What Makes a Great Hospitality Email or Newsletter?

Inns and bed and breakfasts can collect email addresses when a customer books a reservation, when a customer checks-in, through social media contests, and through lead magnets.

Your subject line is the single most important factor in whether your email gets opened at all. Research shows that nearly half of all recipients decide whether to open an email based on the subject line alone. That means no matter how beautiful your email design or how generous your offer, none of it matters if the subject line doesn’t do its job first.

The best hospitality subject lines tap into curiosity, urgency, or exclusivity. Compare “Open For Special Offer” to “Your VIP Stay Is Now 20% Off.” The second version speaks directly to the reader, hints at a reward, and creates a sense of immediacy. When crafting your subject lines, ask yourself: Would I open this? Does it give me a reason to care right now?

The preheader, sometimes called preview text, is the short line of muted gray text that appears just after your subject line in a recipient’s inbox. Many hospitality businesses either ignore it or let their email platform auto-populate it with random text pulled from the email body. That’s a missed opportunity.

A well-written preheader functions as a second subject line. It can reinforce urgency, add context, or tease something exciting waiting inside. Together, your subject line and preheader form a one-two punch that significantly improves open rates. There’s also an accessibility dimension worth considering: voice assistant services read preheader text aloud, so generic or awkward filler text can create an unintended, and potentially unprofessional, first impression.

A great hospitality delivers genuine value. The type of offer you lead with should match where your guest is in their journey with your property.

Pre-arrival emails, for example, are an ideal moment to build excitement and drive incremental revenue. These messages can recommend local dining, highlight amenities, or present curated upgrade packages based on what a guest has booked before. When the communication feels timely and relevant, guests feel seen rather than being sold something.

Post-stay emails are equally powerful. A thoughtful thank-you, a review request, or a loyalty incentive sent after checkout reinforces your brand’s attentiveness and plants the seed for a return visit. Guests who feel appreciated are far more likely to book again.

Seasonal and promotional campaigns round out the mix. Tying offers to upcoming holidays, local events, or shoulder-season travel windows creates natural urgency. Countdown timers and exclusive member pricing add another layer of motivation. The key is relevance.

Yes, and here’s why: without UTM tracking, you’re essentially flying blind. A UTM code is a small snippet added to the end of a URL that tells your analytics platform exactly where a visitor came from. When someone clicks a link in your email and makes a booking, UTM tracking lets you connect those dots with confidence.

Default analytics data only tells part of the story. Knowing that traffic came from “email” is useful, but knowing it came from your spring promotion campaign email is transformative. That level of insight tells you which campaigns are worth repeating, which subject lines drive actual revenue, and where to invest your marketing budget next. You stop guessing and start measuring.

This is where hospitality email marketing becomes genuinely fun. Great content goes far beyond listing your amenities. It tells a story and makes your property feel like a living, breathing destination.

Consider including upcoming local events, seasonal packages, chef-driven recipes, renovation or expansion news, behind-the-scenes stories from your team, or guest spotlights and testimonials. These elements make your newsletter feel like a curated magazine rather than a promotional flyer.

Personalization takes this even further. Addressing guests by name, referencing their past stays, or tailoring content to their known preferences creates an intimacy that mass marketing simply cannot replicate. Segmenting your list by travel behavior, demographics, or booking history allows you to send messages that feel individually crafted. Birthday and anniversary emails with personalized offers are a perfect example of this kind of surprise-and-delight approach.

Visually, invest in quality. High-resolution photography, thoughtfully designed layouts, and even short video clips can transform an ordinary email into an aspirational experience. Guests should finish reading your newsletter and feel the urge to book a trip.

Every hospitality email should close with one clear, compelling next step. A vague ending leaves readers unsure of what to do, and indecision almost always means inaction. Your call to action should be specific, benefit-driven, and easy to act on.

“Book Now” is functional but generic. “Unlock Your Discount Before It Expires” or “Start Planning Your Stay Today” speaks to motivation and creates momentum. Make your button or link visually prominent and ensure it leads directly to the relevant landing page.

Email marketing done well is one of the highest-returning investments a hospitality business can make. If the strategy feels overwhelming, consider partnering with Pillow Chocolate. We understand the unique rhythms of hospitality and small business marketing because the guests are in the inbox, and the opportunity is too good to leave on the table.