A hotel stay might end at checkout, but the guest experience shouldn’t. Many hotels miss the window to follow up, leaving loyalty, feedback, and rebooking on the table.
The days right after checkout are some of the most powerful in shaping memory and influencing whether a guest returns. It’s when your brand is top of mind, and personalized engagement can turn a good stay into lasting loyalty.
This guide shows you how to improve the guest experience in your hotel using Bitly. You’ll learn how branded links, QR Codes, and mobile-first landing pages help hospitality teams connect with guests, track engagement, and drive results.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
Why post-stay engagement matters for hotels
Every interaction after departure is a chance to build loyalty, increase customer lifetime value (CLV), and stay connected with guests who already know and trust your brand. Let’s take a closer look at why post-stay engagement deserves a central place in your hotel’s guest experience strategy.
Guest relationships don’t end at checkout
A well-timed thank-you message or a personalized offer after a guest checks out can demonstrate that you value their experience beyond the transaction. These small, thoughtful moments help foster an emotional connection, which may encourage brand affinity, spark word-of-mouth recommendations, and increase the likelihood they’ll book with you again.
Retention is more cost-effective than acquisition
Acquiring new guests can cost hotels 15–25% of each booking. That means for every $100 earned from a hotel room, up to $25 might go toward ads, commissions, and marketing. In contrast, getting a happy guest to return may be as simple as crafting a thoughtful incentive.
Retention doesn’t just help stretch your budget. It helps build a stronger, more sustainable revenue stream. Loyal customers have been shown to spend more and patronize businesses more often.
Loyalty depends on thoughtful follow-up experiences
Loyalty isn’t built during the stay alone. It’s reinforced by what happens after. A timely, personalized follow-up shows guests their experience matters and that your relationship isn’t just a business transaction.
Generic messaging doesn’t deliver lasting impact, and mass communications often go ignored. When follow-up messages feel templated, it may signal to the guest that you see them as just a number (or a dollar sign).
Today’s travelers expect more, and even a small boost in satisfaction with your loyalty outreach may increase the chances of a return visit or encourage positive word of mouth. When guests feel understood and appreciated, they’re more likely to come back and recommend your hotel to others.
Small details make a big difference. Referencing a guest’s check-in date, the suite they stayed in, or services they used, like the spa or in-house dining, makes a routine email feel thoughtful. That kind of relevance drives action.
Hotels need more trackable and personal engagement tools
Most post-stay campaigns only scratch the surface. Your email marketing software may show you if an email was opened or a link clicked, but you don’t always know if that engagement led to a review, a loyalty sign-up, or a return visit. Without deeper visibility into guest behavior, optimizing future outreach becomes guesswork.
This is where smart hotel technology makes all the difference. To build a truly effective post-stay strategy, you need tools that show how, when, and where guests engage—and whether those moments drive measurable results.
Common gaps in post-stay guest communication
Staying connected with guests post-stay is key to building long-term loyalty, but some hotels may find it challenging due to common communication gaps, including:
Missed opportunities in the days after checkout
The window right after checkout is one of the most important (and most underused) moments in the guest journey. Travelers’ experiences are fresh, their impressions are clear, and their likelihood to engage is at its peak.
Yet many hotels delay or skip follow-up entirely.
Waiting too long means missing your best chance to reinforce positive sentiment, collect feedback, or prompt a next step. A message sent a week later lacks urgency. But a personalized follow-up within 24 to 48 hours demonstrates proactive customer service and can surface issues before they go public, or potentially spark loyalty sign-ups while the emotional connection is still strong.
Siloed systems make tracking engagement difficult
Marketing, operations, and guest services teams often use separate systems to track their unique customer engagement touchpoints. While it’s critical for these teams to have specific insights into how their departments play a role in the customer experience, this siloed approach makes it difficult to measure the true impact of your post-stay outreach.
For instance, the marketing team may send the thank-you email. The operations team may manage the loyalty program. The guest services team may collect guest feedback. But a lack of integration between these touchpoints creates gaps.
Guest services may see a rise in survey responses that highlight a preference for more contactless touchpoints, like a QR Code they can scan to order room service online versus making a phone call or visiting the front desk.
Without an integrated approach, this valuable information may fall to the wayside. But when teams use a unified approach to track engagement (such as software that integrates), the marketing team can leverage these insights for more personalized outreach, and operations can use it to build the contactless interfaces that guests are looking for.
One-size-fits-all messages don’t resonate
While sending templated messages may be quicker and easier, generic outreach falls flat. A simple “Thank you for staying with us” email without context or personalization rarely captures attention or builds a real connection.
Guests remember the details. A message that reflects their stay, whether it was a birthday celebration, a great staff interaction, or a favorite amenity, shows you were paying attention. That kind of relevance creates an emotional connection, which reinforces brand loyalty.
Loyalty efforts often lack visibility or metrics
Hotels invest in loyalty programs but often struggle to measure impact. Without clear data, it’s difficult to tell if post-stay emails or offers drive sign-ups or rebookings. This lack of visibility makes it hard to justify ongoing investment or optimize future outreach.
However, when loyalty campaigns are tied to clear KPIs like rebooking rates, program sign-ups, or lifetime value uplift, marketing teams can more easily justify continued investment and shift budget from low-impact to high-impact efforts.
Offline and online experiences aren’t connected
Printed receipts, in-room signage, and other physical materials are still common in hotels, but often stop short of driving continued engagement. Without a digital bridge, these touchpoints become missed opportunities once the guest checks out.
The result is a fragmented experience that makes it harder to maintain momentum or build long-term loyalty. A guest might see a welcome sign or printed offer during their stay, but unless there’s an immediate and easy way to take action, like scanning a code or accessing a follow-up link, those messages fade quickly.
This disconnect limits the potential of physical spaces to reinforce digital efforts or support ongoing communication. QR Codes for hotel check-in and checkout, loyalty sign-ups, or post-stay offers can create a more seamless experience, delighting hotel guests with mobile tech that extends the experience beyond their stay.
How Bitly helps close the post-stay engagement gap
Recognizing communication gaps is one thing. Closing them takes tools that are flexible, measurable, and built to scale. Bitly helps hospitality teams strengthen loyalty, boost guest satisfaction, and drive results well beyond checkout.
Use QR Codes to invite feedback before guests leave
Place Bitly Codes on site in high-visibility areas like guest rooms, front desks, or digital displays to prompt in-the-moment feedback. You can also add QR Codes on checkout slips, receipts, or in-room materials—paired with mobile links in emails or texts for greater reach.
Depending on your plan, each Bitly Code is trackable by location (city- and country-level), device, referral source, and scan count, giving you insight into which properties or touchpoints see the most engagement. This closes the loop between service and perception, offering a pulse on guest sentiment while it still matters.
Share follow-up links for reviews, rebooking, and offers
Rather than sending the same email to every guest, tailor your outreach with links to review sites, custom landing pages, or rebooking incentives based on location, preferences, or travel history.
For example, you can send a follow-up email to guests who visited your property in Paris with a Bitly Link to your TripAdvisor profile and a message inviting them to leave a review. Another segment might receive a link to an exclusive rebooking offer, based on their past stay or favorite room type.
This level of targeting turns one-size-fits-all emails into personalized experiences that convert, and gives you the data to refine your strategy over time.
Send thank-you messages with personalized content
With Bitly Pages, you can create mobile-optimized, branded landing pages for guests. Use these pages to feature personalized content, like thank-you videos from each property’s guest services team or a link to a curated list of local restaurants and activities to check out on their next visit. You could even partner with nearby businesses to offer discounts for guests to use during their next stay. These interactive pages go beyond plain text to create a sense of recognition and value.
Because Bitly tracks engagement in real time, you’ll see what content resonates most. That insight helps you refine your messaging—whether it’s destination guides, upgrade offers, or loyalty sign-ups—and focus on what delivers measurable outcomes.
Drive loyalty sign-ups with mobile-friendly landing pages
Bitly Pages can also help guide guests to your loyalty program through a branded, mobile-friendly experience. Highlight perks, share details, and direct them to a simple sign-up form via URL.
Guests can scan a QR Code on a checkout slip or tap a link in a thank-you message to access the loyalty program landing page in seconds. And with Bitly’s tracking tools, you’ll see which links and QR Codes drive the most engagement so you can optimize what works.
Track every click and scan to measure engagement in real time
With Bitly, every short link and QR Code in your post-stay communication becomes a trackable asset. With upgraded plans, you get more detailed insights into how guests engage: days they click, where they’re located (city and country level), what device they’re using, and which channel (email, SMS, print, or app) sparked the interaction.
This data helps you pinpoint what’s working, spot underperforming touchpoints, and fine-tune your strategy for better guest engagement and stronger returns. With trackable Bitly Links and QR Codes, you can monitor engagement metrics across clicks, scans, device type, and location. Even better, depending on your plan, you can tie those insights back to specific campaigns or properties, giving marketing, loyalty, and ops teams a shared view of what’s working.
The result? Less time spent guessing and more time creating meaningful connections that convert.
Channels and touchpoints for post-stay communication
Bitly helps connect digital and physical touchpoints with personalized, trackable content, so every engagement adds value. Here’s how to leverage your guest interaction channels for the greatest success.
Email confirmations and thank-you emails
Use Bitly Links in post-stay emails to encourage meaningful next steps. Short, branded links can prompt a review, promote a rebooking incentive, or guide guests to your loyalty program. Link to Bitly Pages with thank-you videos, local guides, or personalized offers, and get insights into what content resonates most through Bitly Analytics, helping you fine-tune future outreach and improve engagement over time.
SMS follow-ups with embedded short links
A short link embedded in a text can guide guests to a review page, loyalty sign-up, or exclusive offer. With Bitly Analytics, you can see what kind of SMS content drives the most engagement.
And since guests almost always have their phones nearby, SMS is perfect for timely nudges, like completing their booking or filling out a quick survey.
In-room signage or checkout slips with QR Codes
Adding QR Codes to printed materials, like in-room signage or checkout slips, creates a direct, convenient bridge to digital content. With a quick scan, guests can access special offers, leave a review, or sign up for your loyalty program—all from their mobile devices.
Bitly Codes make it effortless to track every scan by location or device, giving you actionable insights to refine your follow-up strategy and improve guest response over time.
Social DMs and remarketing with trackable links
With 64.7% of the global population using social platforms, hotels can use Bitly Links in direct messages (DMs) or paid remarketing campaigns to encourage return visits and track engagement.
You might send a personalized Instagram DM with a Bitly Link to a special offer or rebooking page. In paid campaigns on Facebook, Google, or TikTok, embedded links provide insights into which channels drive the most rebookings so you can optimize accordingly.
Guest app messages with embedded Bitly Pages
For hotels with mobile apps, Bitly Pages can add value to in-app messaging by delivering personalized, mobile-first content. You might send a push notification linking to a Bitly Page with rebooking offers tailored to the guest’s stay history while tracking engagement in real time.
You can also use Bitly Pages to share destination guides, nearby attractions, or curated dining recommendations. Bitly tracks how many guests engaged with the content, giving you insight into their interests and helping you refine future messaging for greater relevance and impact.
Types of content to keep guests engaged after checkout
With tools like Bitly Links, QR Codes, and Pages, it’s easy to deliver personalized follow-ups that inspire action, whether that’s a rebooking, a review, or a loyalty sign-up. Here are a few ways to make every post-stay touchpoint more meaningful.
Exclusive offers for repeat bookings
Use Bitly Links to share exclusive offers in a format that’s easy to distribute and track. For example, you might offer 15% off if a guest rebooks within 10 days. A short, branded link in a post-stay email or SMS adds urgency and makes the offer feel exclusive.
Personalized local travel guides via Bitly Pages
Help guests imagine their next stay by sharing curated local recommendations. With Bitly Pages, you can create mobile-friendly travel guides filled with insider tips. Think top restaurants, seasonal events, or hidden gems unique to your destination.
These guides can be linked in thank-you emails or SMS follow-ups, adding extra value to your outreach. When guests receive content that reflects their interests or travel history, it builds trust and strengthens your connection.
Seasonal promotions linked through QR Codes
Create QR Codes that link directly to landing pages for upcoming holiday packages or weekend getaways, and place them in post-stay emails or printed postcards. For instance, if you have a winter weekend getaway or a spring festival package, include QR Codes that make it easy for past guests to explore the offer instantly—no app required.
This makes your promotions more accessible and supports contactless service in hotels through QR Codes, letting guests explore offers without needing to speak to staff or handle brochures.
When scanned, the code leads to a mobile landing page with offer details and a clear call to action (CTA). Bitly makes it easy to generate these QR Codes and track engagement, so you’ll know which promotions are landing and when to follow up promptly.
Surveys and feedback forms to improve service
Use Bitly Links in post-stay emails or texts to send guests to a short survey form. A custom-branded link builds trust and makes the invitation feel more personal. To go a step further, pair Bitly’s engagement metrics with tools like Google Analytics to get a fuller picture of guest behavior.
Bitly Analytics shows you who clicks your survey links, when they click, what device they use, and their location, giving you real-time data on engagement with your outreach messages. Meanwhile, Google Analytics can provide deeper insights into what happens after the click, such as how many guests actually complete the survey, how much time they spend on the page, and where they drop off.
These deeper insights help you identify service gaps, recognize standout staff, and continuously improve the guest experience.
Loyalty program invites with a custom short domain
Make it easy for satisfied guests to become loyal ones by simplifying enrollment. A custom short domain, like yourhotel.co/join, keeps your brand visible and gives your loyalty invites a polished, trustworthy look.
Branded Bitly Links are easy to recognize and remember, which helps drive more clicks. Whether you’re sharing them in email signatures, SMS messages, Instagram posts, or even printed thank-you cards, they add a layer of professionalism and brand consistency to every touchpoint.
With Bitly, you can also customize the back-half of each link—so instead of a generic string of characters, your links can look like yourhotel.co/rebook or yourhotel.co/vipoffer. And thanks to Bitly’s redirect feature, you can update where the link points at any time.
Paired with real-time analytics, these branded links give you a clear view of how many guests clicked or interacted with your loyalty offer, helping you understand engagement and optimize future campaigns with clearer data.
Using Bitly Pages to deliver value after the stay
Bitly Pages serve as a flexible, branded hub, and as part of a growing suite of hospitality technology solutions, they help extend the guest journey well beyond their stay.
Here’s how you can use them to offer continued value and build long-term loyalty.
Build mobile hubs for loyalty, rewards, or upgrades
Bitly Pages give you a branded, mobile-optimized space to organize everything your returning guests care about in one place.
This approach replaces scattered links across emails with a single, streamlined destination. Guests no longer have to hunt for information. Instead, they can easily see their current loyalty points balance, unlock a room upgrade for their next stay, or refer a friend to earn bonus points.
Branded short links help drive traffic, and Bitly Analytics shows which features are getting the most engagement so you can refine the experience and keep adding value over time.
Feature staff stories, behind-the-scenes content, or sustainability efforts
Guests connect more deeply with brands that feel human. Use Bitly Pages to showcase the people, culture, and values behind your hotel. You might share a behind-the-scenes video of your pastry chef crafting the hotel’s signature dessert, a day-in-the-life reel of your room service team, or a feature on how your property reduced plastic use by 80%.
These stories build emotional connection and long-term loyalty. Add Bitly Links to post-stay emails or app messages to guide guests to this content, and track which stories resonate most to inform future messaging.
Share curated partner content or destination guides
Guests aren’t just booking a room—they’re planning an experience. With Bitly Pages, you can create a branded, mobile-friendly hub featuring trusted local partners like restaurants, spas, tour operators, or transportation providers to round out their stay.
Simply add links, images, and brief descriptions to highlight partner offerings. Organize content by theme (“Wellness Weekend” or “Local Eats”) or timing (“Summer Specials”) to make discovery intuitive and engaging for guests.
It’s a win-win: Guests get more value from their visit, and your partners gain more exposure.
Plus, with Bitly Analytics, you can see exactly which partner links guests engage with, whether it’s bookings for a local wine tour, passes for a guided hiking excursion, or tickets to a nearby cultural event.
This helps you prioritize high-performing collaborations and negotiate stronger, ROI-positive partnerships backed by real engagement metrics.
Centralize rebooking options and property-specific offers
Make it easy for guests to plan their next staycation (or return trip) right from their phone. With Bitly Pages, you can build a dedicated, mobile-optimized rebooking center that reflects their previous stay.
Feature the same room type they previously booked, like a deluxe king with city views, or recommend upgrades with similar amenities, such as in-room jacuzzis or pet-friendly options.
You can also showcase time-sensitive deals tailored to the guest’s interests, such as a fall foliage package in Vermont or a wine tasting weekend at your Napa location, making the next booking feel just as curated as the last.
Bitly features that elevate hotel marketing
Bitly offers more than short links. Its features give hotel marketers the control, flexibility, and insight they need to personalize outreach, stay agile, and improve performance over time.
Here are a few ways Bitly can take your post-stay strategy to the next level.
Dynamic QR Code redirection for ongoing campaign use
With Dynamic QR Codes, you can update a code’s destination URL (available with a paid Bitly plan) even after it’s printed. That means you can reuse in-room signage, checkout slips, or other printed materials across multiple campaigns without having to redesign or reprint.
For example, you might link to a fall promo today, then redirect to a winter getaway package later using the same code.
Campaign tagging to compare different properties or regions
Use Bitly’s tagging system to label links by property, campaign, or region. This lets you compare how different locations perform and see which generates the most feedback, rebookings, or loyalty engagement, so you can adjust your strategy where it matters most.
Tagging helps your team keep your campaigns streamlined and easy to manage. Group links by guest type, like family members, business travelers, or VIPs, or sort by specific offers and follow-up campaigns. This streamlines your campaigns and keeps you organized as your post-stay outreach scales.
Branded short links to reinforce trust and drive clicks
Generic short links don’t inspire confidence. Bitly lets you use branded domains (like hotelname.co/rebook) to create short links that look clean, familiar, and professional. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference in trust and click-through rates.
QR Code customization to match brand and property identity
Design matters, especially in hospitality, where every touchpoint shapes perception. Bitly lets you customize your QR Codes to reflect your brand’s look and feel. Depending on your Bitly plan, you get varied customization options that allow you to choose custom colors, add frame text, include your logo, and adjust corner shapes to align with your hotel’s visual style.
Use them on keycards, check-in receipts, spa menus, or welcome folders to make QR Code interactions feel like a seamless part of the guest experience, not an afterthought. Branded codes build trust and make each scan feel intentional.
Exportable data for team reporting and ROI tracking
Bitly makes it simple to turn guest engagement into actionable insights. With exportable data, your team can analyze which links or codes received the most clicks or scans, helping you understand what’s resonating across properties and campaigns.
Performance insights, such as scan volume, location, and device used, can be shared across marketing, operations, and leadership teams to highlight what’s working and where there’s room to improve. With such data made easily accessible, Bitly supports smarter budgeting, more targeted outreach, and keeps guest communication aligned with broader business goals.
Multi-property and franchise hotel applications
For hotel groups and franchises, balancing consistency with local relevance is essential. Bitly’s tools help central teams empower individual hotel properties to personalize guest outreach without losing control of brand standards or campaign clarity.
Give regional managers visibility into engagement trends
Provide regional managers with access to performance data by location. With exportable dashboards and segmented reports, they can quickly see which properties drive the most engagement and fine-tune follow-up strategies based on real, location-specific insights.
Customize Bitly Pages per location for rebooking and local content
While brand consistency matters, guests expect personalized communication. Bitly Pages allow each property to create follow-ups tailored to the guest’s location, such as dining suggestions, local events, or rebooking deals, while staying visually and tonally on-brand.
Standardize QR Code signage across brands or rooms
Consistency builds trust, especially across multiple properties. Use branded QR Code templates for in-room signage, checkout materials, or lobby inserts to ensure a cohesive experience. Each code can still lead to location-specific content, such as regional offers or feedback forms, while maintaining a unified visual identity.
Use link tags to track property-specific offers or events
With link tagging, you can easily monitor how different properties and promotions perform. Use unique tags to segment by location, seasonal package, or loyalty incentive to spot trends, compare engagement, and refine future campaigns with precision.
Turn one-time guests into repeat visitors with Bitly
Personalized, trackable post-stay touchpoints can turn one-time guests into loyal brand advocates. When guests receive tailored, relevant offers and follow-ups, their connection to your hotel deepens, boosting the likelihood of rebookings and positive reviews. But to deliver effective engagement at scale, you need a platform that makes it easy to manage and measure every interaction.
The Bitly Connections Platform gives you the tools to create smarter follow-ups from one dashboard. Generate branded short links, customizable QR Codes, and mobile-optimized, no-code landing pages to connect with your guests even after they check out. With Bitly Analytics’ robust insights, turning engagement insights into measurable outcomes and actionable, personalized marketing efforts becomes easy.
Unlock smarter hotel engagement and turn every post-stay interaction into a lasting connection. Create a Bitly account today.
