Guest Messaging Guide and FAQ

Guest Messaging brings every conversation with your guests into one unified place — across all your booking channels — and uses an AI Assistant to help you manage routine questions efficiently. This guide explains what the feature is, what it includes, where to find it, and how to use it.

What is Guest Messaging?

Guest Messaging is a comprehensive communication tool that centralizes all your guest conversations from multiple booking platforms. It combines three main features to streamline your guest communication workflow:

• Inbox: View and manage all messages from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, and direct bookings in one unified location
• AI Assistant: Automatically answer common guest questions 24/7, such as check-in details, WiFi information, and local recommendations
• Scheduled Messages: Send check-in instructions, access codes, and arrival information automatically for every booking

Where to Find Guest Messaging

Accessing Guest Messaging is simple:

1. Open the Holidu web app
2. In the left navigation menu, click Messages
3. Select Inbox to view your unified guest conversations

How to Use the Inbox

Accessing Your Conversations

Once you're in the Inbox, you'll see all your guest conversations organized by booking. Each booking appears as a single thread, regardless of which channel the guest booked through — whether it's Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, or a direct booking.

Sending Messages

To send a message to a guest:

1. Locate the relevant conversation thread
2. Type your response in the message box at the bottom of the conversation
3. Click Send to deliver your message

Using Automatic Translation

Guest Messaging includes an automatic translation feature. Simply compose your message in your preferred language, and it will appear to your guest in theirs where possible. This makes communicating with international guests effortless.

Scheduled Messages

Scheduled messages — such as check-in instructions and access codes — are sent automatically by the system according to your property's settings. These messages also appear in the conversation thread, so you have full visibility of all communications with your guests.

Staying Informed with Notifications

You receive a notification for every new message in your conversations — similar to how you'd receive a WhatsApp message — including messages the AI Assistant sends on your behalf. This ensures you always know what's been said in your name and can step in at any time if needed.

Understanding the AI Assistant

What the AI Assistant Does

The AI Assistant automatically answers common guest questions 24/7, informed by the local context of your property. This helps you save time on routine inquiries while ensuring guests receive prompt responses.

Configuring AI Assistant Topics

You have complete control over which topics the AI Assistant handles. The feature includes eight main topic categories:

• Property information questions
• Points of interest and local recommendations
• Guest arrival
• Online check-in and guest registration
• Property issues and how-tos
• Special requests
• Check-out and departures
• Invoices, fees, deposits, and local taxes

For each topic, you can set it to be handled by the AI Assistant or by You. Your choice applies to all your conversations — both existing and new — so you only need to set it once. Want a quick solution? Use Set all to AI Assistant or Set all to Host to change everything at once.

Accessing AI Settings

To manage your AI Assistant settings:

1. Go to Messages in your Holidu host portal
2. Click the Manage settings gear icon in the Messages header
3. Select which topics the AI Assistant should handle
4. Save your preferences

Alternatively, you can simply chat with the AI Assistant and tell it what you want. For example, you can say "stop the AI from answering property issues" or "turn off the AI everywhere," and it will update your settings and confirm the changes.

Topics the AI Assistant Never Handles

Certain sensitive matters always go through Holidu directly and cannot be assigned to the AI Assistant:

• Bookings and payments
• Disputes
• Complaints
• Safety and legal matters
• Platform, account, and pre-booking questions

These topics require Holidu's direct action to ensure consistent and secure handling.

When the AI Assistant Can't Answer

If the AI Assistant encounters a question on a topic you've assigned to it but cannot provide an answer, it automatically hands the conversation over to you. This ensures nothing gets stuck and you can provide the assistance your guest needs.

Scheduled Messages

What Are Scheduled Messages?

Scheduled messages are automated communications sent to guests at appropriate times during their booking journey. These typically include check-in details, access codes, arrival information, and other important property details.

Accessing Scheduled Messages

To view and manage your scheduled messages:

1. Go to the left menu in your Holidu host portal
2. Click Messages
3. Select Scheduled Messages

From here, you can set up automatic messages that will be sent to every guest booking at your property.

Enabling Access for Collaborators

Collaborators are not included automatically. To give a collaborator access to guest conversations, go to the specific property in Holidu, navigate to Collaborators to adjust that person's access, and enable access to guest conversations. This needs to be done separately for each individual property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

How do I access the Guest Messaging Inbox?

Go to the left menu in the Holidu host portal and select Messages > Inbox. All your guest conversations from supported booking channels will appear here.

Is Guest Messaging included in my account?

Yes — Guest Messaging is included for all hosts at no additional cost.

How do I access and configure scheduled messages?

Go to the left menu in the Holidu host portal and select Messages > Scheduled Messages. From there, you can set up and manage automatic messages sent to your guests.

Inbox Features

Which booking channels are supported?

Guest Messaging supports conversations from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, and direct bookings. All messages are unified in your single inbox.

Can I message guests for manual calendar blocks?

No — messaging is only available for actual bookings. Manual calendar blocks do not generate messaging threads.

Will every guest message appear in Holidu?

All channel-based messages are synced to your Holidu inbox. However, guests may still contact you through email or phone outside the Holidu platform, and those messages will not appear in Guest Messaging.

AI Assistant

What does the AI Assistant do?

The AI Assistant automatically answers common guest questions 24/7, such as check-in information, WiFi details, and local recommendations. It's informed by the local context of your property and your configured settings.

Can I choose which questions the AI Assistant answers?

Yes. Open Manage settings (the gear icon in your Messages header) to see eight topic categories and set each one to AI Assistant or Host. Your choice applies to all your conversations. You can also use Set all to AI Assistant or Set all to Host for quick changes.

What topics can the AI Assistant never handle?

The AI Assistant never handles bookings, payments, disputes, complaints, safety and legal matters, or platform/account/pre-booking questions. These sensitive matters always go through Holidu directly.

What happens if the AI Assistant can't answer a question?

If the AI Assistant cannot provide an answer on a topic assigned to it, it automatically hands the conversation over to you for a personal response.

Can I change my AI settings by chatting with the AI?

Yes. Simply tell the AI what you want — for example, "stop the AI from answering property issues" — and it will update your settings and confirm the changes.

Notifications and Collaboration

How will I know about new messages?

You receive a notification for every new message in your conversations, including messages the AI Assistant sends on your behalf. This works like a WhatsApp notification, ensuring you always know what's been communicated in your name.

Can multiple people use Guest Messaging?

Yes — hosts and assigned collaborators can access the same inbox and respond to guest messages together.

How do I add or remove collaborators?

Manage collaborators in your Holidu account settings under the specific property. Remember that collaborators must be given separate access to guest conversations for each property.

Support

What if a conversation needs customer service support?

The Holidu Customer Happiness team can join the conversation when needed. Click the support button at the bottom right corner of the Messages section to reach out for assistance.

Key Takeaways

• Guest Messaging unifies all your conversations from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, and direct bookings in one inbox
• The AI Assistant answers routine guest questions 24/7 on topics you configure
• Scheduled messages send important details like check-in information automatically
• Automatic translation makes communicating with international guests simple
• You receive notifications for every message, including ones the AI Assistant sends on your behalf
• Multiple collaborators can share access to the same inbox
• Sensitive matters like disputes and payments always go through Holidu directly
• The Customer Happiness team is available 7 days a week when you need human support

For further assistance, contact Holidu support through the support button in your Messages section.