If you run an independent hotel or B&B, you know what it means to wear too many hats.
If you run an independent hotel or B&B, you know what it means to wear too many hats.
You’re answering guest emails, handling arrivals, managing housekeeping and still trying to deliver a warm, personal experience. At the same time, guest expectations are constantly climbing. Instant replies, personalized information and seamless check-ins are now essential – they’re no longer just nice-to-haves. This is where guest journey automation comes in. Crucially, this isn't about replacing your genuine hospitality or turning your hotel into a self-service machine. For independents, it is about protecting your time, cutting down on repetitive admin and making sure your guests get clear, timely information. It's important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to automation. How you automate the guest journey will depend on your accommodation size, service style, and guest profile. Before looking at the three guest journey types, let’s start with the basics.Key takeaways:
Automation during different steps of the guest journey
Guest journey automation works best when you keep the different phases of the guest journey in mind. Each step requires a different balance between information, service and timing. What makes sense before arrival does not necessarily work during the stay, and post-stay communication has a completely different goal again.
For independent properties, this phased approach is especially important. Automating everything in the same way often leads to either too many messages or the wrong message at the wrong time.
By breaking the journey into pre-stay, in-stay and post-stay, you can focus automation where it adds the most value, without overwhelming guests or your team.
Another advantage of thinking in phases is that it allows you to start small. You do not need a fully connected tech stack on day one. Many independents begin with pre-stay automation, then gradually add in-stay and post-stay flows once the basics are working smoothly.
The pre-stay phase shapes the guest’s first real impression of your hotel. This is where expectations are set, uncertainty is reduced and many repetitive questions can be answered before they ever reach your inbox.
For independent hotels, pre-stay automation is often the highest-impact starting point because it prepares guests for arrival while quietly reducing manual work and creating opportunities to upsell early.
What you can automate:
When done well, pre-stay automation reduces back-and-forth emails, helps guests feel prepared and brings in extra revenue before check-in.
During the stay, guests value speed and availability more than long explanations. In-stay automation should focus on being helpful and discreet, providing quick answers and an easy way to ask for help without disrupting the experience. When done right, it supports guests in real time while giving you the option to step in when something requires personal attention.
What you can automate:
Good in-stay automation supports your daily operations in the background. It helps you respond faster and catch small issues before they turn into bad reviews.
The post-stay phase is about follow-up, not friction. Once guests leave, automation helps you stay consistent without feeling pushy, making sure feedback is collected, reviews are encouraged and future stays are gently promoted. For independents, this phase is key to protecting reputation and turning one-time guests into repeat, direct bookers without adding extra admin work.
What you can automate:
Post-stay automation helps you collect feedback while it is still fresh and keeps your hotel top of mind for future stays.
Every independent property fits into one of these three models. Most properties sit somewhere between them, and that is perfectly fine.
Transactional automation focuses on getting the essentials right, every time. This model is about consistency and reliability rather than experience design. By automating only the most repetitive messages, independent hotels can reduce manual work and avoid mistakes, while keeping the guest journey largely human-led. It is often the first step into automation and a practical choice when time and resources are limited.
What it looks like:
Efficiency impact:
This level of automation is often the first step. It removes the most obvious manual work without changing how you run your hotel.
This second type of automation is about balance. Routine questions and standard messages are handled automatically, while staff remain closely involved when context, empathy or judgment is needed. This model allows independents to stay responsive and professional without feeling automated or distant. It is especially effective for hotels that want to scale efficiency while keeping a strong personal touch.
What it looks like:
Efficiency impact:
This model is a sweet spot for many independents. Automation handles the predictable parts, while your team stays in control of the experience.
Fully automated journeys treat the guest experience as one connected flow rather than a series of isolated messages. Decisions are driven by guest data, behavior and stay context, with systems working together in the background.
This model reduces friction for guests and workload for staff, while still allowing human intervention when it adds the most value. It works best when systems are well integrated and the operation is ready to rely on automation with confidence.
What it looks like:
Efficiency impact:
This model works best when your PMS, messaging and CRM are well connected and guest data is used intelligently.
Choosing the right level of guest journey automation is less about what technology can do and more about what makes sense for your hotel today. Room count, staffing levels, guest profile and service style all influence how much automation is helpful and where it adds the most value.
Many independent hotels do not fit neatly into a single model. In practice, most combine different levels of automation across the journey. Pre-stay communication is often fully automated to reduce emails, while in-stay interactions remain personal. Post-stay follow-ups then run automatically to ensure consistency without extra admin.
The key is to focus on real pressure points:
Automation should solve concrete problems, not create extra noise.
And, the right journey model is not fixed. As your operation evolves, your automation can (and should) evolve with it. The goal is a guest journey that feels smooth and personal for guests, and manageable for your team.
Guest journey automation works best when guests barely notice it. Most guests are not thinking about systems or workflows. They care about clear information, quick answers and feeling looked after throughout their stay.
For independent hotels, automating the guest experience should be seen as a way to protect your genuine hospitality. By removing the repetitive, predictable work, your team is free to focus their time and energy on what truly matters. When confirmations, reminders and follow-ups run reliably in the background, staff can focus on the moments that actually require human attention.
It is also worth remembering that automation does not stop at the guest experience. Many of the biggest efficiency gains happen behind the scenes. Automating internal workflows like task creation for housekeeping and maintenance, room status updates, payment follow-ups or reporting reduces errors and context switching for your team. Fewer manual steps mean fewer things to forget, especially during busy periods.
The best guest journeys feel simple and effortless, even when the technology behind them is not. Start small, automate the obvious and build from there. When done right, automation supports hospitality rather than replacing it.
Organization
Lighthouse
https://www.mylighthouse.com/
30 Stamford Street
London, SE1 9LQ
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 203 095 2727
Email: info@otainsight.com
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