Product Updates: New Features Tab, Public Guest Link, Payment Receipts and More!
- Anu Metsallik
- 20 hours ago
- 4 min read
New Features Tab & Public Guest Link
We’ve introduced a new Features tab that allows hotels to control which functionalities are visible to guests. You can now enable or disable individual features (e.g. hide casting if it’s not in use), sort and control how they appear in the guest app.
The Features tab also provides a public hotel link containing your hotel information. Guests can log into their personal account from the public page using the email linked to their reservation. Logged-in guests can now also log out and continue using the public guest page.
The public page currently supports Guest Directory and 1-click phone calls, soon Chat and Extra Services will also be available.
This public hotel link can be easily shared via:
Booking confirmation emails
QR codes in rooms or public areas
Your hotel website
The Guest Directory recently received a design update. If you haven’t updated your content yet, please check out this post for more instructions.
Copying Personal Guest Link from HotelBuddy Admin
Hotels can now copy personal guest links directly from the HotelBuddy admin Guest list view. This makes it easy for hotel staff to include a guest’s personal link directly in booking confirmation emails or other manual communications sent by the hotel. This ensures guests receive direct access to their registration and guest journey without extra steps.
Access & Availability
This functionality is enabled per user and available on request only.
To enable access, please email support@hotelbuddy.eu and include the hotel name and names or email addresses of users who need access.
Result
Faster and more flexible guest communication.
Easier manual sending of personal guest links.
Better control over who can access and share guest-specific links.
Activate Stripe Receipts for Guests
Hotels can enable automatic Stripe payment receipts so guests receive confirmation emails after successful payments and refunds.
How to enable
Log in to your Stripe Dashboard: https://dashboard.stripe.com/login
Go to Settings → Emails → Customer emails
Under Payment receipts, enable:
Email customers about successful payments
Email customers about refunds (optional)
Optional: Customize branding in Settings → Branding to update your logo, brand colour, company name, and support contact.
Result
Guests automatically receive payment receipts.
Fewer payment-related questions.
More professional, branded communication.
NB! Important note on Stripe verification changes: Since November 2025 Stripe has introduced new verification requirements for connected accounts in Europe. Hotels may be asked to provide additional information, such as representative details or business registration data. Please ensure that business owners or account administrators do not ignore any verification emails or in-dashboard messages from Stripe, as failure to complete the requested verification may result in account restrictions or closure.
Finnish Personal Code Collection
(Important for Finnish hotels)
Hotels in Finland can now request the Finnish personal identity code (Henkilötunnus) from Finnish citizens. This supports better compliance with local Finnish regulations while simplifying the guest experience.
How to enable
Enable personal code collection: Settings → Guest journey → Guest info → Ask Finnish citizens for their personal identity code
AFfter that disable the need for document upload for Finnish guests: Settings → Guest journey → Documents → Add Finland to the “Don’t ask document” column.
Remember to save all changes.
Result
Improved regulatory compliance for Finnish hotels.
Faster and smoother registration flow for Finnish guests.
Reduced need for document uploads where not required.
PMS Notes Fallback Handling
Sometimes the PMS (especially Hotsoft) fails not update guest notes during online check-in. Previously, this caused an error message to appear and prevented the guest from continuing. We have resolved this: if the PMS does not update the notes, the guest will no longer see an error message and can continue and complete the online check-in without interruption. Reception receives an email notifying them that the PMS notes might need a manual update.
Result
Guests complete registration without interruptions.
Hotels are informed immediately when manual action is required.
No negative impact on the guest experience.
Automatic Arrival Info & Special Requests Email
Reception now always receives an email with guest arrival details and special requests as soon as the guest completes the “Arrival & Preferences” step. Some hotels have requested to receive the information via email as soon as the guest inserts them not to miss any requests or updates instead of relying solely on PMS notes, which can often be overlooked.
The email set to the reception includes:
Guest name & reservation number
Arrival time
Arrival by car + car number (if provided)
Special requests
Travel purpose (Work / Leisure)
Result
Reception receives critical guest information immediately.
Special requests are visible and actionable earlier in the guest journey.
Reduced dependence on constantly checking PMS notes.
Company Details Email Sent on Save
Company details are now sent to reception as soon as the guest saves them, even if the payment is not completed. Previously, company information was only shared after successful payment. If the guest abandoned the payment flow, the hotel would not receive the company details, resulting in lost information and repeat data entry.
Result
Company details are no longer lost if payment is not completed.
Reception receives the information earlier and more reliably.
Less friction for both guests and hotel staff.
New Limited User Roles
Some hotels have requested better control over sensitive guest data, as many staff members do not need access to passport details for their daily tasks. We’ve introduced two new user roles with restricted access to guest document details:
Limited Manager
Limited Receptionist
These roles have the same functional permissions as Manager and Receptionist without access to guest document details (e.g. passport information). For better data safety, we recommend assigning these roles to all users who do not require access to document details.
Result
Improved data protection and compliance.
Reduced exposure of sensitive guest information.
Clearer role-based access control.
