The average email open rate in hospitality is 18–25%. Venues that consistently hit 50%+ have one thing in common: subject lines that read like a text from a friend.
What works
- “Quick one about Thursday”
- “The new whisky just landed”
- “Sorry, last call on the Easter booking”
- “Two seats left, 6pm tomorrow”
What doesn’t
- “Newsletter — May 2026”
- “Exciting news from [venue name]!”
- “Don’t miss out — book now”
The pattern
One specific thing, a low-key tone, no hype words. The customer’s mental model is “is this for me?”. If the subject line answers “yes” in three seconds, you get the open.