It is 23:10. The guest has just got out of the taxi, phone in one hand, suitcase in the other. There is nobody at reception, because there is no reception. Everything they need to know to get into the room must already be in their email, and they must find it in ten seconds.
With smart locks the door opens with a code. But the code alone is not enough. The guest has to know which door it is, where to park, which room is theirs and what to do if something does not work. This article is about the text: what you write, in what order, and when you send it.
Two emails, not one
The most common mistake is to put everything into one long email. It works better split in two:
- Arrival directions, a few days before. How to get there, where to park, which door, what time, what to expect. No code.
- The door code, on arrival day. Short: the code for each door, the room number, when it is valid.
The reason is practical. The guest reads the directions calmly, at home. They look for the code standing in front of the door. At that moment they want an email with three lines, not a text with the pool opening hours.
Email 1: arrival directions
Send it two or three days before arrival. What it should contain, in this order:
- Address and a map link. The address as a taxi driver would write it, and a Google Maps link that points at the entrance, not the middle of the plot.
- Where to park. If there is no parking, say so and say where the nearest is.
- Which door. "The blue door next to the bakery", not "the main entrance". If there is a gate before the entrance, say so.
- When the code arrives. That it comes in a second email on arrival day, and from what time it works.
- Check-in and check-out times. And what happens if they arrive early: can they leave luggage somewhere or not?
- A phone number. One that is answered, and the hours it is answered.
- Wi-Fi and two or three rules. Quiet hours, smoking, pets. Keep it short.
Text template
Hello [Name],
We are expecting you on [arrival date] at [Property]. You will not find a reception desk: check-in is done on your own, with a code on the door.
How to find us: [Address]. Map: [link]. The entrance is the [colour/landmark] door [next to what].
Parking: [where].
Your code: we will send it in a separate email on the day you arrive. It works from [time] and opens the main entrance and your room. Type it on the lock keypad [and press #, if your lock needs it].
Check-out: by [time]. Just close the door behind you.
Wi-Fi: [network name] / [password].
If you need anything, call us at [phone], from [time] to [time].
Safe travels,
[Your name]
In Bookmatrix.com this is a template in the Email Manager. The name, the dates and your phone are filled in from the reservation. You set it to go out on its own a number of days before arrival, and you write it in as many languages as you need. The guest gets the version in their language.
Email 2: the door code
This email has to be read in front of the door, one-handed. So:
- The code first, large, no introduction.
- One code per door, if they differ. Usually the room and the entrance share the same code, but not always.
- The room number.
- When it is valid, from and to.
- What to do if it does not open: a phone number.
Nothing else. The directions are in the first email.
How this email goes out on its own
In Bookmatrix.com, with TTLock locks, you do not send it. Every reservation, from Booking.com, Airbnb, your website or the phone, gets a PIN: by default the last 4 digits of the guest phone, or a random one if that is taken. The PIN is scheduled on the room lock and on every shared entrance.
On check-in day, at the hour you set (12:00 by default), the code goes to the locks. As soon as it is active, the guest gets an email with the code for each door and the room number. If the reservation is for the same day, the code is sent at once. You can edit the template of this email as you like, just like the first one.
If the dates or the room change, the old code is removed and a new one is set. At check-out the code stops and is deleted from the lock. The whole process, with two real properties that have used it since May 2026, is in "TTLock smart locks for hotels: keyless self check-in".
Five things guests ask
If a question comes up often, its answer belongs in the first email. These are the most common:
- "Can I arrive earlier?" Say what applies: whether the room may be ready, whether there is somewhere to leave luggage.
- "I will arrive after midnight, is that a problem?" With a code, no. Write it, so they do not have to ask.
- "Where do I leave the keys?" There are no keys. It is worth saying.
- "The code does not work." A phone number that is answered. From the reservation in Bookmatrix.com you can give a different PIN, create a new random one or change the hours.
- "Can I leave later?" If you agree a late check-out, change the end time of the code from the reservation.
Three checks before you switch it on
- Send it to yourself and read it on your phone, standing outside your own door.
- Ask someone who does not know the property to find the entrance using only the email.
- Check the translation. A mix-up between "left" and "right" is a phone call at 23:00.
Frequently asked questions
When does the guest get the code?
On arrival day, when the code is active on the locks: at 12:00 by default, or at once for a same-day booking. You change the hour in the Smart Locks settings.
What if the guest booked two rooms?
Each room gets its own code and the email lists them all, with the number of each room.
Can I send the directions in another language?
Yes. You write the template in each language you serve and the guest gets theirs.
Do I need a specific lock brand?
You need locks that work with the TTLock app and a TTLock Wi-Fi gateway near them. Many lock brands run on TTLock.
Want self check-in without sending codes yourself? Try Bookmatrix.com free for 14 days, with your own rooms and no card, at bookmatrix.com/demo. Or leave your details at bookmatrix.com/form and we will call you on the next working day. You can also call us at +30 2351 151525.