A pre-arrival email is an automated message sent days before check-in, confirming details, offering online check-in and presenting relevant upsells such as upgrades, breakfast or transfers, at the moment guest anticipation is highest.
A good pre-arrival message does service first, arrival instructions, parking, check-in options, then commerce, a small set of relevant offers. Sent a few days out, it reaches guests while plans are still flexible enough to add services.
It only reaches guests whose real email the hotel has, which OTA masking complicates. Collecting a direct email during online check-in or at first contact fixes the reach problem, and measuring open and conversion rates tells whether timing and offers are working.
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