21 Airbnb Guest Message Templates Hosts Still Need in the AI Era

A good template does two jobs. It answers the guest before they have to ask, and it sounds like you — not like a form letter with a first-name token. The templates below are deliberately short, specific and warm; swap the bracketed placeholders for your own details, and cut anything that doesn't apply to your property. They work as Airbnb saved replies, as WhatsApp quick replies, and as the seed content an AI co-host trains on.

Booking confirmation (send within the hour)

The first message sets the tone for the entire stay — and speed matters most here, because a guest who just paid wants confirmation a human exists on the other end.

1. The instant thank-you: "Hi [name], wonderful — you're booked at [property] from [check-in] to [checkout]! I'll send everything you need for arrival a few days before. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, just message me here. Looking forward to hosting you. — [your name]"
2. The details-gatherer: "Quick question to prepare your stay: what time do you expect to arrive, and how many of you are travelling? If anyone has mobility needs or you're coming with a little one, tell me now and I'll set things up."
3. The local-intent opener: "Is this trip a special occasion — anniversary, birthday, first time in [area]? If you tell me what you're hoping for, I'll point you to the right places (and keep quiet if it's a surprise)."

Pre-arrival (3 days and 1 day before)

1. The everything-you-need message (3 days out): "Hi [name], your stay at [property] is almost here! Address: [address + map link]. Check-in from [time], self check-in with [method]. Parking: [detail]. I'll send the door code the morning of your arrival. Anything you want ready when you walk in?"
2. The door-code message (arrival morning): "Good morning [name]! Today's the day. Your door code is [code] — active from [time]. Wi-Fi: [network / password]. If anything at all is off when you arrive, message me and it gets fixed fast."
3. The late-arrival variant: "No problem at all arriving late — self check-in works around the clock. The path light stays on, the code is [code], and there's water and milk in the fridge. Sleep well and we'll talk tomorrow."
4. The transport helper: "Easiest way from [airport/station]: [option 1, price, time] or [option 2]. If you'd like, I can arrange a driver for [price] — just say the word by [cutoff]."

Check-in day and first evening

1. The settled-in check: "Hi [name], are you settled in okay? Everything where it should be? One tip for tonight: [restaurant / view / market] — locals' choice, five minutes away."
2. The fix-it fast reply (when something's wrong): "Thank you for telling me straight away — I'm sorry about that. I've already sent [staff name] to sort the [issue]; they'll be there by [time]. I'll confirm with you the moment it's done."
3. The quiet-hours nudge (sent kindly, once): "A small note from the neighbourhood: quiet hours start at [time]. Thanks for keeping the volume gentle after that — the neighbours notice, and so do your future hosts' reviews."

Mid-stay

1. The mid-stay pulse (day 2 or 3, longer stays): "Hi [name], quick check halfway through — anything you need? Fresh towels, a restock, a tip for tomorrow? One message and it's done."
2. The cleaning coordination: "Housekeeping is scheduled [day] at [time], about [duration]. Want it earlier, later, or skipped this time? Your call."
3. The extend-your-stay offer (when the calendar allows): "Good news — the villa is free after your checkout date. If you'd like extra nights, I can add them at [rate] before the calendar opens to new bookings. Interested?"
4. The weather plan-B: "Tomorrow looks rainy, so here's the indoor version of [area]: [option 1], [option 2], and honestly the best coffee in town at [place]. The sun's back [day]."

Checkout and after

1. The checkout brief (evening before): "Hi [name], sad to see tomorrow come! Checkout is by [time] — just [2–3 simple steps: keys, towels, door]. Leave the rest to us. Need a late checkout? Ask now and I'll check the calendar."
2. The safe-travels send-off: "Thank you for staying with us, [name] — you were wonderful guests. Safe travels home, and if your plans ever bring you back to [area], you know where the door code lives."
3. The left-something-behind: "Found after checkout: [item]. Want me to ship it ([rough cost]) or hold it for a friend to collect? No rush — it's safe here."

Reviews (the polite ask, once)

1. The review request (day after checkout): "Hi [name], I've just left you a five-star review — you made hosting easy. If you have two minutes, a review of your stay helps a small [area] host more than you'd think. Either way: thank you, and safe travels."
2. The recover-first variant (when something went wrong): "Before anything else: thank you for your patience with the [issue] — that's on us, and it's fixed for the next guest because you flagged it. I hope the rest of the stay made up for it, and I'd love to host you again with everything in order."

Edge cases worth having ready

1. The firm-but-kind party decline: "Thanks for asking first — I appreciate it. [Property] can't host events or extra visitors beyond the booked guests; the insurance and the neighbours are strict on this. For your group of [n], everything else about the stay stands exactly as booked."
2. The refund-request holding reply: "I hear you, and I want to get this right rather than fast. Give me until [specific time] to check what happened with [issue], and I'll come back with a concrete answer. Thank you for your patience."

When templates stop scaling

Templates carry a host comfortably to about the second property. Then the cracks show: every template above still needs the right send-moment remembered, the right placeholders filled, the right language, at 2am, on the channel the guest actually uses. The template was never the hard part — the dispatching is. That's the seam where AI guest messaging takes over: the same messages, in your voice (trained on exactly this kind of template set), sent at the right moment, with the sensitive cases — refunds, complaints, anything about money — still routed to you for approval.