New on WhatsApp: Your Hotel Can Now Have an @Username

Anyone working in reservations and traveler experience knows that WhatsApp is no longer just a customer service channel. Today, it is one of the main gateways for new travelers, recovering sales opportunities, and building relationships throughout the entire journey.

Therefore, any new feature on WhatsApp deserves attention.

Recently, Meta began rolling out the ability to set a @username for accounts using the API. While it may seem like a simple change, it brings significant benefits to the digital presence of hotels.

What changes for hotels?

Until now, a WhatsApp Business account’s identity was closely tied to its phone number. With this update, hotels will be able to use a unique @username, making their brand more recognizable on WhatsApp.

According to Meta, the feature was also designed to improve privacy and security. Instead of sharing a phone number—which is often linked to many aspects of a person’s or business’s life—hotels will be able to start conversations using only their @username.

Meta also states that there will be no public directory or username suggestions. To contact a business for the first time, users will need to know its exact @username.

Another important detail is that, once the feature is available and the @username is enabled, people who message the hotel for the first time will see its username instead of its phone number. This enhances account privacy while reinforcing the hotel’s brand identity.

In practice, this means:

• Stronger brand identity.
• Greater credibility when travelers start a conversation.
• Improved privacy, as the phone number is no longer the primary identifier of the account.
• A more consistent brand presence across channels such as Instagram and Facebook.
• A more professional profile aligned with modern communication best practices.

For hotel chains, this feature also represents an opportunity to better organize the identity of each unit or the main brand.

Thus, when capturing and directing leads to your hotel’s WhatsApp, it will be easier for the traveler to recognize your brand.

How to Reserve Your Hotel’s @username

Reserving an @username is not done through the Asksuite platform. The process is handled directly in Meta Business Manager (WhatsApp Manager), where Meta makes the feature available to eligible accounts.

Simply access the desired WhatsApp number and navigate to:

WhatsApp Manager → Phone Numbers → Select the number → Profile → Username

Keep in mind:

• The feature is being rolled out gradually by Meta. If the Username option is not yet available in your account, you will need to wait until it is enabled for your business.
• Each WhatsApp number can have only one @username, and each @username must be unique across the platform.
• To maintain brand consistency, Meta recommends using the same name already used on Instagram or Facebook whenever possible.
• Although the reservation process is handled directly through Meta, Asksuite customers can rely on our Support and Customer Success teams if they have questions about the process or need guidance on choosing the best @username for their hotel.

A detail worth noting

As with other Meta features, each @username is unique.

In other words, the sooner the company defines its strategy, the greater the chances of securing an identifier aligned with its brand.

Here at Asksuite, we are already closely monitoring this new development and assisting our clients throughout the process.

Our goal is for hotels to take advantage of this evolution without complications, maintaining a professional presence prepared for the platform’s next updates.

WhatsApp continues to evolve

In recent years, we have seen WhatsApp transform into a strategic tool for the hotel industry: automated service, sending quotes, recovering reservations, campaigns, sales follow-ups, integration with CRMs, and much more.

Now, the arrival of the @username is another step in this evolution, reinforcing that WhatsApp is increasingly focused on strengthening communication between companies and customers.

If your hotel uses WhatsApp, it is worth paying attention to this new feature.

Content developed by Victor Andrade, Senior Channel Success at Asksuite.