If you already have a business phone number you want to keep, you can port it to Hello Hotel without changing the number your guests already know. This article covers what porting is, what you'll need before you start, and how the process works end-to-end.
Number porting transfers ownership of your existing phone number from your current provider to Hello Hotel. Your guests keep dialing the same number — they won't notice anything has changed.
You can port:
A landline business number (front desk, reservations line, main number)
A mobile or VoIP business number from another provider
You can't port a personal mobile number tied to a consumer account, or a number that's already been disconnected.
A typical port takes a few business days from submission to activation, but timing depends on your current carrier. You can follow your request through four stages under Settings → Phone Numbers → Port Requests:
Pending Approval — your request is in review with a Hello Hotel admin
Approved — your request has been validated and submitted to the carrier
Scheduled — the carrier has confirmed an activation window
Active — the number is live on Hello Hotel
Your old number keeps working until the activation window. Don't cancel service with your current carrier until the port is complete.
Porting requires details that come from your current carrier — not from your business records. Gather these before you start:
The account ID with your current carrier. You'll find it on your bill or by signing into your carrier's online portal.
The address on file with your current carrier. This must match exactly. If your carrier has an old address from when you signed up, use that one — not your current location. Address mismatch is one of the top reasons ports get rejected.
Only required if you've locked your account with a PIN. If you've never set one up, you can skip this field.
A written confirmation from your current carrier authorizing the port-out. Most carriers email an LOA when you request to cancel or transfer service — that email is usually accepted as your LOA upload.
Contact your current provider and tell them you want to port your number to a new provider. Ask for a Letter of Authorization. Most carriers will:
Confirm your identity (account number, PIN, business name)
Email you an LOA confirming the port-out request
If your carrier sends a confirmation email instead of a formal LOA, save it as a PDF and upload that — Hello Hotel will accept either format. If your carrier refuses or stalls, use the chat widget on this page or on hellohotel.co, or email us at [email protected] and we'll help.
Once you have your carrier info gathered:
Go to Settings → Phone Numbers and click Port a Number
Enter the phone number you want to port (10 digits or full E.164 format)
We'll check portability — most numbers come back as Fast Port within seconds
Fill in the Account Holder Information using your current carrier's records — not your business's mailing address
Upload your LOA as a PDF, PNG, or JPG (max 5MB). A recent invoice from your current carrier is optional but can speed up approval
Pick a scheduled activation date. Dates aren't guaranteed — the carrier will do its best to honor the requested window
Review and submit
After submission, your port shows as Pending Approval under Port Requests. You can cancel while it's still pending.
If your port comes back rejected, it's almost always one of these:
Address mismatch — the service address doesn't match the carrier's records
Name mismatch — the business name on the account doesn't match what you entered (for example, you entered your DBA but the carrier has the LLC)
Wrong account number — typos, or you used a customer ID instead of the account number
Missing or incorrect PIN — your account is locked with a PIN you didn't include
Account not in good standing — past-due balances or active contracts can block a port
You'll get a notification with the reason. Fix the issue and submit again — there's no penalty for resubmitting.
Once approved and scheduled, your number activates automatically at the start of the confirmed window.
A few things to know:
Don't cancel your old service early. Your number stays with your current carrier until the activation window, so canceling early can break the port.
Test calls and texts after activation. Have someone outside your business call and text the ported number to confirm everything's working.
Update your old voicemail greeting before the port if you want to redirect callers — once the port completes, you won't have access to the old carrier's system.
Start with the LOA. It's the most common bottleneck. Request it from your carrier before you open the wizard so you're not stuck waiting mid-flow.
Use exact records, not memory. Pull a recent bill and copy the account number and service address directly from it. Don't retype.
One number at a time is fine. If you have multiple numbers to port, you can submit them as separate requests.
