Bulk SMS, OTP & WhatsApp for Hotels and Resorts in India

Run every message of the guest journey from one account: booking and check-in OTPs, reservation and payment confirmations, pre-arrival and check-out updates, feedback requests, and consented package offers, each on the right DLT category with pay-only-for-delivered SMS billing.

Check-in & payment OTP (-T)Booking & folio alerts (-S)Packages & offers (-P)SMS, WhatsApp & RCS

Start Free — 1,000 SMS Credits See Pricing

Pay As You GoPay only for delivered SMS

8 channelsSMS, OTP, WhatsApp, RCS, voice & email

2-6 secTypical delivery time

99.9%Uptime SLA

Quick Answer

Bulk SMS for hotels is the automated messaging a hotel, resort or booking desk sends across the guest journey: booking and check-in OTPs as transactional (-T) SMS, reservation, payment, pre-arrival and check-out updates as service (-S) SMS, and seasonal packages or offers as promotional (-P) SMS or WhatsApp marketing templates with consent. SMSGatewayHub runs all of it on DLT-registered templates across SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, voice and email on Pay As You Go pricing.

Hotel messaging at a glance

Which channel and DLT category each guest message belongs to. Under TRAI's latest rules a transactional message responds to something the guest just did, within 30 minutes; ongoing stay updates are service messages; anything that sells is promotional.

Message	Channel	Category & suffix	When to send
Booking and payment OTP	OTP SMS, WhatsApp authentication	Transactional -T; WhatsApp authentication template	Instantly when the guest requests it
Reservation confirmed with booking ID	Transactional SMS, WhatsApp utility, email	Transactional -T; WhatsApp utility	Within minutes of booking
Check-in code or digital room key	OTP SMS, WhatsApp utility	Transactional -T	At check-in, before room handover
Pre-arrival details, directions and check-in time	SMS with whitelisted {#url#}, WhatsApp utility, RCS	Service -S; WhatsApp utility	A day or two before arrival
Payment receipt, folio and invoice	Service SMS, email	Service -S	After payment or at check-out
Check-out reminder and late-checkout option	Service SMS, WhatsApp utility	Service -S	On the departure morning
Feedback and review request after the stay	SMS with whitelisted {#url#}, WhatsApp utility, RCS	Service -S	Within a day of check-out
Seasonal packages, festive offers and member rates	RCS carousel, promotional SMS, bulk email	Promotional -P with consent; WhatsApp marketing	Within the promotional time window, to opted-in guests
Banquet, event and restaurant promotions	Promotional SMS, RCS, email	Promotional -P; WhatsApp marketing	Campaign days, to non-DND or consented guests
Reservation help and front-desk callback	Missed call or toll-free number, WhatsApp chat	Customer-initiated; replies in the 24-hour window are billed per message	Whenever the guest reaches out

Never add a package or offer line to a booking, folio or feedback template: it turns the message into -P and loses 24/7 DND delivery. See how categories work on transactional SMS and service explicit vs service implicit SMS.

Every SMSGatewayHub product your hotel business can use

One account, one wallet and one set of DLT templates for the whole property, from first enquiry to repeat stay.

Transactional & service SMS

Booking confirmations, payment receipts, pre-arrival and check-out updates that reach every guest, DND included, around the clock. Transactional SMS

OTP SMS

Booking, check-in and digital-key OTPs on priority routes, with voice OTP as a fallback. OTP SMS service

WhatsApp Business API

Utility booking updates, folio PDFs and consented package offers with buttons, plus two-way guest chat. WhatsApp Business API

RCS Messaging

Branded room and package carousels with photos and Book Now buttons in the native Android inbox, with SMS fallback. RCS messaging

Voice SMS & IVR

Pre-recorded reservation reminders and an IVR for the front desk and booking line. Voice SMS and cloud IVR

Missed call & toll-free

Give guests a toll-free or missed-call number to make a reservation, request a callback or opt in to offers. Toll-free number

Bulk email

Booking vouchers, invoices, pre-arrival details and newsletters from authenticated sending domains. Bulk email

Developer API & SMPP

Connect your property management system, booking engine or channel manager to send messages automatically. Developer API

What changed for hotel messaging

Four rule and platform changes every hotel and resort in India should plan around now.

-T, -S and -P now visible to guests

Operators add a suffix to every header, for example AB-CITYIN-S. Booking and OTP messages sent within 30 minutes of a guest action are -T, stay and folio updates are -S, and service explicit has been merged into promotional -P.

Typed variables and whitelisted links

Each value must be tagged {#numeric#}, {#alphanumeric#}, {#url#} and so on, and every booking link, map link or callback number must be a whitelisted CTA on DLT. See converted templates

WhatsApp bills per delivered message

Meta charges per delivered message by category. Utility booking updates and service replies inside the 24-hour customer window are now billed per message, and an update that carries an offer can be recategorised as marketing.

DPDP Rules on guest data

The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules are notified and phasing in. Plan clear consent notices at booking, purpose-limited use of guest phone numbers and an easy way to withdraw marketing consent.

Why SMSGatewayHub

Why hotel businesses choose SMSGatewayHub

A property sends a steady stream of small, time-critical messages. These are the things that decide whether they arrive, comply and stay affordable.

Pay only for delivered SMS

Bookings and OTPs spike on long weekends and in season; you are billed for SMS that reach the handset, not every submission. Delivery-based billing

DLT templates done for you

Our team writes booking, folio and feedback templates with typed variables, registers your booking-link CTAs and maps the IDs. DLT priority support

Connect your PMS and booking engine

Trigger messages from your property management system, booking engine or channel manager through the developer API and HTTP API.

Failover routing for OTPs and confirmations

Multi-operator routing with automatic failover gives 2-6 second typical delivery and a 99.9% uptime SLA for check-in and booking OTPs.

SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, voice and email

Fall back from WhatsApp or RCS to SMS automatically and reach guests in Hindi and regional languages from one wallet.

Certified and trusted provider

ISO 27001, ISO 9001, SOC 2 and VAPT tested, with 2,000+ enterprise clients and a long track record. Trust Center

Question to ask any provider	SMSGatewayHub
Am I charged for undelivered booking SMS and OTPs?	No. You pay only for delivered SMS.
Will you register my booking links and callback numbers as CTAs?	Yes. Our DLT team whitelists them and maps your templates.
Can I connect my PMS or booking engine?	Yes, through the HTTP API and webhooks.
Do I get real operator delivery reports?	Yes, live delivery reports in the panel and API. See delivery reports
Can I test before I buy?	Yes, start with 1,000 free SMS credits. Create a free account

Moving from another provider? Compare on our MSG91 alternative page or estimate monthly spend with the SMS cost calculator.

Ready-to-register DLT templates for hotels

Copy, adjust the property name and submit. Every changing value carries a typed tag, amounts go without commas, and every link must be a whitelisted CTA.

Message (what the guest sees)	DLT template (typed-variable format)	Suffix
482913 is your OTP to confirm your booking at City Inn. Do not share it with anyone.	{#numeric#} is your OTP to confirm your booking at City Inn. Do not share it with anyone.	-T
Thank you! Your booking BKG58213 at City Inn for 14 Oct is confirmed. Details: https://cityinn.in/b/58213 - City Inn	Thank you! Your booking {#alphanumeric#} at City Inn for {#alphanumeric#} is confirmed. Details: {#url#} - City Inn	-T
4821 is your check-in code for room 210 at City Inn. Valid till 11 AM. Do not share it.	{#numeric#} is your check-in code for room {#numeric#} at City Inn. Valid till {#alphanumeric#}. Do not share it.	-T
Your stay at City Inn begins tomorrow. Check-in from 2 PM. Directions: https://cityinn.in/m/58213 Call 18001234567 - City Inn	Your stay at City Inn begins tomorrow. Check-in from {#alphanumeric#}. Directions: {#url#} Call {#cbn#} - City Inn	-S
Payment of Rs.{#numeric#} received for booking BKG58213 at City Inn. Folio: https://cityinn.in/f/58213 - City Inn	Payment of Rs.{#numeric#} received for booking {#alphanumeric#} at City Inn. Folio: {#url#} - City Inn	-S
Monsoon package at City Inn from Rs.{#numeric#} per night. Book: https://cityinn.in/p/monsoon Reply STOP to opt out	Monsoon package at City Inn from Rs.{#numeric#} per night. Book: {#url#} Reply STOP to opt out	-P

More examples on DLT sample templates. Register templates under your brand with DLT registration and follow the template registration process.

Hotel guest journey on SMSGatewayHub

Map each stage of the guest lifecycle to the channel that fits it best.

Booking and payment
Verify the guest with OTP SMS, send the reservation confirmation as -T SMS within minutes and capture marketing consent on the same screen.
Pre-arrival
Send directions, check-in time and a map link as -S SMS with a whitelisted {#url#}, or as WhatsApp utility templates.
Check-in
Deliver the check-in code or digital room key as a transactional OTP, with a voice confirmation call as a fallback.
During the stay
Handle room service, housekeeping and queries over WhatsApp chat and a toll-free front-desk number.
Check-out and billing
Send the folio, invoice and payment receipt as service messages on SMS and bulk email.
Feedback and win-back
Request a review as an -S message, then send consented packages and member rates on RCS, WhatsApp marketing or promotional SMS.

SMS vs WhatsApp vs RCS for hotels: which to use when

Use SMS for anything that must arrive. Booking OTPs, reservation confirmations, check-in codes and folio receipts need to reach every guest, on any phone, including DND numbers. Transactional (-T) and service (-S) SMS do that 24/7 with no app or data connection needed, which is why they stay the backbone of guest communication.

Use WhatsApp for conversations and rich stay updates. Utility templates can carry an invoice PDF, a room photo or quick-reply buttons such as Confirm Arrival or Late Check-out, and guests can reply for help. Packages and offers go as marketing templates to opted-in guests only. Compare the channels in bulk SMS vs WhatsApp marketing.

Use RCS for branded, visual campaigns on Android. Verified sender names, room carousels and tap-to-book buttons make seasonal packages feel like a mini booking page in the messaging app, with SMS fallback for phones that cannot receive RCS. See the beginner's guide to RCS rich cards.

Most properties run all three from one SMSGatewayHub account: SMS for the guaranteed layer, WhatsApp for service and conversation, and RCS or promotional SMS for growth, with bulk email for vouchers and newsletters. For nearby use cases, see travel and tourism and event management. Other appointment-led businesses message the same way — compare bulk SMS for salons and matrimonial sites.

Related Services & Guides

Travel & Tourism Use Cases →

Booking and itinerary messaging workflows.

WhatsApp Business API →

Utility and marketing templates with buttons.

OTP SMS Service →

Priority routes for booking and check-in OTPs.

RCS Messaging →

Branded room and package carousels on Android.

Bulk SMS for Astrologers →

Booking, reminder and renewal messaging.

Bulk SMS →

The full bulk SMS platform for India.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which SMS route should a hotel use for booking confirmation?

Use transactional SMS with a -T header for a booking or payment confirmation sent within 30 minutes of the guest's action, because it responds to something they just did. Later pre-arrival, folio and check-out updates go as service (-S) SMS. SMSGatewayHub registers both template types for you and delivers them 24/7, including to DND numbers.

Can hotels send promotional offers to DND numbers in India?

No, not without consent. A package or offer sells, so it is promotional (-P) SMS: it goes only to non-DND numbers or guests who gave consent, within the promotional time window and with an opt-out. SMSGatewayHub helps you send offers as promotional SMS or WhatsApp marketing templates to opted-in guests.

How does a check-in OTP or digital room key work for hotels?

When a guest checks in, your system triggers an OTP SMS or digital-key code and asks them to use it at the room or kiosk. Because it responds to the check-in they just started, it is a transactional (-T) message. With SMSGatewayHub you can add a voice OTP call for guests who do not receive the SMS.

Can I send a hotel booking confirmation on WhatsApp?

Yes. A booking confirmation goes as a WhatsApp utility template and can carry a voucher PDF and buttons; Meta bills it per delivered message. SMSGatewayHub can send the WhatsApp version first and fall back to SMS automatically so every guest is reached.

How do hotels connect a PMS or booking engine to send SMS?

Connect your property management system, booking engine or channel manager to SMSGatewayHub through the HTTP API and webhooks, or the developer API, and map your DLT-approved templates to each booking event. Messages then send automatically for new bookings, payments, check-in and check-out.

Is a hotel stay feedback request transactional or service?

A feedback or review request after a stay is an update to an existing guest with no offer in it, so it is registered as a service (-S) template and reaches DND numbers. Add a coupon or discount and it becomes promotional (-P). SMSGatewayHub's DLT team checks that each template sits in the right category.

Can hotels put a booking or map link in an SMS?

Yes, but the link's domain must be whitelisted as a CTA on DLT and the template must use the {#url#} tag where the link appears. Generic public URL shorteners are rejected at scrubbing. SMSGatewayHub registers your booking and map domains and callback numbers along with your templates.

How much does bulk SMS cost for a hotel?

SMSGatewayHub uses Pay As You Go pricing: you buy credits as needed and pay only for delivered SMS. Exact rates depend on volume and route, so see https://www.smsgatewayhub.com/pricing or talk to sales on 1800 102 1822, and test first with 1,000 free SMS credits.

Automate every guest message today

Get 1,000 free SMS credits, free DLT guidance and ready-to-register hotel templates. Go live on SMS, WhatsApp and RCS from one account.

Start Free Trial ☎ 1800 102 1822

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