Texting is one of the fastest ways to connect with your guests—whether you're confirming a reservation, sharing an exclusive spa deal, or offering early check-in. But with it comes serious responsibility.
SMS is a powerful marketing tool, but it’s also highly regulated to protect consumer privacy. If you're sending text messages as part of your guest engagement strategy, you need to know (and follow) the rules. Not only does it keep you legally safe, it helps protect your brand's reputation and ensures a positive guest experience.
To help you navigate the rules and maximize results, here’s your go-to guide for staying compliant and adhering to SMS marketing best practices.
Starting With the Basics: Key Terms to Understand
Before diving into best practices, it's important to know a few industry terms that come up often in SMS compliance:
- SMS stands for Short Message Service. This is your standard text message.
- MMS stands for Multimedia Message Service. These are text messages that include images, audio, or videos.
- Carriers are the mobile phone companies (like AT&T or Verizon) that deliver your texts to guests.
- CTIA is an organization that creates the guidelines for how businesses should text customers. Think of them as the “rulebook” writers.
- TCPA is a U.S. law that says businesses must get permission before texting someone. It also outlines what you can and can’t say in your texts. If you’re texting Canadian guests, you’ll want to follow CASL, which is similar.
- SHAFT is an easy way to remember forbidden content: Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. These are off-limits in promotional texts.
- Opt-in is the action of a recipient giving their explicit consent to receive promotional or informational messages from a sender.
- Opt-out is the action of a recipient revoking permission to be contacted by a sender
Always Get Explicit Permission to Text Guests
Texting a guest without their permission is a quick way to lose trust—and possibly face legal trouble.
In hospitality, there are plenty of moments to ask for consent: when someone books a room online, signs up for your rewards program, or joins your text club. The key is to be up front about what kind of messages they’ll receive and how often.
Ways to Collect Permission:
- Use a website form with a checkbox saying they want to receive texts.
- Promote a “text-to-join” keyword in your lobby, like “Text SPA to 12345.”
- Ask for permission during check-in or when they make reservations by phone.
- Let POS systems at your restaurants or shops collect consent if integrated with your CDP.
🔐 Remember: It’s not enough for a guest to simply give their phone number—they must explicitly agree to receive promotional texts.
Make Sure They Know It’s You
Guests should never be confused about who is texting them. Always include your hotel or brand name in every message. It builds trust and ensures they don’t feel like they’re getting messages from a random number.
Example:
[Boulder Mountain Resort]: Your brunch reservation is confirmed for 10 AM tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you! Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
This is especially important if you’re offering a deal—people are more likely to respond to a special offer when they know it’s coming from a trusted brand.
Make Opting Out Easy (and Honor It)
Not every guest wants to stay in touch, and that’s okay. What matters is that you make it easy for them to stop receiving texts—and that you follow through quickly when they ask.
Every text message should clearly tell guests how to unsubscribe, like:
"Reply STOP to end"
When a guest replies with "STOP" or a similar word, your system should automatically remove them from your SMS list and confirm that they’ve been unsubscribed. If a guest calls your front desk or sends an email instead, make sure your staff knows how to manually update their preferences.
✅ Providing great guest service includes respecting their communication preferences.
Be There When They Need Help
Sometimes guests need clarification or support. That’s where the HELP keyword comes in. When a guest texts “HELP,” your system should send back a message with a phone number or email they can use to get assistance.
This might seem small, but it shows that your hotel is responsive, responsible, and available. It can be the difference between a one-time visitor and a returning guest.
Example:
[Boulder Mountain Resort]: Need help? Call us at (555) 987-6543 or email frontdesk@bouldermountainresort.com. Msg&data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
Know What Not to Send
There are some topics that simply don’t belong in a marketing text—especially when your guests are trusting you with their time and privacy.
Avoid sending anything related to:
- Alcohol or tobacco promotions (even wine tastings!)
- Weapons or political content
- Adult services or explicit content
- Quick money-making schemes
- High-risk financial offers
Even if your hotel offers something like a “Whiskey & Cigar Lounge,” you’ll want to promote that through email or in-person—not through SMS. Carriers may block these messages entirely, and they can even reflect poorly on your brand.
Respect Your Guests’ Downtime (Quiet Hours)
Your guests might be coming from different time zones—and the last thing they want is a text buzzing in the middle of the night.
Certain laws actually restrict when you can send texts. Generally, you should avoid texting before 8 AM or after 8 PM in your guest’s local time zone. Ascent360 enforces a default “quiet period” from 6 PM to 10 AM MT to help you avoid accidental wake-up calls.
Final Thoughts: Compliance is Guest-Centric Marketing
At the heart of SMS compliance is something hospitality professionals already excel at—prioritizing the guest experience.
By being transparent, asking permission, and sending thoughtful messages at the right time, you’re not just following the rules—you’re building stronger relationships with your guests.
Ascent360 makes this easy by handling disclosures, keyword monitoring, quiet hours, and more—so you can focus on crafting messages that delight your guests and drive more direct bookings. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Ready to get started with SMS Marketing that’s compliant and effective? Schedule a personalized demo of the proven & powerful Ascent360 CDP today!
*This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.