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Writing a Hotel Welcome Letter from General Manager to Event Attendees

Do you run a hotel business? If YES, here is a 6-step guide on how to write a welcome letter from general manager to hotel guests and event attendees.

The goal of every hotel establishment is to welcome every guest that steps through their doors for a second visit. One of the ways they ensure this is by providing a memorable experience to their guests. To do this, hoteliers must get to know their guests and provide a personalized experience that goes above and beyond.

One small, but important piece in providing this memorable experience is writing a compelling and personal hotel welcome letter.

This letter is done in such a way that the guest would feel loved, cherished and even a part of the family. In this article, we will show you how a hotel general manager can write a very compelling letter for their guests and as well include a sample format that you can make use of.

How to Write a Hotel Welcome Letter from General Manager to Hotel Guests and Event Attendees

When it comes to writing a welcome letter, there are things you need to keep in mind. Here is how you can write the letter and things you need to include;

1. Personalize the Message

One thing to keep in mind when writing your hotel welcome letter is to endeavor to keep the message personal. Beyond addressing your welcome letter to the guest by name, you can go a step further by leveraging the information stored in your PMS or CRM system.

Say for example that you have a repeat guest returning to your property. In the opening of your letter, you can say “welcome back!” acknowledging that you recognize their return.

Similarly, you could offer an added benefit to the returning guest, such as a pre-emptive late checkout. You could say something like “We value your continued patronage. To thank you for being a loyal guest, we would like to offer you an extended checkout time of [insert date of checkout].”

This may be minor, but it is a proactive offer that could go a long way in creating a positive impression. The nice thing about creating personalized letters like this for returning guests is that you can still use one template for all returning guests.

You can break it down any way you like, and create templates for different groups of guests, such as first time, returning, here for an event, etc.

2. Write it from the heart

Your guest welcome letter is usually written to serve two purposes: to inform and to connect. It’s not a contract, so don’t get so serious about it and pen something that’s warm, conversational, and true to your personality.

Don’t be afraid to get a bit personal by letting your visitors know what you love about the property. Recounting a favorite memory from your (or a past guest’s) time at your rental is a great way to greet visitors warmly and keep your letter relevant.

3. Make it Easy for Guests to Reach Out

Most travelers know that if they need to reach the front desk to make a request, they simply hit “0” on their in-room phone. But what if the guest is lounging by the pool and realizes they need an extra towel or would like to make dinner reservations but doesn’t know the number of the on-site restaurant?

You can make it easy for your guests to contact you no matter where they are by offering text messaging and social media messaging.

Not only is texting convenient, it’s largely preferred. According to the Pew Research Center, one-third of Americans prefer texts to phone calls. The Mobile Marketing Association reported that there are over 350 billion text messages sent every month around the globe.

The welcome letter is the perfect place to introduce your texting capabilities and make it clear to guests that you are available to them via a variety of communication tools.

4. Consider your medium

While a handwritten note adds a nice personal touch, it’s a hard habit to maintain as your bookings increase. Many owners opt to type and print their guest welcome letters, and if you follow suit, you can add that same personality with a handwritten closing and signature.

If you are hosting remotely, you can easily craft your customized letter ahead of time and ask your changeover crew to print it and leave it in a designated spot. It’s a simple way to show guests that just because you’re a remote host, it doesn’t mean that you’re distant.

5. Encourage Engagement on Social Media

Social media is an important piece of any hospitality digital marketing strategy and your welcome letter is an opportune time to encourage an engagement. Throw a “P.S.” at the end of your letter and let your guest(s) know how they can find you on social media.

To encourage engagement, include a reason they should tag you on social media. For example, you could put together a ‘like’ contest, where you give a reward to someone whose post about your hotel gets the most like and shares.  

Of course, you would have to work out the details of the contest such as defining the timeframe and coming up with a hashtag, etc. But that’s the fun part! At the end of the day, you’re looking to encourage engagement and promote brand evangelism.

6. Don’t overload it

Don’t try to tackle every detail in your letter, it should be left light. While a suggestion or two is welcome, this is no place for your top ten restaurant recommendations. It is also not where you delve into nitty gritty details like how to operate the hot tub or where to find the light switches.

Instead, write a guest welcome letter that introduces yourself and your home and instructs guests as to where they can find any information they might be seeking. Consider a summary of quick tips to include the basic essentials for easy reference. Think of the immediate needs your guest may have upon arrival. Here are a few suggestions to ponder:

  • Contact phone number for yourself or your property manager
  • WiFi / internet access information
  • Nearest 24-hour store
  • Local food delivery service
  • Closest local attraction or recreation area

How to Format the Hotel Welcome Letter

Your welcome letter should be short and sweet and to the point. Guests aren’t interested in reading an anthology about your property. The letter should be helpful, informative and sincere, and should be infused with your brand’s personality.

For most welcome letters, the format will be pretty straightforward. There will be an opening (the welcome), a middle (where you offer helpful information about your property and/or the surrounding area) and the end (where you remind your guests how to contact you should they need anything).

If you are running a specific promotion or looking to get something of particular importance across in your letter, a postscript (or P.S.) can be a great vehicle for that. People generally remember the first and last thing they read. And since a postscript sticks out in comparison to blocks of text, it is likely to get read, especially if a guest is skimming.

Sample Guest Welcome Letter Format

Hotels Name,

Address,

Phone,

Email address and website link,

Date.

Dear (Guest Name),

We are really glad to have you at (Insert Hotel Name). We find it indeed commendable that you chose our services out of the variety of hotels available to you. We strive to provide you with a room that is clean and comfortable, with friendly attentive service at a value-conscious price.

If at any time you have a suggestion on how to improve our service to you, please just let us know. If you have a problem while staying with us, please contact me directly on my extension (Insert Phone Extension) immediately so that we can help you correct the situation.

We want you to enjoy every day of every stay so we pledge to your our service guarantee. The professional and friendly staff at (Insert Hotel Name) are committed to making your stay both enjoyable and comfortable.

Thank you for choosing (Insert Hotel Name) again. We trust your stay will be enjoyable and hope that you continue to use our Hotel for your lodging needs in the near future. We look forward to serving you on your next trip.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Your Full Name

Front Office Manager