Last Updated on August 14, 2020 by Lucienne
A guest welcome book is one of those special touches that can set the tone for a five-star guest experience. But writing that very important guest welcome book is not easy.
A guest book is a great way to make a guest feel welcome at their own pace. They may have been travelling for a while and they may not want to be bombarded with Airbnb house rules as they step through the door.
An Airbnb guest book is also a way to welcome guests if you are not around to present your charming smile yourself.
So what should be included in an Airbnb welcome book? Here are some ideas from our Cosy Garden Cottage welcome book to help you get started.
Information to include in your guest welcome book
Guest Welcome
This is the part where the charming smile needs to come through in your words. Keep it brief and to the point. Most people won’t want to read about your life history.
Something along the lines of ‘Welcome to our cottage. We hope that this will be your home away from home while you are with us’. If you get a lot of foreign travellers you could mention a welcome to the country or city too.
Essential Information
Wi-Fi user name and password. your guests will most probably want to be able to let their families know that they have arrived safely. If they are foreign they may not have a local phone – they are going to need the WiFi user name and password details. Make sure this is the first item in your house rules and very obvious. Some people have the information printed and framed in an obvious spot on the wall.
Emergency Numbers. Include a list of emergency numbers for your area. This will include Police, Fire and Ambulance. The address and contact details of your closest general practitioner and the closest pharmacy. Don’t forget to list your own number!
Committed to Clean. Since the start of the Corona Virus, Airbnb have introduced their new Enhanced Cleaning Protocol. This is a comprehensive guide on how to clean and sanitise your space between guests. Included in the cleaning handbook is a ‘Committed To Clean’ printout that you can include in your welcome book. This details the steps that you have taken to clean and sanitise your space to keep them safe.
Airbnb House Rules
Security and keys. This is also where you would also mention anything about the gate or the burglar alarm and what to do when coming and going.
Parking. Direct your guests to the correct parking bay for off-street parking if you have off-street parking. Otherwise, explain the street parking and any considerations with regards to parking on your neighbours’ verge. You don’t want your guest to be chased away from his choice of parking by a neighbour.
Cleaning. If you offer a cleaning service, included or extra, explain how often this will occur and how it can be arranged. If it is an extra charge make sure your pricing is very clear, you don’t want to end up with a pricing dispute when the guest leaves at the end of their stay.
Check out. This would have been outlined in your listing but here is your chance to re-iterate the check out time and what the guest should do with the keys. You don’t want to be under pressure getting your space ready for the next guest. It also allows them to plan their departure and for you to plan your cleaning schedule.
Airbnb House Manual
It may be obvious to you as to what’s what in your space but it might not be for your guests. The guest information book should also act as an Airbnb house manual to answer questions about your space. This will avoid any frustration for the guest and ensure they get the best use out of your property. This is in turn will more likely lead to a positive review at the end of their stay.
Include a few ‘how-to’ guides for the appliances in your vacation rental welcome book. It may be very obvious to you how everything works but it may not be so obvious to your guests. Include instructions on how to operate everything to avoid frustration. If you have a TV, these instructions should come first. Turning on the TV is most likely to be the first thing the guest is going to want to do. Leave precise instructions on how to work the cable TV or Netflix.
Other user guides may be included for items such as the coffee machine, washing machine, dishwasher. How to access the garden, if you have one, and where to find the cushions for the outside furniture. Long stay guests will need to know which days are the rubbish collections days.
Guidebook For Your Area
If your guest is new to your country or area a bit of guidance and a few recommendations will go a long way to making them feel at home. Here are some ideas to include in your Airbnb guide book:
Include a map of your local area. On the map point out the public transport points as well as the local supermarket where food supplies can be bought. Recommend some local taxi services, like Uber, to help guests get around if they don’t want to make use of public transport.
List the local restaurants, coffee shops and bars that are within walking distance. Include a few menus of the places you’ve tried and would recommend.
Most guests will want to see some of the areas in your local region. List some great sightseeing options and things to do. If you haven’t done a particular tour yourself get some feedback from your guests so that you know if it is something you can recommend to future guests. If you offer an Airbnb Experience this will be an opportunity to let your guests know about it.
Shop
If you have a small business making things from home, home cooking or crafts, including a mention of these in your guest book may lead to that extra sale you were looking for. Include a catalogue of your products in the welcome book.
Presentation of your guest welcome book
Now that you have all the content next is to consider the presentation of your Airbnb guest welcome book carefully. There is a lot of information in there and you want your guest to read it.
Table of contents
Ensure you have included a table of contents upfront. This will enable the guest to flick to the section of most interest. The most important information such as WiFi and emergency numbers should be easily accessible at the beginning of the book.
Presentation and Placement
You have put a lot of work into putting the book together so protect the pages as much as possible. Use a folder with plastic sleeves to slip your pages into. This will also make it easy to clean and sanitise the book between guests.
Consider where you are going to leave the guest welcome book. You want the guest to read it, so choose a prominent position where it can be easily found. When the guest arrives mention to them that there is a guest welcome book to encourage them to read it.
Now that you have some ideas start gathering all the information that you need to include in your Airbnb welcome book. Writing a guest welcome book can be a daunting task, there is a lot of information and effort that goes into it. Try to keep the purpose of the book in mind. You want to give you guest a warm hearty welcome and set the tone for a comfortable stay. The ultimate goal is to receive that five-star review at the end of their stay.
If you would like to get some more ideas for your Airbnb listing why not take a look at my Cosy Garden Cottage for more inspiration.
Thank you for reading my post. If you are looking for more ideas perhaps you would like to read my other posts:
Enhanced Cleaning Protocol
Airbnb Provides a Free Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Styling Your Space for Professional Photography
10 Special Touches That Get 5-Star Reviews
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