!)
Communication not limited to guest messaging
Airbnb: Will help you automate basic messages sent to guests.
Hospitable: Will also send notifications and even schedule your cleaning team, even notifying them for same-day turnover. It will also publish guest reviews on your behalf and remind the guests to leave their reviews if they haven’t yet.
Improve your guest experience
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Pricing
Airbnb: Scheduled messages feature is free
Hospitable: Pricing is per active Airbnb listing that had a check-in within the last month. You may select which properties you want to manage with Hospitable.
Airbnb Messages: Communication that Builds Rapport
There are some very practical steps you can take to make sure your communication is on point.
So what can you do to build rapport more effectively and improve your chances of getting good communication reviews? Let’s find out, shall we?
Airbnb Messaging Shortcodes—Guest Personalization (the right way)
Never heard of a shortcode before?
Don’t worry, this article has got you covered.
Shortcodes are little snippets of code (unique to hospitable) that allow you to do some pretty nifty little things with your guest messaging on Airbnb.
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