Why it works
A tourist who had a good stay comes back: on the Riviera many Italian and Kosovar families come every year. If you do not write to them, they return through Booking and you pay the commission, or they choose the hotel next door that wrote to them. An email in January with the summer offer decides where they go. Cost: a few cents per email.
Building the list
At check-in: name, email, phone, country, language, with consent to communications. On the site: an offers form with a sign-up discount. On WhatsApp: every conversation saved as a contact. From Booking: emails are not shared, but the guest in the hotel is. After two seasons a 30-room hotel has 1,000-2,000 contacts.
Law and consent
Written consent (a box on the check-in card), an unsubscribe option in every email, data kept in a serious tool, not in an Excel on the receptionist’s phone. For EU guests European rules apply: clear consent and deletion on request.
The yearly calendar
One week after the stay: thank you, review request, discount code for next time. January: early-booking offers for summer. March: “last summer you were here”: season photos, what is new. May: last rooms for July-August. September: late season at lower prices. November: winter, holidays, a holiday gift. Six emails a year are enough.
How to write it
Short, in the guest’s language, with their name, one good photo, one clear offer and a “Book” button leading to the engine with the code. The subject like a personal message (“Marco, the sea of Ksamil awaits you in June”), not like an ad. Sent by a named person, not from “info@”.
Offers that work
Early-booking discount with a deadline (by 31 March), seventh night free, room upgrade, free breakfast, transfer. Exclusive to past guests: say so explicitly. Compare with Booking: “directly with us you save X”. One offer per email, not five.
Segmentation
Italians get emails in Italian with June and September offers; Kosovars in Albanian with July-August; families get children’s offers; couples the late season. The split is done with two or three fields collected at check-in. Segmented emails are opened twice as much.
The tools
Professional email tools with templates, list, segmentation, statistics and legal compliance. They cost little for lists under 2,000 contacts. Linked to the booking engine to measure code bookings. Not Gmail with BCC: it ends in spam and breaks the law.
Measurement
Each email: how many opened, how many clicked, how many booked with the code, how much revenue. On average a good email to 1,000 contacts brings dozens of direct bookings: compare with the commission they would have paid. After a year you know which offers and months work.
The mistakes
Not collecting emails. Sending only when the hotel is empty. Long emails with ten offers. Sending in the wrong language. Not measuring. Buying lists: illegal and useless. Forgetting the unsubscribe link. A good list takes two seasons to build and serves you for ten.
A sample email for January
Subject: “Anna, Sarandë awaits you in June: 15% for you”. Text: “Hi Anna, last summer you stayed with us with your family; we hope the sea of Sarandë stayed in your mind. For our past guests we have reserved a 15% discount for June and September, with breakfast and port transfer included, until 31 March. Book direct with code ANNA15.” One beach photo, a “Book” button, the owner’s signature with name. 80 words in all. That is enough.
WhatsApp as a complement to email
For the Kosovar and Albanian market, WhatsApp is opened more than email. The same offer can be sent via WhatsApp Business to contacts who gave consent, with a personal message, not a mass one. Careful: WhatsApp forbids mass sending without consent and blocks the number. A split list (email for Italians and foreigners, WhatsApp for Albanians and Kosovars) works better than a single channel.
What a list is worth after three years
A 30-room hotel, 60% occupancy, four guests on average per room: about 1,500 families per season. After three years, 3,000 real contacts with consent. If 8% book direct every year thanks to email, that is 240 commission-free bookings: in saved commissions, tens of thousands of euros. The cost of the tool and the work: a small fraction. It is the most undervalued asset of Albanian hotels.
Frequently asked questions
How many emails a year?
Six to eight, with a calendar. More annoys, fewer gets forgotten.
Can I use Booking emails?
Booking gives temporary addresses; collect the real email at check-in.
Which tool?
A professional, law-compliant tool linked to the engine; we choose it together by size.
How many bookings does it bring?
It depends on the list: with 1,000 real contacts, dozens of direct bookings a year.