What to Include in your Vacation Rental Welcome Book
Short Term Rental Welcome Book
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The difference between your guests having a good visit and an amazing visit can hinge upon the recommendations you offer in your vacation rental welcome book. Think of it like your friend is visiting you and are showing them around town. Without your guidance, your guests are stuck doing touristy things they find online. Boring! Offer your guests a fun, well put together welcome book and help them experience your area like a local. Most welcome books are pretty straightforward, but there are a few things you can do to make yours stand out from the rest.
Welcome Book Basics
Your Airbnb welcome book should tell the guests about the space they are staying in. You’ll want the first section of your book to introduce your guests to you as the host, and let them know they can reach out to you if they need anything. Tell your story and how you came to own this rental. After they read your blurb, tell them about the space - where to find things like extra towels, laundry soap, and the hot tub. Remember to also outline the rules for the rental. Make sure you include clear instructions for the WiFi, HVAC, parking and other important operational notes.
Be sure to include an emergency contact list. This should include your info, your property manager (if you have one), your cleaner, area hospitals and 911 (international guests may not know who to call in case of an emergency.).
Be the Local Tour Guide
Next, have a section outlining your favorite local restaurants, bars and area attractions that you love. A note about each will let your guests know these are all places you have personal experience with. Example: Try the cosmo at the Downtown Grill it is the best I’ve ever had. As a host, you can create partnerships with these local places and get a discount code for your guests. The local haunts will love that you are sending business their way and most of the time are happy to strike a deal. You can even mention their website so your guests can explore and see if it’s right for them.
One creative way to approach this section is to do it by area of interest. For example - “Family Fun” could include family-friendly restaurants and amusement parks. “Outdoorsman” could include your favorite area hikes and parks and health food stores. Our vacation rental, Lodi Landing, is in wine country, so we have a special section for folks looking for the best wine tastings and tours in the area.
Superhost Touches for your Welcome Book
This is another creative section you can add to your welcome book. Include some simple recipes that highlight something fun about your area. For Lodi Landing, we include some ideas for wine pairings and cheese boards. For Kona Landing, we have a few ideas featuring the abundant local produce, like pineapple salsa and mango smoothies. The great thing about short term rentals is the kitchen and the ability to make some meals away from home. Help your guests use the kitchen amenities to their fullest while sampling the local fare.
Check out Instructions
Help your guests check out the right way and on time to make everyone’s lives easier and get 5-star reviews all around. You can’t state check-out rules enough. Many guests don’t read your listing rules because they are new to vacation rentals. Include your check out rules in your guide book so the guest knows your expectations. Keep them short and sweet, include check out time, and all of your rules. Some common check out rules are: Make sure your dishes are done, strip the sheets of the beds and empty the trash.
Digital Welcome Book
Most Airbnb’s have a printed welcome book but a surprise and delight feature is to also have a digital version. Digital welcome books are becoming more and more common for short term rentals. This is a great way for your guests to access your welcome book before they get to the property so they can pre-plan their trip and they can also access this digital version on the go. If you are not there yet or feel overwhelmed by technology, make your area attractions in your printed book easy to photograph with a smartphone so guests can take the info with them. I even put a note on the page that says: Take a picture of me to reference later. Once you have a digital guide book you can link it in your welcome email, guests really appreciate that and can reference it throughout their stay which saves you a lot of back and forth with the guest.
I recommend using Hostfully.com. Your first Welcome Book is free. Check out a detailed review of Hostfully by Optimize my Bnb here. And sign up for a free Hostfully Welcome book here.
Your Welcome Book as a Souvenir
A lot of people book an Airbnb for special events or for a memorable vacation stay. If your rental is lucky enough to be a part of a special moment, your guests may want a memento that reminds them of their time spent in your space. This is a great opportunity to turn your welcome book into a unique keepsake.
It’s easy to make a souvenir version of your welcome book. Just be sure to pull all of the contact info and specific house information. Keep in welcoming verbiage, and add some additional words geared towards the feel of the rental. Add a few more memorable pages, maybe some recipes, more info about the property, or whatever fun things you think your guests would enjoy about the area. It’s easy to get this all bound into a nice book and have on hand for interested guests. You can also offer them for sale from your rental’s website.
To help you create your own welcome book I’ve created a checklist with all the categories you will need to create an amazing vacation rental welcome book.
