By The Hospitable Team
A well-designed Airbnb welcome book lets you welcome your guests at your property even if you’re not there. It allows you to create a great first impression on your guests, provide them with useful information about your rental space, and ensure they have a great vacation.
Here are tips on what details to include in your welcome book to make your guests feel at home and make their stay as comfortable and stress-free as possible.
Why Do You Need an Airbnb Welcome Book?
An Airbnb welcome book is a necessity for every listing. It’s the first thing your guests are likely to read when they arrive at your place, and it gives you a chance to demonstrate that you are a helpful host who cares about them.
Think of your Airbnb welcome book as giving your guests advice on making the most of their stay at your place and encouraging them to care for your home. Your guests will appreciate that you provide them with helpful information that they need for navigating your property and give local recommendations about the best places to see and things to do.
Remember: Airbnb guests have high expectations. They want to feel at home while staying at your rental property and seek great communication. A detailed welcome book is just one of the ways to ensure that. You should also always respond to their messages and answer their questions quickly.
It’s very challenging to be available for your guests 24/7, so automating your communication with them using tools like Hospitable.com makes sense.
Have conversations with your guests even when you sleep.
What to Include in an Airbnb Welcome Book?
The more details you include in your welcome book, the more grateful your guests will be. Let’s take a closer look at the key components you must include in your guestbook to impress your guests.
Welcome information
Start your book with a welcome letter to greet your guests and emphasize how delighted you are that they stay in your home. The initial section of your welcome book should also contain the most important information that travelers need to know upon arrival, such as
- Your contact info and the address of your rental property
- Contact info and phone numbers of emergency services
- Access code needed for the front gate
- Parking information
- Wi-Fi password
- Check-out instructions
Your guests might not read the entire welcome book, but including vital information at the beginning will help reduce calls from guests asking for help.
Pro tip: Include your photo and add some information to introduce yourself—tell about your family, hobbies, pets, and why you decided to start hosting. That will help you build trust and rapport and develop relationships with guests to encourage repeat bookings.
House rules
Although you have information about your house rules on Airbnb listing and remind your guests about them in a message before their arrival, you should include them in your welcome book too.
Then your guests can access them at any time during their stay. This can help you prevent common issues, avoid complaints from neighbors and protect your property from damage.
How-to instructions for appliances
Make this “troubleshooting” section of your vacation rental welcome book as detailed as possible to address any potential problems your guests may have. Using the electronics and appliances in your home might be obvious for you, but it won’t be for your guests.
Write out clear how-to instructions for all of your appliances and electronics, such as smart locks, thermostat, washer and dryer, TV remote, air conditioner, kitchen appliances, and Wi-Fi. That will save you a lot of time answering your guests’ routine questions and ensuring they feel comfortable during their stay.
Information about local transportation
Tell your guests about transportation options they can use while staying at your rental. This information is especially helpful if your vacation rental home is outside the city. Consider including any information about local transportation in your area, for example, bus and train schedules and routes, phone numbers of taxi services, maps of the local area, and car rentals.
Things to do in the local area
Travelers love to receive recommendations from the locals. Your guests may have plans about what to see and do in your area, but they may change them once they see your suggestions for places to visit.
Show your hospitality and help your guests explore your neighborhood. Consider local attractions that make your place unique to help your guests have an authentic local experience. Here is what you can include in this section:
- Tourist attractions (museums, parks, beaches, historical places)
- Shopping centers and groceries stores
- Your favorite restaurants and coffee shops
- Fairs and festivals (farmers’ markets, Sunday street fair, annual events)
- Nightlife (clubs, bars, casinos, breweries, live music)
Pro tip: You can also create a digital guidebook on Airbnb and share personal recommendations for sightseeing, dining, unique shops, popular activities, and interesting outdoor experiences. Include photos for each place you recommend to make your guidebook more engaging.
What else can you include in your welcome book to make it more informative and inviting? The options are endless, and deciding what you would like to add is up to you.
Information about the weather, some phrases in your local language that can be useful for international travelers, and a discount code for their next stay if they book it through your direct booking website.
If you don’t have a website for your vacation rental business, you can easily create one using Hospitable.com, even without coding skills. Moreover, Hospitable has a comprehensive set of features and will help you automate 90% of your routine vacation rental management tasks.
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What Are Alternative Solutions?
If you’re starting out as an Airbnb host, creating your welcome book on your computer, printing it off, and stapling it together will be enough. You can also find online templates and use them to make your book more aesthetically pleasing.
But if you think having a printed version of your welcome book is too simple for the 21st century, you can also create a video describing all things you consider important for your guests.
Then you can upload this video on YouTube and store it as unlisted. You can send a link to this video to all travelers who book your rental space as an automatic message using Hospitable.
Final Thought
Airbnb welcome book should provide your guests with clear answers to all their potential questions and minimize their need to reach out to you. It’s important to make it engaging and exciting to read. Then it can help you give your guests a memorable experience when they stay at your property and get 5-star reviews.
You’ll increase your chance of making a great first impression on your guests and make them feel special if you create a welcome pack. Check out our article for tips on what to include in your Airbnb welcome basket and wow your guests.
Airbnb Self-Check-In: No More Waiting for Your Guests’ Arrival
Providing your Airbnb guests with a great experience from start to finish is essential, so first of all, you should ensure a smooth check-in process. The best solution is to offer them self-check-in when guests can access your property using a key lockbox, smart lock, or keypad. Let’s see how to set up the self-check-in process.
Airbnb Check-in Instructions: Tips on How to Delight Your Guests
Your guests’ check-in sets the tone for their entire stay. If this process is stress-free and smooth, it can help lead to positive reviews. Find out how to create check-in instructions for your short-term rental and make the check-in process smooth for you and your guests.
Airbnb Welcome Letter: Tips and Templates
what if I tell you that you can win your guests before they arrive just by sending them an awesome Airbnb welcome letter?
A warm welcome letter will frame their opinion of your place and make a great first impression. It will show your guest that you care about them and their wishes.
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