When guests book through your Direct site, they receive emails from two different sources. These emails serve different purposes and may look unfamiliar if you're expecting everything to come from one place.
This article explains what your guests receive, how each type of email works, and what you can manage as a host.
The Two Types of Emails Guests Receive
Guests receive:
Automated transactional emails from Hospitable
Messages you send from the Hospitable Inbox
Each type has a different role in the booking experience.
Automated Transactional Emails (Hospitable-Sent)
These emails are sent automatically by Hospitable when important booking events occur.
They include:
Booking confirmations
Payment confirmations or updates
Reservation changes
Cancellation notifications
These emails:
Use Hospitable branding (purple header and logo)
Follow a standardized format
Include booking details, payment summaries, and policies
A Direct booking confirmation email with Hospitable branding, showing reservation details, payment summary, and cancellation policy
Hosts cannot view these transactional emails in Hospitable. If you need a copy of a specific email, contact support.
Example: A confirmation email includes:
Reservation details (dates, guests, property)
Payment breakdown and total
Scheduled payments
Cancellation policy
This ensures guests always receive clear and consistent booking information.
Messages Sent from the Hospitable Inbox
These are messages you send to guests, either:
Manually
Through automated messaging rules
These emails:
Appear as sent from your listing name
Contain your custom message content
Include a small footer noting they were sent via Hospitable
An email sent from a host’s listing name containing a scheduled message triggered upon booking.
Common examples:
Welcome messages
Check-in instructions (door codes, WiFi, directions)
Pre-arrival or post-stay messages
Ongoing communication during the stay
These messages feel more personal and are fully controlled by you.
Why Guests Receive Two Types of Emails
Each email type serves a specific purpose:
Transactional emails → Ensure critical booking and payment information is delivered reliably
Inbox messages → Allow you to communicate directly and personalize the guest experience
This separation helps:
Maintain consistency and compliance for important booking details
Keep your guest communication flexible and customizable
What You Can and Cannot Control
You can control:
Messages sent from the Inbox
Automated messaging rules and timing
The content of your guest communication
You cannot control:
Transactional email content or design
When transactional emails are triggered
The sender branding of transactional emails
Transactional emails are system-generated and cannot be customized or disabled.
Common Questions from Hosts
Why did my guest receive multiple emails?
Guests may receive both a transactional email (e.g., confirmation) and a message from your Inbox (e.g., welcome message) for the same event.
Why can’t I see what was sent?
Transactional emails are not visible in your account. You’ll only see messages sent through the Inbox.
Do Manual bookings behave the same way?
No. Manual bookings only receive Inbox messages and do not trigger transactional emails.
How This Fits Into Your Workflow
Use transactional emails as the official source of booking and payment information
Use Inbox messages to guide, inform, and support your guests
Together, they ensure guests receive both reliable booking details and a personalized experience.
What’s Next
To improve your guest communication:
Set up automated messaging rules
Customize your check-in and pre-arrival messages
Review your guest communication timing