Effective communication with guests is key to providing excellent hospitality and ensuring smooth stays.
Haven gives guests a few ways to reach you and get information about their
stay:
- The Guest Portal — Haven's mobile-first guest
app. Every confirmed booking gets a secure access link by email. The
portal includes a property-aware AI chat for instant answers (Wi-Fi,
checkout time, local recommendations). When the assistant cannot answer
a listing-specific question and the guest agrees, it passes the full
chat into your Messages thread and emails you. Guests can also
message you directly from the portal. When your account has a phone
number, that guest chat can also text or WhatsApp you — you turn each
channel on or off under
notification settings. There is no App Store download —
guests install the portal to their iOS/Android home screen with one tap.
The same assistant answers public questions on your property and
multi-unit sites, grades every reply, and shows you the gaps in
Home → Site Analytics → Chats — see AI guest chat
and Chat insights.
- Email messaging — Send messages from the Messages tab (or a
reservation). Guests can reply to the email; that reply lands on the
same Messages thread with a via email tag and is also forwarded to
your personal inbox.
- Automated messages — Pre-configured messages sent automatically
(booking confirmation, check-in reminders, checkout reminders, rental
agreement reminders).
- Reservation SMS — Guests who opt in at checkout also get a text when
the reservation is confirmed, when it is cancelled, and the day before
check-in. Each text links to their Guest Portal so they can manage the
stay or open check-in instructions. If a guest replies to one of those
texts, the reply appears on that stay's Messages thread with a via
text tag. Reply STOP to opt out; that does not cancel the reservation
and does not create a thread message. Guests who do not tick the box are
not texted. This box is only for stay messages. It is not marketing SMS.
- Marketing texts — On the same booking page, under the phone number,
guests can separately opt in to marketing texts. That box ships unchecked
with the required disclosure beside it. Ticking it shows as Subscribed
for SMS Marketing on your Audience. Reservation SMS and marketing texts
are never the same opt-in. Marketing email does not need a checkout box
— a confirmed booking is the existing-customer basis (with unsubscribe
on every mail). WhatsApp marketing is not captured at checkout.
- Open Messages
- Select the stay or inquiry thread
- Write a reply and send
Every stay and dated inquiry appears here, including ones with no messages yet, so you can open the row and write first. Most recent is last activity on a thread that has had a message, newest first.
Threads with new messages are bold until you open them, then they unbold — the same read/unread pattern as iOS Messages. Opening a thread marks it read; a later guest message makes it unread (and bold) again.
If a guest asks the in-portal assistant something the listing does not
cover and agrees to pass it along, that full chat lands on this same
thread and you get an email. Reply here as you would any other guest
message.
The guest always gets the message by email when an address is on file.
If they opted in to stay texts at checkout, they also get the same
message as a text. The composer shows Also sent as a text when that
will happen. WhatsApp uses the same path once a WhatsApp sender is live
and the guest enabled WhatsApp.
Guest replies by email or text stay on this thread, tagged via email
or via text. Email replies are also forwarded to your personal inbox;
replying to that forward keeps the conversation in Haven.
- Open the booking
- Click Message Guest
- Write and send
That send is the same conversation as the Messages tab.
Use pre-configured templates for common messages:
- Check-in instructions
- House rules
- Payment confirmations
- Thank you messages
Set up automated messages that send automatically:
- Sent when booking is confirmed
- Welcome guest and provide initial information
- Set expectations
- Sent before check-in date
- Remind guests of check-in time
- Provide access instructions
- Sent before checkout
- Remind guests of checkout time
- Provide checkout instructions
When a property requires a digital
rental agreement, Haven nudges
guests to sign it before arrival:
- A pre-arrival reminder email is queued for any booking that has not yet
signed.
- From the host reservation drawer or the standalone reservation page, the
Rental Agreement card has a Send reminder button you can press at any
time to manually re-send the prompt.
- Once the guest signs in their guide, the reminder stops and the signed PDF
becomes available to download from the same card.
- Respond to messages quickly
- Aim for same-day responses
- Set expectations for response times
- Use clear, simple language
- Provide specific instructions
- Include all necessary information
- Answer questions thoroughly
- Provide local recommendations
- Offer assistance when needed
- Maintain a friendly, professional tone
- Keep communications respectful
- Document important conversations
Hi [Guest Name],
Thank you for booking with us! Here are your check-in instructions:
Check-in time: [TIME]
Check-in location: [LOCATION]
[Additional instructions]
We look forward to hosting you!
Best regards,
[Your name]
Hi [Guest Name],
Thank you for booking with us! Please review our house rules:
[House rules content]
We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to hosting you!
Best regards,
[Your name]
- Check-in/checkout times
- Property access
- Amenities and features
- Local recommendations
- Special requests
- Answer completely
- Provide helpful information
- Be patient and understanding
- Follow up if needed
From any Messages thread, the control next to the dates in the upper right can send a payment link: quote dates on an inquiry, approve a waiting request, copy the link on an unpaid stay, or start a new stay for a returning guest.