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Hosts · 5 min read
A guest who has just sent an enquiry is often messaging several homes at the same time. They're ready to book, they've narrowed it down, and they're waiting to see who comes back first with a clear, friendly answer. More often than not, that host wins. This guide explains why response time matters so much, what a great reply contains, and how to be consistently quick without being glued to your phone — using templates, better listing information and a little automation.
By Offer2Stay · Updated October 2026
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See how it works for hostsA quick reply also tells a guest something about the stay itself. If you're responsive before they've booked, they assume you'll be responsive if something goes wrong while they're there. That confidence is part of what they're buying.
Speed matters most for short-notice and gap-night bookings, where the guest needs an answer today. Those are often exactly the nights you most want to fill.
Fast isn't enough on its own; the reply needs to move the guest towards booking. The best replies are short, warm and complete. They answer the question the guest asked and the questions they're about to ask.
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Here's the shape of a reply that works, for a hypothetical enquiry about a three-night stay with a dog:
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for getting in touch. Yes, Friday 14th to Monday 17th is free. The total for the three nights is shown on the listing and includes cleaning — there's nothing extra to pay. Well-behaved dogs are very welcome, and the garden is fully enclosed. There's parking for two cars on the drive. If you'd like to go ahead, you can book directly from the listing. Happy to answer anything else!
It takes less than a minute to write from a template, answers everything Sarah asked, and leaves her nothing to wait for.
You'll find that most enquiries ask the same few questions. Write saved replies for each of them: availability and price, dogs, parking, check-in, longer stays, contractor bookings. Keep them on your phone so you can reply in seconds wherever you are.
Then add one line that's specific to the guest — their name, their reason for travelling, the question only they asked. It's quick for you and still reads as a personal reply rather than an automated message.
Tip: Write your templates in your own voice, as you'd speak to a guest at the door. Guests can tell a stiff, copied reply from a friendly one instantly.
Every question a guest has to ask is a delay. Many of them can be answered before they arise. Put check-in and check-out times, parking, Wi-Fi, dog rules, bed layouts and anything unusual about your home clearly in your listing.
The more complete your listing, the more guests can simply book — and the enquiries you do get will be about things that genuinely need a conversation.
Most enquiries arrive when you're doing something else. A few habits make it realistic to answer quickly without being permanently online.
On Offer2Stay, two-way iCal sync keeps availability in step with Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and most PMS calendars, so a request on one channel isn't a guessing game about another.
Not every enquiry is straightforward. Some guests ask for a big discount, some want to bring more people than your home sleeps, and some ask about dates you'd rather not let. A quick, polite reply still matters in these cases — a guest who gets a clear answer remembers you well, even if they don't book this time.
If a request isn't right for your home, say so kindly and, where you can, suggest what would work: different dates, a smaller group, a shorter stay. If a guest asks for a lower price, you don't have to agree, but explaining what's included in your total often settles the question.
Be wary of anyone who asks to move the conversation or the payment off the platform. Keeping messages and payment inside the booking site protects you as much as it protects the guest.
And if a request makes you uncomfortable for any reason, it's fine to decline. You're under no obligation to accept every booking — your home, your rules.
Tip: Keep a polite 'not this time' template too. Saying no quickly and kindly is far better than leaving a guest waiting for an answer that never comes.
Guest requests on Offer2Stay arrive with the dates, group size and budget already filled in, so you don't need a round of questions before you can decide. If the stay suits you, you send a private offer for the dates you want; if not, you simply don't reply.
Better still, setting a lowest acceptable price means guests who offer enough on your home are booked instantly — even when you're asleep or out on a changeover. Guests who offer below it are told straight away, so nobody is left waiting.
As soon as you reasonably can — guests often book the first good answer they receive.
Use saved replies and notifications, and on Offer2Stay set a lowest acceptable price so guests who offer enough can book instantly.
Yes — a clear total price is one of the things guests most want to know.
Not if you add a line specific to each guest. Templates make you fast; the personal line makes it feel like a real reply.
No. You choose which requests to send offers for.
Find your stay. Let hosts make the offer.
Name your price for UK stays. Guests post what they need; hosts send private offers around the calendars they already run on Airbnb and Booking.com.