RCS Messaging for Hotels & Hospitality
Room bookings, check-in reminders, upgrade offers, and restaurant reservations- all sent as verified, interactive RCS messages instead of plain SMS. Guests act with one tap; your front desk fields fewer calls.
Hotels using RCS see higher upgrade conversion and faster guest response vs plain-text SMS.
24/7
Automated booking & check-in reminders
1-tap
Upgrade, Confirm, or Express Checkout
100%
Reach via automatic SMS fallback
0
DND restrictions on RCS vs promotional SMS
RCS messaging for hospitality lets hotels and hospitality chains send verified, branded guest communication instead of plain SMS. Room booking confirmations, check-in reminders, room-upgrade offers, restaurant reservation confirmations, and guest feedback requests go out as rich cards with images and one-tap buttons like 'Upgrade', 'Confirm', or 'Express Checkout', delivered into a guest's native Android Messages app with no extra app install needed.
Hotels in India need RCS because booking confirmations often get lost among promotional SMS clutter and room-upgrade upsells in plain text rarely get acted on. RCS shows a verified hotel brand name and logo on every message, presents upgrade offers as rich cards with images that convert better than text upsells, lets guests check in online to reduce front-desk arrival queues, and falls back to SMS automatically so every guest stays reachable regardless of device.
RCS, Explained for Hotels & Hospitality
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the modern upgrade to SMS. It lets hotels and hospitality chains send verified, branded messages with images, structured details, and tap-to-act buttons- straight into a guest's native Android Messages app, with no app install required. Where RCS isn't supported, delivery automatically falls back to standard SMS.
The Communication Gap in Indian Hospitality
Common Communication Challenges
- Booking confirmations lost among promotional SMS clutter
- Room-upgrade upsells buried in plain text, rarely acted on
- Front-desk queues from guests who never received check-in prompts
- Restaurant reservation no-shows from easy-to-miss text reminders
- Low response rates on post-stay feedback via email surveys
How RCS Solves These Challenges
- Verified hotel brand name and logo build immediate trust
- Rich upgrade cards with images convert better than text upsells
- One-tap online check-in reduces front-desk arrival queues
- Confirm/Reschedule/Cancel chips cut restaurant no-shows
- SMS fallback keeps every guest reachable regardless of device
6 High-Impact RCS Use Cases for Hotels
Room Booking
Trigger: Booking confirmed via the hotel website, OTA, or call centre for an upcoming stay.
RCS format: Rich card: hotel branding, room type, check-in/out dates, rate, button: 'View Booking'.
Result: Clearer confirmations than plain SMS reduce 'did my booking go through?' front-desk calls.
Check-in Reminder
Trigger: Sent the day before arrival, based on the booking's scheduled check-in date.
RCS format: Rich card: arrival date, room type, button: 'Complete Online Check-in'.
Result: Fewer front-desk queues at arrival and earlier visibility into guest arrival timing.
Upgrade Offers
Trigger: A higher room category is available close to the stay date, or as a loyalty-tier perk.
RCS format: Rich card: upgraded room image, price difference, button: 'Upgrade Now'.
Result: One-tap upgrade offers convert better than an easy-to-miss upsell line in a confirmation SMS.
Restaurant Reservation
Trigger: Guest books a table at the hotel's in-house restaurant, or a reminder ahead of the reservation.
RCS format: Rich card: outlet name, table time, party size, chips: 'Confirm', 'Reschedule', 'Cancel'.
Result: Lower no-show rates at hotel restaurants than a plain-text reservation confirmation.
Guest Feedback
Trigger: Sent shortly after checkout, while the stay experience is still fresh for the guest.
RCS format: Rich card with star-rating quick-reply chips (1–5) and an optional 'Tell us more' link.
Result: Response rates well above follow-up email surveys, giving faster service-quality signal.
Checkout Reminder
Trigger: Sent the morning of departure, ahead of the property's standard checkout time.
RCS format: Rich card: checkout time, bill summary link, button: 'Express Checkout'.
Result: Smoother departures and fewer late-checkout disputes at the front desk.
RCS Across the Guest Journey
Booking
Confirmation card with room type, dates, and a 'View Booking' button.
Pre-arrival
Check-in reminder and room-upgrade offer with an 'Upgrade Now' button.
In-stay
Restaurant reservation confirmations and in-stay service prompts.
Post-stay
Checkout reminder followed by a star-rating feedback survey.
The RCS Toolkit for Hospitality Messaging
Rich Cards
Booking, upgrade, and reservation details with image, text, and action buttons in one message.
Suggested Replies
One-tap 'Confirm', 'Reschedule', 'Cancel' chips for reservations and check-in.
CTA Buttons
'Upgrade Now', 'Complete Check-in', 'Express Checkout'- direct action, no link-click friction.
Carousels
Multi-room upgrade options and seasonal package promotions swipeable in one message.
Business Verification
Google-verified hotel brand name and logo on every message- reduces impersonation risk.
RCS vs Plain SMS for Hospitality Communication
| Aspect | SMS | RCS |
|---|---|---|
| Sender identity | Plain number or unverifiable Sender ID | Verified hotel brand name, logo, and checkmark |
| Message format | 160-character plain text | Rich card with image, structured details, buttons |
| Guest action | Requires a phone call or separate link | Upgrade/Check-in/Confirm in one tap |
| DND applicability | Promotional SMS blocked for DND numbers | Not restricted by TRAI DND rules |
RCS vs WhatsApp for Hospitality Communication
RCS and WhatsApp are complementary, not competing. For broad, install-free outbound alerts, RCS has a reach advantage.
| Aspect | RCS | |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Requires the guest to have WhatsApp installed and opted in | Works natively in Android's default Messages app- no install or opt-in step |
| Delivery fallback | No native SMS fallback if undelivered | Automatic SMS fallback keeps delivery near-universal |
| Best fit | Two-way concierge conversations, in-stay requests | Broad outbound alerts- bookings, check-in, upgrade offers |
How an RCS Message Flows- Trigger to Guest Action
Trigger
Booking confirmed, check-in window opens, or a reservation/checkout date is reached in your PMS.
Template match
Get Click Media's API matches the event to the pre-approved rich card template.
Capability check
Platform checks if the guest's device supports RCS in real time.
Send
RCS rich card delivered if supported; automatic SMS fallback if not.
Guest action
Guest taps Upgrade Now, Complete Check-in, Confirm, or Express Checkout- routed back to your PMS.
Reporting
Delivery, read, and response rates tracked in the Get Click Media dashboard.
Illustrative Example: A Boutique Hotel Chain
Note:anonymised, illustrative example based on common patterns across Get Click Media's hospitality clients- not a single named case study.
Challenge
Low conversion on room-upgrade upsells buried in a plain-text confirmation SMS.
RCS deployment
Rich card with a room-upgrade image, price difference, and a one-tap 'Upgrade Now' button.
Outcome
Higher room-upgrade conversion than the prior SMS upsell line, with fewer front-desk clarification calls.
Getting Your Hotel Live on RCS
Discovery & use-case mapping
We map your booking, check-in, and F&B workflows to RCS message templates.
Google brand verification
Get Click Media submits your hotel brand identity documents for Google RBM verification.
Template design & approval
Rich cards, carousels, and suggested replies designed for each use case and submitted for approval.
PMS/booking engine/API integration
Connect your property management system or booking engine via API or ready-made webhooks.
Pilot & go-live
Run a pilot batch with SMS fallback verified, then scale to full guest volume.
Simple, Volume-Based RCS Pricing
Pricing is based on message volume and interaction type, and is customised per hotel or hospitality chain. All plans include Google brand verification support, SMS fallback, real-time analytics, and API access.
View RCS PricingWhy Indian Hotels Choose Get Click Media for RCS
Trusted, verified messaging
Message payloads carry only what's needed to act. India-hosted infrastructure.
Direct carrier integration
Direct Jio, Airtel, and Vi integration for fast delivery and accurate capability detection.
Real-time trigger API
Connects to your PMS or booking engine so reminders and offers fire the moment an event occurs.
Dedicated onboarding support
Get Click Media manages Google brand verification and template approval end-to-end.
SMS fallback built in
Every message reaches the guest, RCS-capable device or not.
Fast go-live
Most hospitality clients are live within 7–10 business days.
Largest CPaaS partner for Hospitality messaging
Get Click Media enables hotels and hospitality chains to reimagine booking confirmations and guest communication with RCS.
One message could
change your business.
Big or small, we power communication for all- talk to us today.
RCS Messaging for Indian Hotels & Hospitality
Can hotels send room-upgrade offers via RCS?
Yes- rich cards with a room image and a direct 'Upgrade Now' button work well for this use case. Guests see the upgraded room type, price difference, and can confirm in one tap, without calling the front desk or waiting until check-in.
Can RCS send check-in reminders to guests?
Yes. A rich card sent a day before arrival can show check-in time, room type, and a 'Complete Online Check-in' button, reducing front-desk queues at arrival and giving the property earlier visibility into expected guest arrival times.
How does RCS handle restaurant reservation confirmations?
A rich card can confirm the table time, party size, and outlet name, with 'Confirm', 'Reschedule', or 'Cancel' suggested-reply chips- reducing no-shows at hotel restaurants compared to a plain-text confirmation SMS guests often overlook.
Can guest feedback be collected over RCS?
Yes. A rich card sent shortly after checkout can include star-rating quick-reply chips (1–5) and an optional comment link, giving hotels faster, higher-response-rate feedback than a follow-up email survey most guests never open.
Does RCS require TRAI DLT registration for hotels?
No. RCS is not classified as commercial SMS under TRAI's regulations, so hotels don't need DLT entity or template registration for RCS content. Google brand verification is required instead, which Get Click Media manages end-to-end during onboarding.
Are RCS hotel offers affected by TRAI DND restrictions?
No. RCS messages are not blocked by the TRAI DND registry the way promotional SMS is, so seasonal offers, upgrade promotions, and package deals can reach guests on DND lists who are otherwise unreachable over promotional SMS campaigns.
What happens if a guest's phone doesn't support RCS?
Get Click Media's platform checks device and carrier capability in real time. If RCS isn't supported, the message automatically falls back to standard SMS, so booking, check-in, and checkout details still reach the guest reliably.
How long does it take to launch RCS for a hotel or hospitality chain?
Most hospitality clients go live within 7–10 business days, covering Google brand verification, rich card template approval, and integration with your property management system (PMS) or booking engine.
Explore RCS for Other Industries
Ready to deploy RCS for your hotel or hospitality brand?
Get Click Media handles Google brand verification, template approval, and PMS integration. Most hospitality clients are live within 7–10 business days.