Guest Profiles

A guest profile is the property's memory of a guest. It holds contact information, stay history, preferences, internal notes, and any flags that help staff deliver consistent service. When a guest returns after six months and finds that the front desk already knows they prefer a high floor and a firm pillow, that experience is built on a well-maintained profile.

This guide covers how to view, create, and enrich guest profiles, how to handle duplicates, and how profiles integrate with the check-in workflow.

Viewing Guest Profiles

Navigate to Guests (under the Front Desk section) or use the global Search bar to find a guest by name, email, phone number, or loyalty ID. The search returns matching profiles ranked by relevance.

A guest profile contains the following sections:

• Contact Information — Name, email, phone number, address, and identification details.
• Stay History — A chronological list of all previous stays, including dates, room types, rates, and folio totals.
• Preferences — Room preferences (floor, bed type, view), dietary requirements, and any other standing requests.
• Notes — Internal notes added by staff during or after stays. These are not visible to the guest.
• Loyalty & Membership — Loyalty program tier, membership number, and points balance if integrated with an external loyalty system.

Click any previous stay in the history to view the archived folio, including charges and payment details.

Creating a Guest Profile

Guest profiles are created automatically during the reservation or check-in process. When you enter a new guest's details into a reservation, the system creates a profile and links it to that reservation.

To create a profile manually — for example, for a corporate contact who has not yet made a reservation — navigate to Guests (under the Front Desk section) and click New Profile. Enter at least the guest's name and one contact method (email or phone). The more information you capture, the easier it will be to find and use the profile later.

Adding Notes to Profiles

Notes are the most valuable part of a guest profile after contact information. They capture context that no system field can hold — the kind of information that makes a returning guest feel recognized.

What Makes a Good Note

Good notes are specific, factual, and actionable. They help the next person who reads the profile make better decisions.

Good examples:

• "Guest is allergic to feather pillows — always assign foam pillows. Confirmed 2026-01-15."
• "Traveling for work, prefers early check-in. Will usually call ahead to request."
• "Celebrated 25th anniversary during stay (2025-11-20). Spouse's name is Maria."
• "Complained about street noise in room 203 (2026-02-10). Avoid lower-floor street-facing rooms."

Poor examples:

• "Nice guy." (Not actionable.)
• "Difficult guest." (Subjective and potentially biased. If there was an issue, describe the specific situation and resolution instead.)
• "VIP." (Use the VIP flag field instead of a note. Notes should add context beyond what structured fields capture.)
• "Do NOT give upgrade." (If there is a reason, explain it. A note like this without context will be ignored or misinterpreted.)

Adding a Note

Open the guest profile, scroll to the Notes section, and click Add Note. Write your note using the guidelines above. Notes are timestamped and attributed to the user who created them, so there is no need to add your name or the date manually.

Notes are permanent and visible to all front desk staff. Write them as though a manager or the guest themselves might read them — because operationally, they might.

Handling Duplicate Profiles

Duplicates happen. A guest books through an OTA using one email address and then books directly using another. A reservations agent creates a new profile without searching first. Over time, the same person ends up with two or more profiles, each holding fragments of their history.

Finding Duplicates

The system periodically flags potential duplicates based on matching names, email addresses, and phone numbers. You can also search manually if you suspect a guest has multiple profiles — for example, if a returning guest's profile shows no stay history when you know they have stayed before.

Navigate to Guests under the Front Desk section and check for flagged duplicates to see potential matches. Each entry shows the two (or more) profiles and the fields that matched.

Merging Profiles

Using Profiles During Check-In

The guest profile is surfaced automatically during check-in. When you pull up a reservation, the linked profile appears in a side panel showing preferences, notes, and stay history.

Use this information to:

• Assign the right room. If the profile notes a preference for high floors or a specific room that the guest liked on a previous stay, factor that into your room selection.
• Acknowledge returning guests. A simple "Welcome back" goes a long way. The stay history tells you how many times the guest has stayed and when their last visit was.
• Anticipate requests. If the profile notes that the guest always requests extra towels or a late check-out, proactively address those needs rather than waiting for the guest to ask.
• Avoid past problems. If a note documents a previous complaint — for example, noise from a specific room or floor — make sure you do not assign a room that would repeat the experience.

If the check-in guest does not have a profile linked (common with OTA bookings where the name does not match exactly), search for an existing profile before creating a new one. Match by email or phone number, which are more reliable than name matching.

Real-World Scenario: Merging Duplicate Profiles

A guest named David Chen checks in for a 3-night stay. You pull up his reservation and see the linked profile shows zero previous stays. But you recognize the name — he stayed at the property two months ago, and you remember he had a specific room preference.

You search for "David Chen" and find two profiles:

• Profile A (linked to the current reservation): Created by the OTA. Has an email of [email protected]. No stay history, no notes.
• Profile B: Created during a direct booking two months ago. Has an email of [email protected]. Shows one previous stay in room 712 (King Deluxe, high floor). Notes include "Prefers high floor, firm mattress. Business traveler — needs receipt emailed to [email protected]."

These are clearly the same person.

The entire process takes under two minutes and transforms a generic check-in into a personalized experience.

Common Mistakes

Creating profiles without searching first. This is the number one cause of duplicate profiles. It takes five seconds to search by email or phone before creating a new profile. Make it a non-negotiable habit — search first, create second.

Writing vague or subjective notes. Notes like "difficult" or "good guest" are useless at best and harmful at worst. They do not give the next agent enough information to act on, and subjective labels can introduce bias. Describe specific situations and outcomes instead.

Not updating profiles after stays. A profile is only as good as its last update. If a guest mentions a new preference, a new allergy, or a new corporate affiliation during a stay, add it to the profile before or during check-out. Stale profiles lead to stale service.

Merging profiles without careful review. Because merges are irreversible, a careless merge — combining two profiles that actually belong to different people with similar names — creates a mess that cannot be undone. Always compare identifying details (email, phone, address) before merging, not just names.

Ignoring the profile during check-in. The profile panel appears during check-in for a reason. Skipping it means you miss preferences, notes from previous stays, and opportunities to acknowledge returning guests. Build profile review into your check-in routine — it takes seconds and pays dividends in guest satisfaction.

Not recording guest complaints. When a guest has a bad experience — a noisy room, a billing error, a maintenance issue — record it in the profile notes with the specifics and the resolution. This protects both the guest and the property: the guest does not have to repeat their issue on the next stay, and the property can demonstrate that it took corrective action.