Your guests want to know where to eat, when to book the spa and whether they can check out late. Both happen weeks before check-in, and the hotels that send the right message at the right time are the ones that get the bookings. By the time a guest reaches your front desk on 23 December, their Christmas Eve dinner is already planned. The only question is whether it is in your restaurant.

The days between booking and arrival are when guests are most excited, most curious and most open to ideas. They are scrolling, planning and asking friends for tips. A warm, well-timed message from the hotel turns that excitement into plans made with you.

Guests plan their stay before they pack

Travellers plan dining before they travel, and they expect the hotel to start the conversation.

In the holiday season this effect is stronger. Christmas Eve dinner, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and the spa on a dark December afternoon are booked early, because guests know it might be busy.

Half your guests may eat somewhere else

Half of hotel guests are likely to order delivery or eat at another restaurant during their stay, according to a 2025 study of more than 3,000 UK adults by Zonal and CGA by NIQ (Travolution). These are guests already sleeping under your roof.

The same study shows what would bring them to the hotel's own tables:

• 46% would eat in with a discount or special offer
• 43% want menus that are easy to find online
• 38% are swayed by positive reviews

Two of those three are about information, not price. Guests often don't eat at the hotel simply because nobody told them what was on, when, and how to book it.

A simple pre-arrival rhythm for the season

You don't need a big campaign. Four well-timed, friendly messages do the work:

1. Right after booking: say hello. Thank the guest and mention what's special at the hotel over the holidays, such as the Christmas menu, the New Year's Eve dinner or a winter spa ritual.
2. Two to three weeks before: help them plan. Share the festive menus and opening hours, and invite them to reserve a table or treatment before it fills up.
3. A few days before: make arrival easy. Send check-in details, parking, arrival times, and a gentle reminder of what can still be added: breakfast, late checkout, a bottle of bubbles in the room.
4. On the day: welcome them. Share the room key, directions and a short note on tonight's dinner.

Keep the tone personal and the offers relevant. A family arriving on 23 December wants different things than a couple coming for New Year's Eve.

Fill the restaurant before the first guest checks in

This is where AeroGuest helps. Our automated guest communication sends the right message at the right moment of every stay, so no guest arrives without knowing what your hotel has to offer.

Guests can book their extras in advance, from the Christmas dinner and breakfast to a late checkout. They also find everything they need in the digital hotel directory: menus, opening hours, festive events and practical information. When they walk in, their evening is already planned with you.

The result: your restaurant is filling up before the first guest even checks in. You plan staff and purchasing with confidence, and your team spends the holidays welcoming guests instead of answering the same questions.

Would you like to see how this could look for your hotel this season? Let's connect.

Sources

• Travolution: 50% of hotel guests order in or dine out (Zonal and CGA by NIQ, March 2025, 3,000+ UK adults)
• Hotel Online: OpenTable 2026 hotel restaurant report (July 2026, 1,500 US diners)
• Revinate: Why hotels should plan emails around the guest journey (2026 benchmark)
• Hospitality Technology: 80% of hotel guests expect hotels to initiate communication after booking (TrustYou)