Guest messaging

WhatsApp for hotels: the 24-hour window, templates, Meta pricing

By Laurent Codaccioni · Published · 3 min read

For a hotel, WhatsApp comes down to two technical rules and one consent rule. Everything else follows from them: the 24-hour window, message templates and what Meta charges. Here are the details as of 27 October 2026.

App or platform: two different products

The WhatsApp Business app suits a very small property with one phone. As soon as several people reply, or you want to automate part of the conversation, the hotel moves to the WhatsApp Business Platform, available through a Meta-approved provider. That is what connects messaging to the PMS and the team’s tools.

The 24-hour window

  • When the guest writes or calls first, a 24-hour window opens, and each new guest message restarts it. During it, the hotel can send free-form messages, no template needed.
  • Outside that window you must send a message template, written in advance and approved by Meta.
  • Templates fall into three categories: marketing, utility and authentication.

What Meta charges

Since 1 July 2025, Meta charges per delivered message instead of per conversation. The rate depends on the message category and the recipient’s country. Messages sent by the guest are free.

As of 27 October 2026, according to Meta’s pricing page:

  • the first 1,000 service messages (free-form replies inside the 24-hour window) per number per month are free, and chargeable beyond that since 1 October 2026;
  • utility templates sent inside an open window, free since July 2025, are chargeable since 1 October 2026;
  • conversations opened by a Click-to-WhatsApp ad get a free entry window;
  • Meta only changes rates on the first day of a quarter, with at least one month’s notice.

Rates keep changing: check Meta’s pricing page before budgeting a campaign. Your provider may pass part of these costs on.

The guest must have agreed to be contacted on WhatsApp, for instance at booking or by writing to you first. Mention it in your privacy policy, keep proof of consent and make opting out easy.

Useful hotel use cases

  1. Before booking: availability and rates, to grow direct bookings.
  2. Before the stay: confirmation, arrival information, arrival time, extras.
  3. During the stay: Wi-Fi, breakfast, restaurants, service requests passed to the team.
  4. After the stay: review requests and follow-up on feedback. Replying to reviews completes this step.

What WhatsApp does not do

  • It does not let you write to a guest who has not agreed, even with a template.
  • Outside the 24-hour window it does not allow free-form messages: an approved template is required, and approval time has to be planned for.
  • It does not replace human judgment on sensitive requests (complaints, safety, health): provide a simple handover to the team.

Questions to ask any provider

  1. Are you approved by Meta? Who owns the number and the WhatsApp Business account?
  2. Which Meta costs are passed on, and at what rate?
  3. Does the PMS integration read and write bookings, or only read them?
  4. Can the team see every conversation and take over?

Romy answers on WhatsApp, Instagram and RCS 24/7 in the guest’s language, with a back office where your team follows each conversation and can take over in one click.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can a hotel use WhatsApp Business?

Yes. For professional use shared by several people or automated, the hotel goes through the WhatsApp Business Platform, via a Meta-approved provider such as Romy, a Meta Tech Provider.

What is the 24-hour window on WhatsApp?

When a guest writes to the hotel, the hotel can reply without a template for 24 hours, and each new guest message restarts the clock. After that it must use a message template approved in advance.

Can a hotel send commercial messages without the guest’s consent?

No. The guest must have agreed to receive messages on WhatsApp and must be able to opt out easily.

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