Hotel Coronavirus Communication With Guests (Modes & Templates)

(Providing an excellent guest service even in the times of social distancing through impeccable Hotel Coronavirus Communication, thereby ensuring the safety of the guests and hotel staff)

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Great Communication is the key to tackling even the worst of situations and especially, during these times when the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) looms large and casts its fearful shadow over every industry, right from travel to entertainment, it’s important for the hoteliers to up their communication game to instill faith and trust in the upcoming guests. That being said, Hotel Coronavirus Communication is the need of the hour.

As per the Global Business Travel Association, about half (51%) of their members have suspended or cancel their travel plans or business meetings. Similarly, “almost one in five (18%) companies has canceled or suspended “all” or “most” travel to North America.” Surely, in the hotels, occupancies are down and tourist arrivals have dropped to a great extent.

Still, travel hasn’t stopped completely and there are still some avenues open for the hoteliers to combat the surge by paving way for some effective business strategies. One such strategy is the Hotel Coronavirus Communication with the Guests.

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The importance of Hotel Coronavirus Communication is that it allows the hotels to work on its social, revenue, and marketing strategies and at the same time, take the necessary steps or prevention plan to ensure that every guest at the property, including the staff and other people, are safe and healthy. In general, it will act as a sort of consolation for the upcoming guests that their safety and well-being are of paramount importance to the hotel and its crew and that the management will make sure that they try their level best to protect their guests against the COVID-19 transmission. Again, it is equally important to hint at the much-emphasized concept of “social distancing” in your Hotel Coronavirus Communication to reassure the guests that there will a minimal physical contact with others at the property during their stay (including the staff) which is what will help in preventing the transmis

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That being said, your Hotel Coronavirus Communication can be carried on through the following three mediums:

1. Hotel Website
2. Email
3. Text Messaging or Guest Messaging

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With these, there are three broad aspects or actions under which each of these mediums would be categorized:

• Inform: Allow your website to contain all the essential COVID-19 measures that you would be implementing at your property for a safe stay.

• Reassure: Use your Email (especially, pre-arrival) to reassure the guests about how they will be safe during their stay and also highlight the flexible approach you have adopted when it comes to the cancellation policy. You can also use text messaging here to serve the same purpose.

Again, with Guest Messaging you can make the stay better by allowing the guests to practise social distancing and by requesting seamlessly for the things required right at their doorstep simply by dropping a text. This will reduce the physical contact with others at the property.

• Promote: While emails and messages can be used to reassure the guests, now is the favorable time to use them for promoting your special services or upselling to the existing guests. Promote packages, delights along the way and staycations to appeal to the local visitors.

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1. Hotel Coranavirus Communication through Website

Realizing that your website is the first point of contact or communication with the guests, design your narrative or website content in a way to help guests know what measures you have taken to do your part to flatten the curve. This can appear as a pop-up notification or an announcement right at the top to notify the guests instantly about your understanding of the outbreak.

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For instance,

“Arnold World Hotel *Hotel Name*
Best Rates Guaranteed
*IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ENSURE A STAY SAFE FOR ALL OUR GUESTS*
These are the steps we’ve been taking to fight against Coronavirus ensuring a healthy stay for our guests:

“During COVID-19, Gym will be closed temporarily. Breakfast will be delivered to the guests in their rooms. Sanitizer and hand wash will be available at all the major points in the hotel. Again, we would like to inform you that we have also increased the housekeeping frequency at our hotel with regular and timely cleaning and disinfecting of all the rooms, surfaces, and high-touch areas.”

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And so on…
Remember, you can always customize your message as per the measures you have implemented.

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• WebChat Feature on Your Website

Also, if you have a WebChat feature on your website, it will surely work in your interest by making the communication process even smoother. Alongside giving out the basic Coronavirus information and measures, your guests can also browse the status of other things by choosing the particular categories in WebChat. For instance, if they want to see how many hospitals are nearby, they can certainly find this information under “location” or by reaching out to you through WebChat communication. Again, if they want to know how breakfast would be served, privately or in the breakfast hall, they can either text you or if you have included that as an FAQ under the “breakfast” category, it will put your guests at ease. Thus, WebChat also has a pivotal role in the entire Hotel Coronavirus Communication.

Benefits: With website measures against COVID-19 and smooth WebChat communication, you can ease the guests’ uncertainty to a great extent and provide them information about your understanding of the prevailing outbreak. Again, the communication over WebChat can be carried on over the phone in the form of text messages which is immensely useful for the guests.

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2. Hotel Coronavirus Communication through Email

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With the uncertainty on everyone’s lips about this crisis at the moment, you can still weather the storm and drive some business by playing your email game accurately and effectively.

1. Pre-Arrival Email

Since, pre-arrival email is the first email that goes out to your guests, make sure that it contains the maximum possible information about your role in combating the crisis. Include everything that you will be doing for their safety and don’t leave it on the guests to imagine. After all, if a guest is willing to come to stay with you, they will be anxious about what preventive measures you have in store for them or how they can trust you with their safety. So your pre-arrival email should be treated as something important, something on the basis of which a guest would be deciding whether to go ahead with their trip or cancel their reservation for good.

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Example:

Subject line: Don’t worry. You’re safe with  *hotel name*

Preview Text: The measures taken by us against COVID-19

Dear (first name),

Thank you for choosing us! Trust you’re doing well!

As we weather the storm ahead and battle the tough times, we would like to put you at ease by being transparent about the extra effort that we have been taking and the measures that we have been implementing to ensure that you have a safe, healthy and hassle-free stay with us.

We request you to spare a minute to go through these measures for your own understanding of us and our services:

• All the rooms and major areas in the hotel are cleaned and sanitized every day with utmost sincerity by our staff.
• Sanitizers and hand wash will be made available to you and will be placed at all the important points in the hotel.
• We have closed the pool and gym temporarily to prevent the transmission of the virus.
• Housekeeping frequency has been increased.
• Our staff has been trained well to maintain personal hygiene and is well-versed in all the protocols to be followed if a guest develops symptoms without posing any danger or potential risk to the other guests at our property.
• We take ‘social distancing’ seriously and we equally respect your need for that. In the case of any requirements, you can text us and we will make sure that it is delivered to your room.
• Masks will be provided to the guests in need of it.

For more information, details, and queries, you can reach out to us. We’ll be happy to help you!

While making you feel safe is our topmost priority, we will make sure that we are not compromising on providing a great guest experience in any way.

Thank you for your business.”

Regards,
Arnold World Hotel (*Hotel Name*)
Customer Care Executive

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Benefit: Pre-arrival email allows you to communicate proactively with the guests who have already planned a stay at your property. Again, it raises their trust and confidence level by providing them with a sense of security.

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2. Email Showing your Flexibility When it Comes to CancellationsWith uncertainty looming large, there might be guests having second thoughts about their upcoming stay. Based on how grave the situation becomes, some guests may want to opt-out of the deal. What is it that you do?
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Suppose, if a guest reaches out to your over email asking for the option to cancel their booking, this is how you can respond:

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Subject line: With us, you don’t have to worry about cancellations!

Dear Guest (name),

We received your email regarding cancellation and though we are disappointed to hear that the situation on your side demands so, we totally respect your decision in this regard. We care about your safety but at the same time, we need to think of it pragmatically. However, we are happy to provide you the leeway of taking some time, say up until a couple of weeks (or up to 48 hours, you can provide your deadline) before your trip to reconsider your decision, in case the situation becomes better at your end. Once you have made up your mind, you can reach out to us and if your decision is still the same (cancellation), we will whole-heartedly accept that request and work towards processing it with a full refund for your safety and well-being.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks & Regards,
Arnold World Hotel (*hotel name)
Customer Care Executive

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[Additional information: Again, if you can provide the benefit of “cancel now, book later,” make sure that you include it as an option too in your response.]

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Benefits: Flexible Cancellation Emails help win customers’ trust and increase the chances of them coming back to you in the future. So be humble and be flexible without harboring animosity or any kind of negative feelings towards your guests.

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3. Emails Promoting Packages, Special Services, and Staycations

You can use your email for Hotel Coronavirus Communication to sort things out for your business and to strengthen your revenue strategy. While you are wary about giving discounts, experts suggest that it is better to up your marketing game during this time by double-downing on upsells.

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• For the upcoming guests, you can still promote your special services through emails.

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Subject line: Your Upcoming Stay at *hotel name*

Preview text: Things you can expect

Dear Guest (name),

Hope you’re safe and healthy. This is to remind you that your stay is just around the corner. Once again, for your convenience, we have attached a pdf of the safety measures we have taken against COVID-19 towards the end of this email.

Here a few more details to make your visit more pleasant:

*Reservation No#*
*Guest Name:*
*No.of Nights:*
*Date of Arrival:*
*Date of Departure:*
*Room Type:*
*Check-in time*
*Check-out time:*
*Hotel Address:*
*Parking Information:( for instance, parking is easy and complimentary. For further assistance, revert to us by replying to this email.)

(Add a section with house rules, announcements, policies, payment details, WiFi information, etc,)

To make your stay more lively:

(Add Promotions! For instance, a room upgrade or in-room relaxation service).

Here a Few Special Offers to Relieve the Quarantine Stress:

1. $100 romantic couple dinner: Includes 3 courses and a bottle of wine. Email us for the reservation.
2. Half-off Weekdays: 50% off on all appetizers on weekdays from Monday-Friday. Email us for more information.
3. Room Upgrade: Thinking of bigger and better? What about having a balcony overlooking the mesmerizing surroundings? Email us for more information.

We look forward to seeing you soon. If you have any questions and concerns, feel free to reach out to us.

Thanks & Stay Safe,
(* hotel name*)
General Manager

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• Emails Promoting Staycations

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With the pandemic assuming its worst possible form, now is the best time to target the local and domestic market and reach out to them by luring them to stay with you. Offering weekend packages or staycation to the local travelers in your area will help cover the lost revenue from such ancillary sources.

A target email offer to your drive market can look somewhat like this:

Subject line: Vacation with no flights and jet lags!

Preview text: Beat the Quarantine Fever

Dear Guest,

Everyone has to self-isolate themselves. But why not do it in a fun way? We invite you to unwind and spend a relaxing staycation at *hotel name*. Enjoy our local amenities and special services at reasonable rates.

Your safety is our top-most priority and we will never compromise on that.

For more information, do not hesitate to bombard us with your queries and questions.

See you soon,
Arnold World Hotel (*hotel name*)
General Manager

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Benefits: While this sort of email helps drive customers to avoid cabin fever and to destress, it can also aid in attracting your existing (domestic) customers to book with you.

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4. A General Email Showing Care, Concern and Empathy for your Existing Customer Base.

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Subject line: We will come out of it stronger

Dear Guest,

Hope you’re safe and doing well. Thank you for showing your continued support and trust in our services. Your wellness and safety are of paramount importance to us. We think of you every minute as it is a tough time for all of us. We have taken this initiative to reach out to all of you to keep you updated about the changes that we have introduced in our behavior and policies to weather the storm:

1. We have taken our cleanliness and hygiene plans to the next level by increasing the housekeeping frequency. We are using high-quality cleaners and disinfectants for all the rooms and major areas including the high-touch areas and surfaces. Hand wash and sanitizer are available at all the major points in the hotel.
2. We have trained our staff by communicating our prevention strategy to each of them effectively. To the staff who might have developed symptoms or are currently feeling unwell (seasonal changes), we have requested them to self-isolate themselves and take good care by refraining from coming to work.
3. With services like gym and pool closed temporarily, we are still keeping the breakfast service on considering it as something essential for our guests. Furthermore, keeping the social distancing in mind, we will be serving breakfast to the guests in their respective rooms (free-of-cost.)
4. We also provide you with the incentive of ordering or requesting things seamlessly from the room by means of a text message. This will enable us to know about your requests in time and deliver the required service to your room thereby curbing the amount of physical contact.

Let the fear not take over as we have full faith that things will get back to normal. As service providers and your well-wishers, we will continue to strive hard for your safety and wellness without really compromising on providing you with the best possible service in the industry.

Thank you once again. Hope that you will continue to visit us.

Regards,
*hotel name*
Customer Care Executive

Benefits: Helps strengthen the customers’ trust to book with you and also gives out a strong impression that you’re not letting your guard down and doing whatever it takes to get yourself going in the face of adversity.

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Other Hotel Coronavirus Communication Email Suggestions:

• An On-arrival Email informing the guests about the house rules, delights along the way, and the option of texting in case of any requests.

• A Mid-Stay Email checking on how your guests are doing and are there any requests or complaints on their part.

• A Post Check-out Email thanking them to have trusted you with their stay during such difficult times, apart from politely and strategically asking them to leave you a review to help you serve them even better in the future.

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3. Hotel Coronavirus Communication through Text Message

While emails are important, nothing can beat the text messages as mobile phone and humans are almost inseparable. People are much more inclined to take notice of a text than an email thus making it one of the most efficient ways to get in touch with others. Again, it takes the average person only 90 seconds to respond to a text message, a stark difference to the average 90 minutes it takes to reply to an email.

While you carry on with your email game, make sure to handle the text messaging side-by-side to make the communication even more powerful. It is obvious that in such cases, guests will require rapid answers to their questions and as mobile phones come in handy, this can be taken as the most preferred mode of communication for the guests.

The very first thing that you need to do is to power your text messaging with PMS for faster communication. While you keep sending out emails, look for the ways in which you can shorten these emails and send them as text messages to the guests.

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• Pre-Arrival Message

“Thank you for choosing us. We are looking forward to your upcoming reservation at *hotel name* between *arrival date* and *departure date*. Given the current crisis, we have also implemented a few measures by revising our policies and overall behavior. For more details, please visit *the URL.* (or check your email) We hope you will enjoy your stay and we look forward to welcoming you!”

[Note: Instead of asking the guests to check their email, the most feasible option would be to create a dedicated hub page containing COVID-19 information and measures on your website and then sending a *URL* of the same via the text.]

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• On-Arrival Message

This message not only welcomes guests but once again, gives out a list of house rules, WiFi password, parking information, and other information related to COVID-19. Again, use this message to the guests to convey how they can use guest messaging to request for things right from the comfort of their rooms.

“Hi, *first name* Welcome to *hotel name!* Click on *the URL* to get a full guide on our house rules, WiFi password, breakfast and more information related to the COVID-19 measures which we have made it mandatory for our guests to follow. We have also made it easier for you to order things through text messages to be delivered right to your room by practicing social distancing. Have a safe stay!”

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• Mid-Stay Message

This can be helpful in knowing what your guests are up to or what all do they require. Again, you can use this opportunity to remind the guests once more about practicing social distancing:

“Thank you for choosing to stay with us. We hope that you are doing well. If there’s a special service that you require, please feel free to drop us a text. Take care.”

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• Post-Check-Out Message

This is the time to bid adieu to your guests and for knowing how did their stay go. You can also ask their feedback about the overall service or suggestions about more measures to be implemented in the future:

“Thank you for trusting us with your stay during such difficult times. Hope you felt safe with us! We would be extremely glad if you just take a moment to share your experience with us on* the link.* Again, if you have any suggestions regarding more COVID-19 measures that we can implement, please feel free to reach out to us. We hope to see you again!”

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• Upsell through promotional messages (packages, special services, staycations)

Along with emails, you can use the messages to communicate about special services to your guests:

“Hello, *name.* Trust you’re safe! To beat the corona stress and make your upcoming stay more lively, we have a few special services and upgrades in store for you. Guess what? All at credible rates. For more information, click on *the URL.”

OR

“Hello, *name* Thinking to unwind and destress while the Coronavirus outbreak looms large? Fretting over the surging crisis and missing your highly enjoyable ‘before Corona’ life? Well, you can still have fun during self-isolation with our lively and relaxing staycations, all at nominal rates! For more information, click on *the URL*

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Other Hotel Coronavirus Text Message Suggestions:

1. A message showing that you have a flexible cancellation policy when it comes to bookings.
2. Even WebChat messages can be converted and carried on through text messages for smooth and rapid communication.
3. A general message to the domestic travelers for staycations.
4. A general message to describe how you are playing your part to flatten the curve and what new measures you have been implementing to fight against the Corona crisis.

Benefits: Text messages are easy to be read and responded to when compared to the emails. Again, they help facilitate smooth and rapid communication between the hotel and the guests, especially during such a crucial time. It helps to notify the guests about the changes and makes it even easier to check on them mid-stay, thereby allowing you to take the steps to make the stay hassle-free by doing the needful. “Social distancing” can be carried out at its best by means of text messaging which, in turn, minimizes the physical contact both for the staff and the guests.

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Communication is the key to success and in every respect, transparent communication is the most sought after. Well, the hospitality business is no exception to this. Every hotelier has the ultimate aim to improve the quality of his business and gratify his customers to the greatest extent possible. It is their responsibility to maintain the highest level of communication with the guests, especially during such crucial times when guests are looking for more and rapid answers to their questions. Again, using various modes of communication will help to increase the customer trust with the notion that you care and are there to provide answers to all their genuine concerns. From your side, clean communication reflects your awareness and endeavor to combat this crisis for making your property a safe haven for all your guests.

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