Overview

You can give guests your own list of where to eat, what to do, and what to see, and have those picks woven into your automated guest messages automatically. You add them once in the property guide; ArrivHQ drops the relevant ones into the right message at the right point in the stay.

Picks are grouped into four kinds:

  • Food & drink — {{local_food}}
  • Things to do — {{local_activity}}
  • Sights & attractions — {{local_attraction}}
  • Local tips — {{local_tip}}

How it works

Add a pick

Open a property, go to the Property Guide, and find the Local recommendations section. Each kind has its own + Add button. For each pick you set:

  • Name — the spot's name (e.g. "Blue Door Bakery").
  • A line about why you love it — a short note that gives the guest your take.
  • Link — an optional https:// URL to the spot's site or menu.
  • Show on — which day of the stay this pick appears (see below).
  • Verified — the checkbox that lets the pick reach guests.

Mark a pick Verified

Only verified picks reach guests. A new pick starts unverified so an AI-suggested or half-finished entry never goes out by accident. Once you have checked the details, mark it Verified (the toggle reads "✓ Verified" once on). Unverified picks are skipped from real sends.

Choose which day each pick appears

The Show on picker controls when a pick surfaces in messages:

  • Every day — eligible for any message during the stay.
  • Check-in day — appears on day-of-arrival content.
  • Day 2, Day 3, and so on — appears on the matching day of the stay, counting from check-in.

This lets you pace recommendations — a coffee spot on Check-in day, a hike on Day 2 — instead of dumping everything in one message. Mid-stay messages are the natural home for day-by-day picks.

How picks reach the message

In your message templates, leave the matching block in place — for example {{local_food}}. When a message goes out, ArrivHQ pulls your verified picks of that kind whose Show on day matches the message's day in the stay (or that are set to Every day), and renders them as a self-contained block with a warm heading. To keep messages readable, each block includes up to 3 picks per send.

Limits & requirements

  • Local recommendations in messages are available on the Host and Portfolio plans.
  • Only picks marked Verified appear in real guest sends. Unverified picks are dropped.
  • Each block renders up to 3 picks per send, ordered by their position in the guide.
  • A block with no eligible verified picks renders as nothing, so it is safe to leave the variable in every template.
  • Picks also appear in the guest's stay portal during the stay, not only in messages.

FAQ

Why didn't my new restaurant show up in a test message? The most common reason is that it is not marked Verified yet. Open the pick in the property guide and turn on Verified, then re-run the test.

What does "Every day" mean versus "Day 2"? "Every day" makes a pick eligible for any day of the stay. "Day 2" (or any numbered day) limits it to that day, counting from check-in, so you can time a pick to a specific point in the trip.

Can I add more than three picks of one kind? Yes. You can add as many as you like. Each message shows up to 3 of the eligible verified picks to keep the message readable; the rest are still available to the guest in the stay portal.

Do I need to add the picks to each message myself? No. Add them once in the property guide and leave the matching block ({{local_food}}, etc.) in your templates. ArrivHQ selects the right picks for each message automatically.

Do these picks show up anywhere other than messages? Yes. Verified picks also appear in the guest's stay portal during the stay, so guests can browse them alongside the rest of your guide.