Hotels Don’t Close, But Holidays Still Change Everything
Unlike most businesses, hotels are typically open 365 days a year. But that doesn’t mean your phone operations stay the same during holidays. Front desk staffing shifts. The restaurant might close on Christmas Day. Spa hours change. Special packages need promoting. And call volume spikes during peak booking periods.
A holiday phone message for a hotel isn’t about explaining a closure. It’s about confirming you’re open, guiding callers to the right resource, and making it easy to book. The caller who phones your hotel on December 20 looking for a New Year’s Eve room is ready to spend money. Don’t make them work for it.
When to Use Each Script
Christmas & New Year (Open with Holiday Hours) confirms that the hotel is operational and clarifies any adjusted hours. Many hotels reduce front desk staffing during the holiday week, which means longer hold times. This message should push online booking as the fastest option while still capturing details from callers who prefer to speak with someone. If you’re running holiday packages or special rates, mention them.
Thanksgiving Holiday is a big travel weekend in the US. Families travel, friends gather, and hotels fill up. This message confirms availability (or limited availability), mentions any on-site dining options for Thanksgiving dinner, and captures booking requests. If your restaurant is doing a holiday meal, say so. It’s a selling point that can tip a booking decision.
Summer Peak Season isn’t a traditional holiday, but it’s the busiest period for many hotels. This message acknowledges high demand, directs callers to online booking for the fastest results, and captures overflow requests. Group bookings should get their own path (email or a dedicated extension) because they’re high-value and require more back-and-forth.
Easter / Spring Holiday brings a mix of family travelers and weekend getaway bookings. The message confirms you’re open, states hours, and captures reservation details. If you’re running a spring package (Easter brunch, family activities), a quick mention helps.
Emergency Closure (Weather / Maintenance) is rare but critical. Natural disasters, major maintenance issues, or safety concerns can force a temporary closure. Existing guests with reservations are the top priority. The message should acknowledge their bookings, offer rebooking or refunds, and provide a direct contact method.
Phone Volume Spikes During Holidays
Hotels see significantly more phone traffic during holiday periods. Some of it is new bookings. Some is existing guests calling about check-in times, parking, or amenities. Some is event planners looking ahead to the next holiday season.
Your phone message during these periods should act as a traffic director:
- New reservations: leave details or book online
- Current guests: press a specific number for the front desk
- Events and groups: email the events team
- General inquiries: leave a message for a callback
Without this routing, every caller ends up in the same queue, and the person trying to book a $500-per-night New Year’s Eve stay is waiting behind someone asking about pool hours.
Online Booking Is Your Best Friend During Holidays
Every holiday phone message should mention your website’s booking system. During peak periods, the phone is the slowest way to book a room. Hold times increase, staff juggle multiple tasks, and callers give up. Your website is always available, shows real-time inventory, and processes bookings instantly.
The phone message doesn’t need to replace the phone. It just needs to offer the website as a faster alternative. “For the quickest booking, visit [website]” takes five seconds to say and redirects a meaningful percentage of callers to a channel that works better for everyone.
After-Hours Holiday Coverage
Even with a 24-hour front desk, there are periods when phone coverage gets thin. Late-night shifts during the holidays, reduced staffing on Christmas Day, or simply a wave of calls that exceeds what one front desk agent can handle.
Safina picks up overflow calls, asks what the guest needs, and sends you structured notes. A potential guest looking to book gets a callback within hours instead of getting a busy signal. A current guest with a question gets directed to the front desk extension. At $11.99/month for the Basic plan, it’s a fraction of the cost of staffing an extra line.
Check out our hotel greeting scripts for daily call handling and after-hours templates for overnight coverage. Restaurants face similar holiday challenges, so our restaurant holiday scripts may also be useful. Visit the script library for the full collection.