Guest Messaging
Read and answer messages guests send through Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia from the Chat screen, send attachments, close threads and mark no reply needed.
Guests who book through an OTA usually message through that OTA's app. Channex relays those conversations to Innvera, so you can read and answer them in Chat without logging in to each extranet. Replies travel back through Channex to the guest on the same channel, and the thread is linked to the guest's reservation when one exists.
Open Chat from the speech-bubble icon in the top bar (it is also available on mobile).
Key terms
Thread — one conversation with one guest on one channel. Each thread carries the channel badge (Booking.com, Airbnb or Expedia), the guest's name, and, when Innvera can match it, the reservation.
Needs — a thread that is open and has not been marked No reply needed. This is the working queue.
Closed — a thread you have ended. No further replies can be sent from Innvera.
The Chat screen
The screen has three columns:
- Conversation list (left) — every thread, newest activity first, with the last message preview (prefixed You: when the property sent it) and the date. Search by guest name, and filter with the All, Open and Needs pills.
- Thread (centre) — the message history grouped by day (Today, Yesterday, weekday and date), guest messages in the channel's colour, your replies outlined in Innvera's colour. The header shows the guest, the channel badge and Closed when applicable.
- Guest (right, or the Guest details button on mobile) — the guest's email and phone, the linked stay's check-in and check-out dates and night count, thread badges (Closed, No reply needed) and every attachment exchanged in the thread. A thread with no reservation shows No reservation linked.
New threads and messages appear automatically; the list refreshes every 30 seconds. A new guest message also raises the notification New message (or New inquiry for an Airbnb inquiry before booking).
Reply to a guest
Pick the thread
Choose the thread in the conversation list. Start with the Needs filter to see what is waiting for an answer.
Write the reply
Type in Reply to <guest>…. Press Enter to send, Shift + Enter for a new line. The smiley button inserts an emoji.
Attach a file (optional)
Click the paperclip to send an image or a PDF up to 8 MB. Images appear inline in the thread; other files appear as a chip the guest can open. A message needs either text or an attachment.
Your message is sent to Channex, which delivers it to the guest through the OTA. If the OTA rejects it, the error is shown in a toast.
Mark no reply needed
When a guest's message needs no answer (a "thank you", an automated OTA notice), click the Mark no reply needed icon in the thread header and confirm. The thread drops out of Needs but stays open, so you can still reply later. This action is available for Booking.com threads; on other channels the option is not offered.
Close a conversation
Click the Close conversation icon in the thread header (or the close action in the guest panel) and confirm Close this conversation?. The composer is replaced by This conversation is closed and the thread shows Closed in the list. Guests will not receive further replies from Innvera, so close only when the stay and any follow-up are done.
Message history
The thread shows the most recent messages (50 per page, newest always included). Messages are kept in Innvera from the moment the thread is created, so a conversation started before the channel was connected shows only what Channex has relayed since.
Which channels support messaging
Messaging threads are created for Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia. Other channels' guests must be contacted through the OTA extranet or by email.
Tips
- Link the stay. If a thread shows No reservation linked, the booking may not have imported yet; it links automatically once it does.
- Use the reservation for details. Click through from the guest panel to the reservation for the rate, room and folio before promising anything.
- Answer inquiries quickly. Airbnb inquiries arrive before a booking exists; response time affects the listing.
Related
Receiving Bookings
How OTA bookings arrive as reservations, what the front desk sees (source, status, guest, payment and card details), and how modifications and cancellations are applied.
Troubleshooting
Diagnose and fix the common channel manager problems — unmapped rooms and rates, currency mismatches, failed pushes, missing bookings and disconnected channels.