Airbnb welcome message templates (8 versions for different property types)

A good welcome message does three things at once: it confirms the booking emotionally, it pre-empts the most common questions, and it sets expectations for the rest of the stay. Below are eight templates we've collected from hosts running between 1 and 50 units, each tested against a 2,000-stay sample.

Jump to template — Apartment, urban, self-check-in · Villa, family stay · Cabin, remote, with quirks · Boutique hotel room · Studio, business traveler · Self-check-in, late arrival · Multi-property co-host · Returning guest · What moves review scores

The short version: messages that lead with logistics convert to better reviews than messages that lead with welcome language. Guests who know what to expect feel taken care of; guests who feel welcomed but are still confused about how to enter the property feel anxious.

Use these as a starting point. The tone is yours — adapt before sending.

1. Apartment, urban, self-check-in

When to send: ~24 hours before check-in. (What is self-check-in?)

Hi ,

The apartment is ready for you tomorrow. Check-in is from 15:00; if you arrive earlier, you can leave luggage with the café downstairs (Café Vienna, mention my name). If you arrive after 22:00, the keypad code is — same code unlocks the lobby door.

The full check-in walkthrough with photos is here:

A couple of things to know:

• Coffee, tea, and a few breakfast basics are on the counter.
• The wifi password is taped to the back of the modem.
• The neighborhood is quiet after 22:00 — apartments next door are home offices, not party flats. Soft footsteps and indoor voices, please.

Reply here anytime — I read messages within an hour during waking hours.

See you tomorrow,

2. Villa, family stay, multi-day

When to send: ~48 hours before check-in.

Hi ,

We're getting the villa ready for guests arriving on . A few things to plan around:

• Driving in: the road from the main highway turns to gravel for the last 2 km. Any normal car handles it fine; just take it slow. Pinned location with the gate code is at the bottom of this message.
• Groceries: the nearest supermarket is 12 minutes by car (Konzum, open 07:00-22:00). If you'd like, I can have a starter shop waiting for you on arrival — just send me a list before noon on Friday.
• The pool: heated to 28°C from May through September. There's a soft cover I'll have removed before you arrive.

The full house guide is at — wifi, appliance instructions, my number for emergencies, and a local list (restaurants, pharmacies, the good butcher).

Looking forward to having you.

Warm regards,

3. Cabin, remote, with quirks

When to send: ~72 hours before, again at 24 hours.

Hi ,

A couple of cabin-specific things you'll want to know before driving up:

• The road. It's a forest road for the last 4 km. Drivable in a normal car in summer; in winter you may want chains or a rental SUV. Let me know which season you're arriving in and I'll send a 30-second video of the actual road conditions.
• No mobile signal at the cabin. This is intentional — the appeal is the quiet — but it means you should download your maps offline before the last hour of driving.
• Wood stove. It's the primary heat source. Wood is stacked on the porch and the lighting walkthrough takes about three minutes. If you've never used one, message me and I'll walk you through it before you arrive.

Everything else (linen, kitchen basics, a cast-iron skillet I'd love returned in roughly the same shape) is in the cabin guide:

Looking forward to it.

4. Boutique hotel room

When to send: Day of check-in, morning.

Hi ,

Your room is ready from 15:00 today. The reception is open 07:00-23:00 — ring the bell after hours and someone will come down within a few minutes.

A few small things to make the stay nicer:

• Breakfast is included, served 07:30-10:30 in the front room. You can eat in or take it to your room.
• The espresso machine in the lobby is self-serve and works any time of day.
• If you'd like a dinner reservation made anywhere in the old town, just message me by 16:00 and I'll handle it.

Looking forward to having you.

5. Studio, business traveler

When to send: ~24 hours before, brief.

Hi ,

Quick logistics for tomorrow:

• Check-in: 15:00, keypad code .
• Wifi: / . ~120 Mbps down, fine for video calls.
• Desk has a USB-C dock with HDMI output and a second monitor — feel free to use it.
• There's an iron and a steamer in the wardrobe.

Coffee shop with reliable wifi is two doors down (Atelier, opens at 07:00).

Have a productive trip.

6. Self-check-in, late arrival

When to send: Morning of arrival.

Hi ,

Got your message about arriving late tonight — no problem, the building is quiet and self-check-in works any hour.

When you arrive:

1. Lobby door: keypad then press the green button.
2. Elevator to floor 4. Apartment 4B, on your right.
3. Door keypad then turn the handle down.
4. Lights are motion-activated for the first 60 seconds — they'll come on automatically.

If anything in those four steps doesn't work the first time, reply here and I'll be on the phone within five minutes. I sleep with the phone next to me on arrival nights.

Sleep well when you get in.

7. Multi-property co-host (template you can re-use across listings)

When to send: ~24 hours before, signed by the on-the-ground co-host, not the platform owner.

Hi ,

I'm Mara, the local host for . owns the place; I'm the person you'll actually message during your stay.

Check-in is 15:00. Code for the lockbox is , mounted to the right of the door. Inside, the welcome card on the kitchen table has the wifi, my number, and a one-page neighborhood guide.

One thing specific to this apartment: the dishwasher button on the front panel is finicky. Press and hold for 2 seconds to start; a quick tap doesn't register. Mentioning because it's confused several guests.

Anything you need during the stay, message here. I'm in the area and can be at the door within 20 minutes for an emergency.

Welcome to . Mara

8. Returning guest

When to send: Day of check-in.

Hi ,

Welcome back. The apartment is ready from 15:00 — same keypad code as last time (). The wifi password hasn't changed either.

A few small upgrades since your last stay:

• New mattress in the bedroom, replaced in March.
• Espresso machine in the kitchen, with a small bag of beans from a roaster two streets over.
• The bookshelf has been refreshed; if you like the Iceland book, take it with you.

Glad to have you back.

The wording changes that move review scores

Across the 2,000-stay sample, four small shifts correlated with measurably higher review rates and longer review text:

1. Lead with logistics, not welcome. Guests who get the entry code in the first paragraph relax. Guests who read three paragraphs of warm language before finding the code stay anxious until they're inside.

2. Pin one local detail. "There's a small bag of beans from a roaster two streets over" lands harder than "we've stocked the kitchen with breakfast basics." Specificity reads as care.

3. Set a response-time expectation. "I read messages within an hour during waking hours" is honest and reduces anxious double-messaging. "Available 24/7" sounds great and produces more complaints when you're inevitably asleep.

4. Match the property's vibe. Cabin language should be slower and warmer. Studio language should be faster and more functional. Templates that treat every property the same get fewer five-stars than templates that adapt voice to context.

How to use these without sounding templated

Ironic, but worth saying: read each one out loud before sending. Anywhere it sounds stiff, rewrite. Add one specific sentence about your particular building, neighborhood, or property — something that couldn't apply to anyone else's listing. That's the difference between a template that lands and one that gets a polite three-star review.

If you run more than three properties, automate the dispatch through your PMS so you're not copy-pasting at 11 PM the night before. Pre-stay messaging done right is genuine; pre-stay messaging done at 11 PM after a long day is generic. Automate the timing; keep the words personal.