Guest Messaging Guide and FAQ

Guest Messaging brings every conversation with your guests into one place — across all your booking channels — and uses an AI Assistant to take routine questions off your plate. This guide explains how the feature works and answers the questions hosts ask most often.

What is Guest Messaging?

Guest Messaging is a unified communication tool that centralizes all guest conversations from multiple booking channels into a single inbox. It includes three main components that work together to streamline your guest interactions:

• Inbox — Messages from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, and direct bookings in one place
• AI Assistant — Answers common guest questions automatically, informed by your property's local context
• Scheduled Messages — Check-in details, access codes, and arrival information sent automatically for every booking

Where to Find Guest Messaging

Accessing Guest Messaging is straightforward:

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

From the Messages section, you can also access Scheduled Messages to configure automatic check-in details and other pre-arrival information.

How to Use the Inbox

Accessing Your Conversations

The Inbox displays all guest conversations in a single, unified view. Each booking appears as a single thread, regardless of which channel the guest used to contact you (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, or direct booking).

Sending Messages

To respond to a guest:

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

Automatic Translation Feature

Guest Messaging includes built-in translation. Simply compose your message in your preferred language, and it will appear to your guest in theirs where possible. This removes language barriers and ensures clear communication with international guests.

Scheduled Messages

Scheduled messages — such as check-in instructions and access codes — are sent automatically by the system at the appropriate time. These messages also appear in the conversation thread for your full visibility and reference.

Message History and Availability

You can view messages for upcoming, current, and past bookings for a limited period after checkout. This ensures you have access to important context from previous interactions with returning guests.

Notifications

You receive a notification for every new message in your conversations — the same way you would receive a WhatsApp message. This includes notifications for messages the AI Assistant sends on your behalf, ensuring you always know what has been communicated in your name and can step in at any time.

AI Assistant: Automate Routine Questions

What the AI Assistant Does

The AI Assistant automatically answers common guest questions 24/7, such as check-in information, WiFi passwords, local recommendations, and property directions. Responses are informed by the local context of your property, making answers relevant and helpful to your guests.

Configuring Your AI Assistant Settings

You have complete control over which topics the AI Assistant handles. To manage settings:

1. Open the Manage Settings option (the gear icon in your Messages header)
2. Review the 8 available topics the AI Assistant can handle
3. Set each topic to either AI Assistant or Host
4. Your choice applies to all your conversations — existing and new — so you only need to set it once

For quick updates, use the Set all to AI Assistant or Set all to Host shortcuts to adjust all settings at once.

Topics the AI Assistant Can Handle

You can configure the AI Assistant to manage responses for these eight topics:

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

Topics the AI Assistant Never Handles

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

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

This approach ensures sensitive matters are handled consistently and with appropriate oversight.

Changing Settings via Chat

You can update your AI Assistant settings by simply telling it what you want. For example, say "stop the AI from answering property issues" or "turn off the AI everywhere," and it will update your settings and confirm what changed.

Handling Questions the AI Cannot Answer

If the AI Assistant encounters a question on a topic you have assigned to it but cannot answer, it automatically hands the conversation over to you. This prevents guest inquiries from getting stuck and ensures every question receives attention.

Scheduled Messages for Automation

Scheduled Messages allow you to send important information automatically at key moments in the guest journey. Access this feature through Messages > Scheduled Messages. Common uses include sending check-in instructions, access codes, WiFi details, and house rules at optimal times before the guest's arrival.

Collaboration and Collaborator Access

Multiple people can access and manage guest conversations together. Collaborators are not included automatically. To give a collaborator access, 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.

How do I access and configure scheduled messages?
Go to the left menu in the Holidu host portal and select Messages > Scheduled Messages.

Is Guest Messaging included in my account?
Yes — Guest Messaging is included for all hosts at no additional cost.

Inbox Features and Channels

Which channels are supported?
Conversations with guests from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, and direct bookings are all supported in your unified Inbox.

Can I message guests for manual calendar blocks?
No — messaging is only available for actual bookings.

Will every guest message appear in Holidu?
All channel-based messages from supported booking platforms are synced to your Holidu Inbox. However, guests may still contact you outside Holidu through email or phone, and these conversations will not appear in the platform.

AI Assistant Capabilities

What does the AI Assistant do?
The AI Assistant automatically answers common guest questions 24/7, such as check-in information, local recommendations, and property directions. Responses are informed by your property's local context.

Can I choose which questions the AI Assistant answers?
Yes. Open Manage Settings (the gear icon in your Messages header) to configure 8 topics. Set each one to AI Assistant or Host. Your choice applies to all conversations, and you can use Set all to AI Assistant or Set all to Host as shortcuts.

Are there topics the AI Assistant never handles?
Yes — bookings, payments, disputes, complaints, safety, legal matters, and platform/account/pre-booking questions always go to Holidu directly. These require Holidu's involvement and cannot be configured.

What if the AI can't answer a question on a topic I've assigned to it?
The AI automatically hands the conversation over to you, so nothing gets stuck. You will receive a notification and can respond directly.

Can I change my settings by chatting with the AI Assistant?
Yes. Simply tell it what you want — for example, "stop the AI from answering property issues" or "turn off the AI everywhere" — and it will update your settings and confirm what changed.

Notifications and Communication

How will I know about new messages, including ones the AI Assistant sends?
You receive a notification for every new message in your conversations — the same way you would receive a WhatsApp message. This includes messages the AI Assistant sends on your behalf, so you always know what has been communicated in your name and can step in at any time.

Collaboration and Support

Can multiple people use Guest Messaging?
Yes — hosts and invited collaborators can access and manage the same inbox together.

What if a message needs Customer Service support?
The Holidu Customer Happiness team can join conversations when needed. Click the support button at the bottom right corner of your Messages section to reach out.

Key Takeaways

• Guest Messaging unifies conversations from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Holidu, and direct bookings into a single Inbox
• The AI Assistant handles routine questions 24/7 on eight configurable topics while you maintain full control
• Scheduled Messages automate check-in details, access codes, and other pre-arrival information
• Built-in translation removes language barriers with international guests
• Automatic notifications keep you informed of every message, including those sent by the AI Assistant
• Collaborators can be granted access to conversations on a per-property basis
• The Holidu Customer Happiness team is available 7 days a week when conversations need human support

For further questions or support, contact Holidu's Customer Happiness team through the support button in your Messages section.