When a guest asks to change their stay
A guest asks to arrive a day later and stay an extra night. The request sounds simple, but it changes the calendar, the price, the clean and possibly the next guest’s arrival. A clear process lets you respond helpfully without promising dates the villa cannot offer.
Keep the requested change separate from the confirmed booking. Check availability, price and operational impact before accepting; then make sure the final reservation and the team agree.
Record exactly what the guest wants
Ask for the proposed arrival and departure dates, the number of guests and any change to rooms or services. Read the request back using dates, not “one more night” or “the following weekend”.
Check the existing reservation reference and the channel where it was made. A guest message is a request, not an amended booking. Keep the currently confirmed dates visible while you investigate, so another team member does not prepare for a change that has not been accepted.
If the request arrives through a booking platform, follow that platform’s change process. Airbnb’s guest guidance on changing reservation dates describes a trip-change request that the host may approve or decline; the guest is shown the original and proposed total before sending it. Other channels may handle changes differently, so check the actual booking route.
Check the calendar and the work around it
Verify the requested dates against confirmed reservations, owner stays and any blocked periods. Check each property involved if a move to another villa is being considered. A free night on one screen is not enough if another source or an unresolved calendar conflict still needs attention.
Then check the operational consequences:
- Will checkout, cleaning or the next arrival move?
- Has a cleaner, driver or other provider already accepted a time?
- Does a maintenance visit or inspection depend on the original gap?
- Do keys, access instructions or guest services need to change?
Ask the people doing the work whether the new plan is possible. Mark the revised tasks as proposed until the booking change is confirmed. This avoids sending a cleaner to a new date while the reservation still shows the old one.
Make the proposed price explicit
Work out the new total using the rates and terms that apply to this reservation, including any changed services or fees. State the difference in the booking channel’s currency, and show the guest the proposed total before asking them to accept.
Do not assume that adding a night preserves the original nightly rate. For Airbnb reservations, Airbnb says a date change can alter the trip total depending on the host’s pricing. The exact amount for a particular booking should come from its own change request, not from a general rule or a mental calculation.
If a refund, extra charge or approval is required, use the channel’s supported process and check the resulting reservation. An informal message agreeing a price does not by itself prove that the guest has accepted the change or that payment has been adjusted.
Reply with a real status
If the dates are still being checked, tell the guest what will happen next and when you expect to answer. Avoid saying the villa is available while a channel conflict, owner approval or new price remains unresolved.
Here is sample wording to adapt to the actual booking:
“Thanks for asking to change your stay to 12–16 October. I’m checking those dates and the updated total now. Your current booking is still for 11–15 October. I’ll let you know when the change request is ready for your review.”
Those dates are illustrative. If the change is impossible, explain the constraint plainly and offer only alternatives you have checked. For an Airbnb booking, its host guidance describes declining a request that cannot be accommodated and, where appropriate, discussing another possible change with the guest.
Confirm the record and tell the team
After the guest accepts the change through the correct process, check the final reservation reference, dates, guest count and total. Look for any mismatch between the booking channel and the team’s working calendar; surface a disagreement rather than silently choosing one set of dates.
Now update everyone whose work moved: the cleaner, the person handling arrival, any booked provider and anyone preparing the property. Cancel or amend the old task as well as creating the new one, so there are not two competing plans.
Send the guest a concise confirmation that matches the amended reservation. If the request is declined or expires, say that the original booking still stands. Keep the final decision with the booking so the next person answering a message sees what was agreed.
Written by the Isla team, who build AI employees for hospitality businesses. Our guides share practical approaches; the scope of each hire is agreed for your operation.
