A complaint e-mail is the one guest e-mail you cannot afford to answer badly. The guest is already disappointed, and the reply decides whether they leave it there or go on to write a review about it. The good news: most complaints follow the same pattern, and a calm, specific reply settles the majority of them.
The five parts of a good complaint reply
- Thank them for telling you. A guest who writes to you gives you a chance to fix it — many simply leave.
- Apologise for the experience. Say what went wrong in your own words so the guest knows you actually read the e-mail.
- Take ownership. No "the cleaning company", no "it was very busy". The guest booked your hotel.
- Say what you will do — concretely. A fix, a time, an amount. "We will look into it" on its own is not an answer.
- Give a name and a way to reach you. One person who owns the case, and a phone number if it is serious.
Template 1: Complaint during the stay
Template: complaint during the stay
Dear [Guest name],
Thank you for letting us know straight away, and I'm sorry about [the problem, e.g. the noise from the ventilation in room 214]. That is not how your stay should be.
[What you have done / will do, e.g. Our technician will check it at [time] today. If it can't be fixed, we have a quieter room ready for you on the [floor] floor and will help you move your luggage.]
I'll check in with you at [time] to make sure everything is in order. If anything else comes up, please call reception on [phone] and ask for me.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Title]
[Hotel name]
Thank you for letting us know straight away, and I'm sorry about [the problem, e.g. the noise from the ventilation in room 214]. That is not how your stay should be.
[What you have done / will do, e.g. Our technician will check it at [time] today. If it can't be fixed, we have a quieter room ready for you on the [floor] floor and will help you move your luggage.]
I'll check in with you at [time] to make sure everything is in order. If anything else comes up, please call reception on [phone] and ask for me.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Title]
[Hotel name]
Template 2: After the stay — minor complaint
Template: minor complaint after the stay
Dear [Guest name],
Thank you for taking the time to write to us after your stay, and I'm sorry that [the problem, e.g. breakfast had run out of several items when you came down on Saturday].
You're right to point it out. We have [what you changed, e.g. adjusted our weekend breakfast routine so the buffet is refilled until closing].
We'd be glad to welcome you back and show you that we've listened. [Optional: Mention this e-mail when you book directly and breakfast is on us for your next stay.]
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Thank you for taking the time to write to us after your stay, and I'm sorry that [the problem, e.g. breakfast had run out of several items when you came down on Saturday].
You're right to point it out. We have [what you changed, e.g. adjusted our weekend breakfast routine so the buffet is refilled until closing].
We'd be glad to welcome you back and show you that we've listened. [Optional: Mention this e-mail when you book directly and breakfast is on us for your next stay.]
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Template 3: After the stay — serious complaint with compensation
Template: serious complaint with compensation
Dear [Guest name],
Thank you for your e-mail. I have read it carefully, and I'm truly sorry. [Summary of what happened, e.g. Being without hot water for most of your two nights] is not acceptable, and it should have been handled much better by us.
I have looked into what happened: [short, honest explanation — no excuses].
To make up for it, we will [compensation, e.g. refund the cost of the first night, [amount], to your card]. You should see it within [number] working days.
If you would like to talk about it, I'm happy to call you — just reply with a time that suits you, or call me directly on [phone].
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Title]
[Hotel name]
Thank you for your e-mail. I have read it carefully, and I'm truly sorry. [Summary of what happened, e.g. Being without hot water for most of your two nights] is not acceptable, and it should have been handled much better by us.
I have looked into what happened: [short, honest explanation — no excuses].
To make up for it, we will [compensation, e.g. refund the cost of the first night, [amount], to your card]. You should see it within [number] working days.
If you would like to talk about it, I'm happy to call you — just reply with a time that suits you, or call me directly on [phone].
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Title]
[Hotel name]
Template 4: Complaint you do not agree with — polite and firm
Template: unjustified complaint
Dear [Guest name],
Thank you for your message, and I'm sorry your stay didn't feel the way you had hoped.
I have looked into [the issue, e.g. the room size and view]. [Neutral facts, e.g. You booked a Standard Double, which is the room you stayed in; the sea view is included in our Superior rooms, as shown on the booking confirmation.]
Because of this, we are not able to offer [a refund / compensation] in this case. [Optional goodwill: If you'd like to stay with us again, I'd be happy to offer you an upgrade to a Superior room at no extra cost, subject to availability.]
Thank you again for your feedback — it helps us explain our rooms more clearly.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Thank you for your message, and I'm sorry your stay didn't feel the way you had hoped.
I have looked into [the issue, e.g. the room size and view]. [Neutral facts, e.g. You booked a Standard Double, which is the room you stayed in; the sea view is included in our Superior rooms, as shown on the booking confirmation.]
Because of this, we are not able to offer [a refund / compensation] in this case. [Optional goodwill: If you'd like to stay with us again, I'd be happy to offer you an upgrade to a Superior room at no extra cost, subject to availability.]
Thank you again for your feedback — it helps us explain our rooms more clearly.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Example: BookingWatch drafts, the manager decides
Complaints are a case where an AI assistant should not act on its own. BookingWatch recognises the complaint, pulls the booking details, drafts a reply and flags it for a manager. The manager picks the compensation and approves — or edits — the reply before it is sent. Here is an illustrative example of an approved reply:
Guest e-mail · Noise both nights
Hello,
We stayed with you last weekend. The room was fine but the party in the room next door went on until 3 am both nights. We called reception on Friday and nothing happened. We were really looking forward to a quiet weekend and we're very disappointed.
Johan
We stayed with you last weekend. The room was fine but the party in the room next door went on until 3 am both nights. We called reception on Friday and nothing happened. We were really looking forward to a quiet weekend and we're very disappointed.
Johan
Reply drafted by BookingWatch
Hi Johan,
Thank you for writing to us, and I'm sorry. You came for a quiet weekend and lost two nights of sleep — and when you called us on Friday, we didn't help. That is our responsibility.
I've gone through the night log with our staff. The call was noted, but no one went up to the room, which should have happened. We have now made it a rule that every noise complaint after 10 pm is followed up in person within 15 minutes.
To make up for it, we're refunding the Saturday night, €129, to the card you paid with. It should show within 5 working days.
If you'd like to talk about it, call me directly on the hotel number and ask for me.
Kind regards,
Anna
General Manager, Hotel Seaview
Thank you for writing to us, and I'm sorry. You came for a quiet weekend and lost two nights of sleep — and when you called us on Friday, we didn't help. That is our responsibility.
I've gone through the night log with our staff. The call was noted, but no one went up to the room, which should have happened. We have now made it a rule that every noise complaint after 10 pm is followed up in person within 15 minutes.
To make up for it, we're refunding the Saturday night, €129, to the card you paid with. It should show within 5 working days.
If you'd like to talk about it, call me directly on the hotel number and ask for me.
Kind regards,
Anna
General Manager, Hotel Seaview
In this example the AI assistant drafted the reply and suggested a refund of one night based on the hotel's compensation rules; the manager checked the night log, confirmed the amount and approved it.
Decide compensation levels in advance
The slowest part of a complaint is usually deciding what to offer. A simple table that the whole team (and your AI assistant) can follow makes replies faster and fairer:
| Situation | Example response | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Small issue, fixed during the stay (missing towels, slow Wi-Fi) | Fix it fast and apologise; a small gesture such as a drink or coffee is optional | Front desk |
| Problem that could not be fixed during the stay | Room change, or a free breakfast or parking for the affected night | Front desk / duty manager |
| Clear failure that spoiled part of the stay | Partial refund of the affected night | Manager |
| Stay seriously spoiled (no room, no heating, safety issue) | Full refund of the affected nights and/or a free return stay; phone call | Manager / owner |
| Complaint not supported by the facts | Polite explanation; optional goodwill gesture, no refund | Manager |
| Threats, legal claims, injuries, discrimination | No promises by e-mail; acknowledge and move to phone | Owner |
Best practice
- Reply fast, decide carefully. If you need time to check, send a short reply now ("I'm looking into this and will come back to you by [time]") and keep that promise.
- Move to the phone when it is serious. Tone gets lost in e-mail. A five-minute call often settles what three e-mails would not — then confirm the outcome in writing.
- Never argue in writing. State the facts once, neutrally, and stop. Whatever you write may be forwarded or quoted in a review.
- Be specific about compensation. An amount, how it is paid and when it arrives. Vague offers lead to a second e-mail.
- Fix the cause, then tell the guest. "We have changed X" is more convincing than "it will not happen again".
- Let a human approve. Use an AI assistant to draft and gather facts, but let a manager decide compensation and send the final answer.
Common mistakes
- A copy-paste apology that does not mention what actually went wrong.
- Blaming staff, suppliers, the weather or "a busy weekend".
- Correcting the guest point by point in a long e-mail.
- Offering compensation before checking what happened — or promising something the manager later refuses.
- Letting the complaint sit for days because no one feels responsible for it.
- Answering in a hurry while annoyed. Write the draft, wait, then reread it before sending.