Can I pass a customer's special request such as a late arrival or twin beds to the hotel?

Yes, in most cases you can send a special request with a hotel booking, but you cannot promise your customer that the hotel will act on it. Most hotel booking APIs include a free text field, often called remarks or special requests, where you can add a note such as a late arrival, a quiet room, twin beds instead of a double, or the fact that the stay is a honeymoon. Whatever is typed there is passed to the supplier and then on to the property.

These notes travel as a request, not as part of what your customer has paid for. The hotel sees them when the reservation arrives and will usually try to help, but the confirmation does not commit it to a particular room, floor or bed type. Some suppliers pass requests on in English only, and some shorten very long notes, so short and clear wording works best.

A few things are handled properly rather than as free text. An accessible room, an extra bed for a child, or a guaranteed early check in is sometimes offered as a real booking option or a paid extra on certain rates, and that is far more reliable than a typed note. Whether your connected suppliers offer this depends on the supplier and on the rate you are booking, so it differs from one property to the next.

If a request really matters, treat the note as a backup, tell your customer plainly that it is not confirmed, and contact the hotel closer to the stay. Check where the special request box sits on your booking screen, and check the wording of your confirmation email so customers are not left expecting a promise.