"We won't be there until 11 pm, is that a problem?" is a short e-mail with a lot riding on it. If the guest does not get a clear answer, they arrive at a locked door, call a number nobody answers, and start their stay annoyed. If they get a good answer, they never have to think about it again.

What the guest needs to know

A good arrival reply answers five things, even if the guest only asked one of them:

  1. Is it OK to arrive at that time?
  2. How do I get in — reception, key box, door code or a night door?
  3. When and how will I get the code or key?
  4. Where do I park?
  5. Who do I call if something goes wrong — and what if we are delayed?

Template 1: Late arrival with self check-in

Template: late arrival self check-in

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for letting us know — arriving at [time] is no problem at all.

Our reception is open until [time]. After that, you check in yourself:

1. Park [where].
2. Go to [the main entrance / the side door marked …].
3. Open the key box with the code [code sent on the day]. Your key is in the envelope with your name.
4. Your room is [room number], on the [floor] floor.

We will send you the code by [text / e-mail] on the day of arrival. If anything doesn't work, call us on [phone number] until [time].

Safe travels,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 2: Late arrival, staffed night desk or someone waiting

Template: late arrival staffed

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for your message. Arriving around [time] is fine — [our night staff will be at reception / we will wait for you].

If you are delayed, please send a text to [phone number] so we know you are still coming. Parking is [where], and it is [free / [price] per night].

We look forward to seeing you,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 3: Early arrival

Template: early arrival

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for letting us know you will arrive around [time].

Check-in is from [time], and we will have your room ready as early as we can. Until then you are welcome to park and leave your luggage at reception. [If you want to be sure of the room early, early check-in from [time] is available for [price].]

Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 4: Arrival day instructions (send on the day)

Template: arrival day instructions

Dear [Guest name],

We look forward to welcoming you today!

• Check-in: from [time], reception open until [time]
• Your door code: [code sent on the day]
• Room: [room number]
• Parking: [where]
• Breakfast: [time] in [place]
• Phone if you need us: [phone number]

If your plans have changed or you will be very late, just reply to this e-mail.

See you soon,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Keep the code out of every template you save. Write a placeholder, and let the check-in system or a staff member add the real code on the arrival day.

Example: how BookingWatch answers

A guest writing late in the evening, and the reply BookingWatch drafts from the hotel's own arrival routine:

Notice what the reply does not contain: the code itself. It tells the guest when and how it will arrive, which is what they need tonight.

What our own inbox shows

At our own small seaside hotel in Sweden, questions about arrival time and keys came up in about 26 of 900 guest e-mails over two years. That is not many, but they are the e-mails where timing matters most. Across all guest e-mails, 45.7 % arrived outside weekdays 08–17, and 11.1 % arrived at night, between 22 and 07. That is exactly when a guest on the road asks how to get in, and when nobody is at the desk to answer. For e-mails that arrived outside office hours, our median time to a first reply was 4 h 26 min, compared with 1 h 12 min during office hours.

The fix is not to answer e-mail at midnight. It is to make the answer exist before the question: put the self check-in steps in the booking confirmation, send them again on the arrival day, and let something answer the late-night e-mail with the same facts.

Source: BookingWatch analysis of 900 anonymised guest e-mails to the founders' hotel, October 2024 – October 2026.

Arrival checklist: decide once

DecisionExample policy
Reception hours08:00–21:00
After hoursKey box by the main entrance, code sent by text on the arrival day
Check-in timeFrom 15:00; luggage and parking possible earlier
Parking on arrivalWhere, price, and whether it needs a permit in the window
Evening phone numberAnswered until [time]; who is on call
DelaysGuest texts or replies to the e-mail; room kept all night
No-showPolicy for unused bookings stated in the confirmation
Hand to staffLost keys, codes that don't work, arrivals after the phone closes

Best practice

  • Put arrival instructions in the booking confirmation, so most guests never need to ask.
  • Number the steps. A tired guest in a dark car park follows a list better than a paragraph.
  • Send codes on the arrival day, by text if you can — that is the phone they will have in their hand.
  • Always ask the guest to tell you about delays, and say how. It protects the room and tells you whether to keep waiting.
  • Note the arrival time on the booking, so whoever is on duty knows someone is still coming.

Common mistakes

  • Answering "No problem!" without explaining how the guest gets in.
  • Writing a real door code in an e-mail template, or sending it weeks in advance.
  • Giving a phone number that nobody answers after 6 pm.
  • Replying the next morning to an e-mail sent the evening before arrival.
  • Forgetting parking: the guest's first problem on arrival is often where to leave the car.