Finding the best SMS marketing platform for hospitality depends on how you talk to guests before, during and after a stay or a meal. This guide compares five options for hotels and restaurants: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo, Constant Contact, and Attentive.
We looked at guest lifecycle automation, including reservation confirmations, pre-arrival and pre-visit reminders, and post-stay or post-visit win-back messages. We also checked how well each platform helps you drive bookings and promote events. We also compared 10DLC compliance support and whether SMS stands alone or comes with email.
How we compared these platforms for hospitality
Every platform faced the same five checks, each tied to what hotels and restaurants need from text messaging. Here is what we looked at:
- Guest lifecycle automation: We reviewed support for reservation confirmations, pre-arrival and pre-visit reminders, and post-stay or post-visit win-back messages.
- Booking and event promotion: We checked how easily each platform sends offers that bring guests in, such as a new hotel package, a spa special for the month, a wine dinner with a local winemaker, or a favorite menu item that is back. These messages help fill rooms, tables, and ticketed events.
- 10DLC compliance support: US carriers require businesses to register before they text from standard 10-digit numbers. Vendor support for this varies, so confirm how each platform handles registration before you sign up.
- Pricing and signup: We checked whether rates are listed publicly and whether you can get started alone or must talk to sales first.
- SMS with email or on its own: We considered whether SMS is included with email tools or sold as its own product.
Our comparisons hub uses the same approach for other tools.
If you also want to understand what keeps audiences interested, see our customer engagement report.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp works well for small hotels and restaurants that already email guests through its email marketing platform and want to add texting without a second login. Its SMS marketing tools run alongside email and automations. Mailchimp also offers hotel marketing and restaurant marketing tools for each type of business.
Pricing
- SMS is an add-on to any paid Email plan; credits from $20/mo (1K) to $2,500/mo (450K)
- Self-serve from $13/mo; SMS setup includes a short application & approval before you can send
Hospitality fit
- Best for: Small hotels and restaurants looking for affordable, self-serve guest texting for offers, reminders & events, bundled with email.
- Shared inbox: Email and SMS replies land in one Mailchimp Inbox, which staff can also manage from the Mailchimp mobile app when they're away from the front desk.
- Promotions and events: Announce a new package, a September spa offer, or a winemaker dinner by text, then send the details by email. Mailchimp users saw up to a 2x higher click rate when they used both Email and SMS.*
- Email-to-SMS follow-up: Mailchimp can turn an email about a new package or a returning menu item into an SMS campaign, with AI suggestions to help you adapt the copy.
- Multi-audience SMS: Hotel groups and restaurants with several locations can set up a separate SMS audience for each one, each with its own sending number, so guests get relevant texts from the location they know.
Limitations
- Separate credit charges: Credits are billed apart from the base plan, so count both when you budget.
- Missing hospitality tooling: Unlike dedicated hotel SMS tools, Mailchimp has no hospitality-specific templates or PMS-native triggers.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo appeals to restaurants that want texting linked to one email and SMS customer platform. Its platform covers email, SMS, and WhatsApp and adds a B2C CRM. Its platform covers email, SMS, and WhatsApp and adds a B2C CRM.
Pricing
- Email + SMS plan from about $35/mo (500 profiles), including monthly SMS credits; extra credits billed on top
- Bills on active profiles, so cost scales with list size regardless of send volume
Hospitality fit
- Best for: Restaurants that want SMS connected to a single email and SMS customer platform.
- Ecommerce-first design: Segments and flows revolve around purchase data, so reservations and table bookings fit less naturally than online orders do.
Limitations
- List-driven cost increases: As your guest list expands, profile-based billing can raise your bill even if you send no additional messages.
- Fewer countries: SMS covers around 23 countries, so hotels with international guests should verify the current list with Klaviyo.
- Limited support channels: Paid plans get 24/7 email and 24/5 live chat, but there is no phone support.
Brevo
Brevo keeps costs manageable for independent properties because pricing follows email volume rather than contacts stored. Email and SMS share a platform, with WhatsApp available on the Professional plan, so guests can hear from you on the channel they prefer. Read Mailchimp vs Brevo for a direct comparison.
Pricing
- SMS billed per message, varying by country; prepaid credits never expire; Starter from $9/mo
- Priced by email volume sent, not contacts stored, so SMS is the added variable cost
Hospitality fit
- Best for: Budget-conscious independent properties that text large guest lists only occasionally.
- Generous contact storage: The Free plan holds up to 100,000 contacts, which suits hotels and restaurants holding a large past-guest list.
- Integration library: Confirm any booking engine or PMS connection directly with Brevo.
Limitations
- Automation & Whatsapp on higher plans: Full guest lifecycle automation starts on the Standard plan ($18/mo), and Free & Starter cap automations at 2,000 contacts. WhatsApp starts on the Professional plan ($499/mo).
- Volume-based text costs: Because each text is billed individually, an announcement to a big list can become expensive.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact gives small hospitality teams a straightforward way to text alongside email. SMS is an add-on on lower plans and part of Premium. Our comparison between Mailchimp vs Constant Contact shows where the two platforms differ.
Pricing
- SMS add-on from $10/mo (500 messages) on Lite/Standard; included on Premium ($80/mo)
- Lite from $12/mo, Standard from $35/mo, Premium from $80/mo (all at 500 contacts, price rises steeply with list size)
Hospitality fit
- Best for: Small, lean hospitality teams looking for a simple SMS add-on.
- AI Campaign Builder: Standard & up can generate drafts for an email, social posts & text messages from one prompt, which helps a single-location restaurant without a marketing team; custom automations require Premium.
Limitations
- Extra fee on lower tiers: Lite and Standard charge for texting, while Premium includes it.
- US-only texting: SMS works only in the United States, which limits outreach to international guests.
- Custom automation requires Premium: Lite includes one automation template and Standard includes three. Custom automations require Premium ($80/mo).
Attentive
Attentive puts texting first and is the other platform, along with Klaviyo. Large hospitality groups with the budget and volume for a dedicated SMS platform will find the most value here. Our page on Mailchimp vs. Attentive provides a closer look.
Pricing
- Hybrid subscription + usage; reported minimum of $2,000 to $3,000 per quarter; custom Order Form rates, no public rate card
- Optional short code from $750/mo; demo-gated, rates sit behind a sales call rather than a public pricing page
Hospitality fit
- Best for: High-volume hospitality groups looking for an SMS-first platform.
- AI tools: Attentive Concierge pairs conversational AI with live agents, and AI Pro adds predictive audiences, send-time optimization & brand voice tools.
Limitations
- Demo-first signup: Attentive requires a demo and a sales call, and pricing arrives through a custom Order Form before you can text.
- Costs built for scale: A quarterly minimum and monthly short-code fee rarely fit one independent hotel or restaurant.
- Separate reply streams: Attentive offers no inbox spanning channels, which Mailchimp provides for email and SMS.
Picking the right SMS platform for your hotel or restaurant
Deciding on the best SMS marketing platform for hotels comes down to your property size and how you plan to text guests. Answer these questions to narrow your list:
- Property type: A single independent hotel or restaurant usually needs an affordable, simple setup. A multi-location group can use Mailchimp's multi-audience SMS to text each location's guests from its own number, or weigh a dedicated platform with deeper SMS features.
- Budget model: Pay-per-text (Brevo), profile-based billing (Klaviyo), and a quarterly minimum (Attentive) suit different budgets.
- Signup preference: Attentive is the only platform here that requires a demo first. The other four let you begin on your own.
- Automation needs: Decide whether you want flows built around guest lifecycle moments or a lighter add-on that sits beside your email.
For a single-location business, the best SMS marketing for restaurants is often a bundled add-on that covers reminders, offers and event announcements without extra tools. Larger groups can weigh the depth of a dedicated platform. To plan your messages, read our guide on SMS marketing for hotels.
Reach more guests with Mailchimp SMS
Add text messaging to the way you connect with guests. Send package offers, event announcements, and reservation reminders by SMS, then follow up by email, all from one account. Text message marketing for hotels and restaurants gives you a direct way to bring guests back to your rooms and tables.
Disclaimers:
*Up to 2x Higher Click Rate: Based on US Mailchimp users who sent both email and SMS campaigns compared to users who sent email-only campaigns from 8/1/23 to 7/28/26. Individual results may vary.