Vacation Rental Email Marketing: Complete Guide + 12 Templates
Everything you need to market your vacation rental via email. Includes ready-to-use templates, timing strategies, compliance guide, and real campaign data.
Email marketing is the single most effective channel for driving repeat bookings in vacation rentals. It's 40x more effective than social media for customer acquisition, costs almost nothing to execute, and you own the relationship completely (unlike OTA platforms).
But here's the problem: most vacation rental hosts approach email marketing completely wrong. They either:
- • Send emails too frequently (and get unsubscribed)
- • Use generic "Come back!" messages (and get ignored)
- • Don't segment their list (and send irrelevant content)
- • Violate compliance rules (and risk legal issues)
- • Give up after 1-2 campaigns (right before it would work)
This guide solves all of that. You'll get:
- ✅ 12 ready-to-use email templates (copy, paste, personalize)
- ✅ Exact timing strategies for maximum conversions
- ✅ Compliance guide (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, OTA rules)
- ✅ Real campaign data from my properties (open rates, clicks, conversions)
- ✅ Segmentation tactics for better targeting
- ✅ A/B testing frameworks to optimize results
I'm Jason, a Superhost running two properties in the Blue Mountains. In Year 1, I sent email campaigns to 94 past guests and converted 24 of them into direct rebookings—a 12.7% conversion rate and $9,600 in direct booking revenue. This guide shows you exactly how I did it.
Table of Contents
Email Marketing Fundamentals for Vacation Rentals
Why Email Works Better Than Social Media or Ads
The 4 Types of Vacation Rental Emails
Booking confirmations, check-in instructions, thank you messages. 95%+ open rate.
Post-stay follow-ups, local tips, relationship building. 30-40% open rate.
Rebooking campaigns, seasonal offers, last-minute deals. 20-30% open rate.
Date-triggered sequences (6, 9, 12 months post-stay). 25-35% open rate.
💡 Pro Tip: Mix all 4 types for best results. Transactional emails build trust, nurture emails build relationships, promotional emails drive revenue, and automated campaigns work while you sleep.
12 Ready-to-Use Email Templates
Copy these templates, personalize with your property details, and start sending. Replace [brackets] with your specific information.
1Pre-Arrival Welcome Email
Send 3-5 days before check-in • 85%+ open rate
2Post-Stay Thank You + Review Request
Send within 24-48 hours of checkout • 60%+ open rate
36-Month Rebooking Campaign
Send 6 months after checkout • 28% open rate • 2-3% conversion
412-Month Anniversary Campaign
Send 12 months after checkout • 32% open rate • 5-7% conversion
5Seasonal Campaign (Example: Summer)
Send 6-8 weeks before season • 24% open rate
6Last-Minute Gap Filler
Send for cancellations/gaps • 20% open rate • High urgency
7Referral Request
Send after 2nd+ stay • 35% open rate
8Milestone Celebration (Birthday/Anniversary)
Send on special occasions if you know dates • 45% open rate
9Property Upgrade Announcement
Send when you add new amenities • 30% open rate
10Re-Engagement Campaign (Inactive Guests)
Send to guests who haven't booked in 18+ months • 18% open rate
11Local Event Announcement
Send for festivals/events • 26% open rate
12VIP Loyalty Program Invitation
Send after 3rd stay • 50% open rate
Campaign Timing Strategy: When to Send
Timing is everything in email marketing. Send too soon and guests aren't ready. Send too late and they've already booked somewhere else.
The Complete Email Timeline
Pre-arrival welcome email with guidebook link
Goal: Set expectations, provide value, capture email
Thank you + review request
Goal: Get reviews, plant seed for return
Relationship-building email (local tip, follow-up question)
Goal: Stay top-of-mind, build relationship
First rebooking campaign with discount offer
Goal: 2-3% conversion to direct bookings
Second rebooking campaign with seasonal messaging
Goal: 3-4% conversion
Anniversary campaign with enhanced offer
Goal: 5-7% conversion (highest conversion window)
Best Days & Times to Send
Best Days:
- • Tuesday-Thursday: Highest open rates (people are settled into work week)
- • Sunday evening: Planning mode, thinking about vacations
- • Avoid Monday: Too busy catching up from weekend
- • Avoid Friday PM: Weekend mode, checking out mentally
Best Times:
- • 8-10 AM: Morning email check (highest open rates)
- • 12-1 PM: Lunch break browsing
- • 8-9 PM: Evening relaxation (good for vacation dreams)
- • Avoid 5-7 PM: Commute/dinner time
Audience Segmentation: Send the Right Message
Sending the same message to everyone is amateur hour. Segmentation can double your conversion rates by ensuring relevance.
6 Ways to Segment Your Guest List
- • First-time guests: Send thank you + "Hope to see you again"
- • Repeat guests (2+ stays): VIP treatment, loyalty program
- • Inactive (18+ months): Re-engagement campaigns
- • Different properties = different messaging
- • Mention specific features they experienced
- • Cross-sell other properties: "Loved Cabin A? Try Cabin B"
- • Families: Emphasize kid-friendly features, activities
- • Couples: Romantic angle, privacy, date night ideas
- • Groups: Space, entertainment options, group discounts
- • Summer guests: Likely want summer again (or try winter)
- • Winter guests: Ski season, cozy vibes
- • Shoulder season: Value-focused messaging
- • Email openers: More campaigns, they're interested
- • Non-openers: Try different subject lines, reduce frequency
- • Clickers but no booking: Follow-up with incentive
- • OTA bookings: Educate on direct booking benefits
- • Direct bookings: Reward and encourage continued direct booking
- • Referrals: Acknowledge and incentivize more referrals
💡 Start Simple, Then Refine:
Begin with just 2-3 segments (first-time vs repeat guests, property A vs B). As your list grows, add more sophisticated segmentation based on behavior and preferences.
Legal Compliance Guide (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, OTA Rules)
⚠️ This section is critical. Violating email laws can result in fines up to $50,000 per email.
CAN-SPAM Act (US Law) - Required Elements
- Accurate "From" Field: Use your real name and business name
- Honest Subject Lines: No deceptive subject lines (don't mislead)
- Identify as Advertisement: If promotional, make it clear
- Include Physical Address: Your business address in footer
- Clear Unsubscribe Option: Easy to find, process within 10 business days
GDPR (EU/EEA Law) - Additional Requirements
- Explicit Consent: Checkbox opt-in (pre-checked boxes don't count)
- Clear Purpose: Tell them exactly what emails they'll receive
- Right to Access: Guests can request their data anytime
- Right to Erasure: Guests can request data deletion ("right to be forgotten")
- Data Security: Protect email addresses with reasonable security measures
OTA Platform Rules (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo)
- ✗DON'T solicit direct bookings during active reservations: Wait until after checkout
- ✗DON'T share contact info in OTA messages: Use guidebook to collect emails legitimately
- ✓DO collect emails through value exchange: Guidebook access is legitimate
- ✓DO market to past guests after their stay: They're YOUR guests now
✅ The Safe Approach:
- 1. Capture emails through guidebook (legitimate value exchange)
- 2. Include clear marketing opt-in checkbox
- 3. Wait until after checkout to send marketing emails
- 4. Always include unsubscribe link and physical address
- 5. Honor unsubscribe requests immediately
Ready to Start Your Email Marketing?
Use these templates and strategies to turn past guests into repeat customers.
Pre-built templates • Automated campaigns • 90%+ email capture