Customer Onboarding WhatsApp Template for Hospitality

Why utility is the right category here

Because this message is transactional and tied to a specific action the guest just took, it qualifies as a Utility template rather than Marketing. That distinction matters for three reasons. First, utility templates read as a natural continuation of the booking, so guests open them almost instantly and reply readily — turning a one-way notification into a live support thread. Second, they proactively answer the questions your front desk would otherwise field by phone (check-in time, what to bring, where to park), cutting inbound calls. Third, utility carries a lower per-message rate than marketing, so onboarding your whole guest base stays affordable at volume. Keep the wording strictly informational to hold that category.

How to personalise it so it reads 1:1

The three variables do the heavy lifting, but the difference between a template that feels like a form letter and one that feels like your concierge is the specificity you put into {{3}}. Instead of a generic 'get started', name the exact next step for that guest — the reception timing, the WiFi code location, the shuttle pickup point, or the reservation reference. Pull the guest's first name into {{2}} from your booking record, and use your actual property name in {{1}} rather than a group brand they may not recognise. Pair the copy with the interactive buttons so the guest's next move is a single tap: 'Get started' can deep-link to a check-in flow or menu, and 'Talk to us' opens a direct line to your team.

• {{1}} — your property or outlet name exactly as guests know it
• {{2}} — guest first name from the booking record
• {{3}} — the one concrete next step, with a time or location where relevant
• Buttons — deep-link 'Get started' and route 'Talk to us' to a staffed number

Getting it approved on the first submission

Submit the template as Utility and keep every word transactional. The single most common rejection reason is slipping a promotion into an onboarding message — a discount code, an upsell, or a 'book again' nudge instantly reclassifies it as Marketing and invites rejection when filed under utility. Provide realistic sample values for all three variables (Meta reviewers check that variables aren't used to smuggle in promotional or link-heavy content), avoid ALL-CAPS shouting and excess emojis, and make sure the button labels match their destinations. Filed cleanly, hospitality utility templates like this are typically approved within a day, after which you can send instantly through InfiQ.

• File under Utility, not Marketing
• No offers, discount codes, or upsells in the body or variables
• Attach a plausible sample value for {{1}}, {{2}} and {{3}}
• Keep formatting clean — minimal emojis, no shouting caps
• Match each button label to a real, working destination

What it costs to send

WhatsApp bills per delivered message by category, so this template is charged at Meta's utility rate for each guest who receives it — there is no per-conversation charge, and the 24-hour service window it opens is free time for you to keep chatting, not a billing unit. Through InfiQ you get transparent ₹ pricing (ex-GST), so you can forecast the cost of onboarding a season's worth of bookings before you send a single one. Because utility sits below the marketing rate, welcoming every new guest this way is one of the most cost-efficient touchpoints in your entire journey, and it typically pays for itself in reduced front-desk calls and no-shows.