There are two ways to get a reservation into Best Guest: automated messages and iCalendar sync. This article explains the first one — the approach that does the most work for you, because it brings the guest into the loop instead of just the reservation.

The idea is simple: every booking channel and channel manager can send the guest a message before arrival. If that message contains your Best Guest registration link, the guest completes online check-in on their own, and Best Guest handles the rest — verifying details, foreigner registration (UbyPort), and accommodation tax.

Each of your properties has a public registration link in your Best Guest dashboard. It looks something like this:

https://app.bestguestapp.com/l/your-listing?channel=airbnb

(Use your actual link — copy it from your dashboard.)

Using the right link: every listing — each apartment, room, tent, RV, or whatever counts as your smallest bookable unit — has its own unique registration link. If you manage more than one listing, double-check you’re copying the correct one. Find all your links in Best Guest under Properties → [property] → Listings → Copy listing link, or grab them during the Listings step of onboarding.

The optional ?channel= parameter tells Best Guest where the reservation came from, which keeps your reporting tidy when the same guest could arrive from several sources.

Why deliver it through automated messages?

Most OTAs mask the guest’s real email address, so you often can’t email guests directly. What you can do is use the channel’s or channel manager’s built-in messaging to deliver the link inside the platform the guest is already using. Set it up once, and it fires for every future booking:

✓ Guest books ✓ The channel / channel manager automatically sends your pre-arrival message ✓ The message contains your registration link ✓ Guest completes registration before arrival ✓ Best Guest verifies the data and automates your legal reporting

No manual outreach, no copy-pasting links per reservation.

The anatomy of a good pre-arrival message

Keep it to a single, clear call to action:

Subject: Complete your online check-in

Hello {guest_first_name},

Before you arrive, please complete your quick online registration:
👉 https://app.bestguestapp.com/l/your-listing

It takes under 2 minutes and means a smooth, contactless arrival.

Thank you — we look forward to hosting you.

The exact merge-tag syntax for the guest’s name differs by platform (Airbnb, Booking.com and each channel manager use their own placeholders), so always pick the token from that platform’s editor rather than copying it from elsewhere.

Best Guest automatically reminds the main guest if they started registration but haven’t finished it. If a guest never opens the form at all, though, that reminder can’t reach them — so it’s worth scheduling a second message through your channel or channel manager’s messaging tool, timed 1 day after arrival instead of before it, using only the link:

Hello (guest name),

Everything alright? Did you fill out all your forms and is the data correct?
Please follow this link if you still need to add/change some information:
https://app.bestguestapp.com/l/your-listing

When to send it

A single, well-timed message works better than many. A common pattern:

  • Booking confirmed → keep it personal, no registration request yet
  • 2–3 days before arrival → send the registration link
  • Arrival day → access / key instructions
  • 1 day after arrival → reminder for guests who haven’t completed registration
  • Checkout → optional thank-you

Some channels — Airbnb and Booking.com in particular — filter or restrict external links in guest messaging to keep conversations on-platform. This doesn’t block the approach, but it does mean you should test with a real reservation and, where the platform offers it, add your domain to any “approved links” list. Each channel article covers the platform-specific details.

What if I can’t (or don’t want to) use messaging?

Then use iCalendar sync instead — Best Guest imports your reservations from the channel’s calendar so you at least see every stay and which ones are still missing guest data. Many hosts use both: iCal to import every reservation, and automated messages to get guests to register themselves.

Next steps

Pick your platform and follow the step-by-step guide: