Going above and beyond to welcome your guests

[Airbnb]

Nothing makes guests feel more welcome than a handwritten note or a bouquet of fresh flowers. And when guests have a memorable stay, they’re more likely to leave glowing reviews, tell their friends and family about your space, and even come back for another visit.

Delighting your guests with a warm greeting can make them feel appreciated, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money. From thoughtful notes to freshly baked treats, here’s how some hosts around the world have gone above and beyond in welcoming their guests:

1. Write a friendly welcome note

When guests are traveling, a personalized welcome can be the difference between feeling homesick and feeling at home. “I have a little chalkboard in each room that welcomes the guests, and I include their names each time,” says host Huma of London. “It's such a small touch, but they really love this.”

You can leave the same sentiment in a handwritten note. “I recently decided to start to leave a welcome treat with a card,” says host Trude of Edsberg, Sweden. In your note, you might include your favorite place to get a coffee or a fun fact about your area.

2. Give your guests a taste of your town

One of the best ways to help your guests get settled is to introduce them to the top spots in your neighborhood. “We have a local bakery that makes a cinnamon cream cake that I happen to love, and I brought one to the first guest,” says host David of San Antonio, Texas, who now treats all of his guests to his favorite cake.

3. Put your own baking skills to work

If you’re a great baker, consider highlighting your hospitality skills by making your specialty for your guests. “I started leaving a few homemade cookies,” says host Beth of Roraima, Brazil. “I get a lot of return business, and the cookies have been commented on multiple times.”

4. Get your guests involved

In addition to offering a sweet treat, host David of San Antonio, Texas, leaves wine for his guests. “There’s a hashtag: #takeabottleleaveabottle,” says David, who encourages guests to replace the bottle they enjoyed with a new one. Over the years, the collection has grown: “We have a wall with five different types of wine,” he says. The one-in, one-out idea makes this an affordable option. You could also try this with books!

5. Create a snack basket

“We realize that people come to have a good time,” says host Jerry of Atlanta. “A lot of times they come back home, and they have the munchies.” So he now stocks his kitchen with a basket of snacks like microwave popcorn, cookies, potato chips, and pretzels.

6. Customize your treat

Get to know your guests, and be aware of their needs. “We leave a treat at check-in,” says host Laura of Frederick, Maryland. “Sometimes it’s local cheese, chocolate, or baked goods. Sometimes it’s local beer or a bottle of wine.” She messages her guests about any dietary restrictions first: “Not everyone drinks or can eat cheese, so I ask.“

If your guests have kids, a packet of stickers or a few juice boxes can be a thoughtful surprise. “If there are children, I leave a lollipop or small bag of candy and a small box of crayons [with a] coloring book,” says host Ann of New York City. And if your guests are traveling with pets, consider having dog treats on hand to share with their furry friends.

7. Show off your local culture

If there’s something inexpensive that your region is known for—such as leis in Hawaii—consider leaving something small to delight your guests at check-in. “One of the biggest things that we provide here is Mardi Gras beads,” says host Jordan of New Orleans. Guests appreciate these souvenirs, which can help them remember their stay long after checkout.

8. Get a little help from nature

From fresh flowers to homegrown vegetables, guests love the great outdoors. “I pick a sweet little bouquet for the guest room from my garden,” says host Sarah of Sayulita, Mexico. Fresh fruit or vegetables from a garden can also work well. Don’t have a garden? Inexpensive flowers from the grocery store or local market can be a colorful way to welcome your guests.

9. Save money by buying in bulk

Stocking up on supplies can save you time and money, but you can still add your special touch. Host Karen of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, buys her cookies wholesale, “which provides us with a super low-cost biscuit,” she says. She also found a quick way to personalize the treats: “We bought a sealer, and we package and seal the biscuits with our own label.”

10. Celebrate special occasions

Whether guests are visiting during a birthday, anniversary, or holiday, you can help make their stay even more memorable. “We had one couple staying for New Year's, so we got them a bottle of champagne,” says host Damon of Atlanta. Host Jennifer of Ontario, Canada, also keeps the occasion in mind. “If a guest is here for a specific celebration—birthday, honeymoon—I leave a little something appropriate to mark their celebration,” she says.

Going above and beyond to welcome your guests is always appreciated but remember: Hospitality doesn’t have to cost anything. A handwritten note can still show your guests you’re thinking of them, which can make all the difference when they’re far from home.

[Nancy1019]

I love your ideas. 🙂

[Heidi404]

I agree with Airbnb being out of touch with pricing. Our rental is on a lake in Minnesota- cold winters and hot summers. Summers are our best months- when we first listed, the Airbnb platform suggested we reduce our summer rates (think Florida) and raise our winter rates. Who wants to be in Minnesota in January! I ignore most of their price comments. Our rental is high end- they were also comparing us to Lesser properties and suggesting we slash our rates by 2/3 in some cases. My suggestion: look at your competition for comparables in your area for price and go from there.

[Paula360]

a host rewards scheme?

[Laura109]

When you lower your prices, you are giving yourself a pay cut. The message from Airbnb is always to lower the price. Recently I got an email saying, “want to fill 0 nights?” Because my placed was booked.

I have to clean, do laundry, change sheets (getting the quilt into the darned duvet covers!)  plus give up a lot of my privacy when I host. Better to have a night to ourselves than to do all that work for less. And, if a guest uses face cream, thus making stains that make a pillowcase permanently unusable, you need to have made a little profit earlier on in order to pay for nice new linens. When a nearby place rents for much less, chances are that the host doesn’t live in the rental, that it is bare-bones, etc. we rent a lovely suite in our home. 

[Giuliana142]

Laura, this is exactly my story. Wouldn’t it be nice if Airbnb would at least provide pillowcases and linen ? At least something. We provide everything and clean everything. So far, Airbnb just has a website to advertise rentals which they don’t own. It is a huge business after all.

[Norma381]

We have a local soap maker in town and I have on some occasions left a bar for guests as a souvenir. I also leave fruit and have coffee and various teas available. However, our price is so reasonable and there is a big grocery two blocks away so I don't think leaving much else really matters. I have a question though: How do you get people to sign your guest book? Most guests leave reviews in the system which are obviously much more important, but our guest book is often ignored. As long time Airbnb guests, we have always read and then signed guest books for our hosts. Is this just something that I should eliminate so I'm not irritated when they don't write in it? 

[Kay924]

It may be that in this electronic age of communications, actually writing something by hand in a guest book is considered outdated!   I have never seen one in the several Airbnbs in which I have stayed, in various countries.   Probably would not have signed it even if there was one!   In days gone by, when friends had guestbooks in their homes for their visitors to use, it was rather a nuisance to quickly think up something accurate but pleasant to say while trying to get the family packed up and out of the door.  The flowery comments in the book always seemed insincere.    Focus on getting those reviews in the system, is my advice.  And they certainly are read!  

[Giuliana142]

I agree that in today’s electronic world handwritten guestbooks don’t cut it anymore. A review online Is much more helpful to the host and guests. Many hosts don’t even live at the property they rent ... so what does a guest say? Pretty sad. Is.it really all about money? 

At my place we talk and exchange experiences. Guests love it. A couple of times I had guests who said that they were disappointed at their previous Airbnb because the host did not live there. No matter how a host furnishes a place, it won’t feel inviting if you’re not there. Travellers are missing that personal touch, talking to people. Building memories is about people we meet on our journeys, not the material aspects.

[Wendy147]

We leave a basket of fruit, a vase of fresh flowers, a cellophane bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies  a bottle of wine and a personal note. About 60% drink the wine, and 80% eat the fruit. Everyone loves the cookies and no one is allergic. The flowers can be used for 2 or 3 sets of guests if you trim them and change the water. The number one thing is cleanliness. If your place isn’t spotless, it doesn’t matter what you leave. 

[Penny75]

I agree. I always ignore the lower your price messages. And we are as full as we want to be! They show listings "similar to yours" that are less. Actually most are not similar. No private ensuite bath no TV etc!  And I read Airbnb makes its money from turnover. so they want more bookings which they get with lower prices. They do not know the Vancouver market!

[Ms--Kendra-A0]

I provide a bottle of Telluride's Own Rub  & Multi Purpose SW Seasoning.from www.KendrasKitchen.com, filtered water and silver goblets. Arrivals at High Altitude needs alot of water and the Seasoning they may use for their cooking. One Seasoning does it all! 

[Paul530]

We always provide a welcome pack of tea coffee beer and and wine etc as most of our guest have flown in and may not have had time to get to the shops. This is common sense. As is a personal welcome for guests. Tips for numpties how pointless.......how about some real tips for increasing revenue.

As some people above have commented. Too low rates just mean the wrong sort of guests who do not respect our property. AirBnB likes to compare our ski chalet with properties that are located in cheaper areas or do not have the same facilities so their rate calculator is no where near precise enough. It seems to simply suggest 5% off or more with no consideration that weekends have a higher demand than midweek. Shorter stays? 10 beds to make plus 150euros clean I do not want guests for one night unless they pay an awful lot more. If guests really want this  a much more sophisticated pricing model is required

AirBnB asked us at least 5 times to open dates for the busy half term holiday that I had booked through another website. Booked on my calendar means booked! Come on AirBnB at your rates you need to provide a better service! Such as someone you can get hold off on the phone!!!!d

Obviously AirBnB wants to earn commission on the busy weeks but how about a reduction in fees for the off-season

[Susan3577]

Read this host article with interest! My thought tonight: what renummeration do we hosts get when we spend extra effort+ resources baking + e.g. making organic home made breakfast spreads? We hosts do NOT work for free- FYI!

[Tonina0]

I've stocked mini baskets in the rooms, useful items such as mosquito repellent and anti itch (we are in the subtropics) sunscreen, make up remover/facial wipes, stain remover stick and the usual local mags. And I never skimp on towels. 

I found the make up remover wipes kept makeup off the white towels and pillow sheets, so a tad self serving. Same with the Sard stain stick.... 🙂

always fresh flowers, even if its a small room. and electric candles in the bath/toilet areas for night time ease.

Smart pricing serves airbnb only.  

Other than that, I enjoy the whole system.

Kind Regards from Byron Bay, Tonina

[Lis1]

We are in Provence, France, near the Luberon mountains...with wonderful views...and we get all sorts of suggestions from Airbnb...especially the suggestions of lowering our prices or if we do not do so and so, they will takevus off their listings? We have not changed our prices in the years we have run our little B&B, and we never will! Our area only really gets bookings in the warmer months...as I keep telling them...unless your B&B is in a big town or city...ONLY during these months are we and most others getting bookings...as France us dead in the winter! We are are with other holiday companies, and as our village is host to one of the biggest music festivals in Provence in the summer, which runs for 4 weeks...we are fully booked...very often because of repeat bookings...already now, we know we cannot help many, as we already have several bookings, many of them repeat or word of mouth , despite the festival programme is not out until April!  In the warmer month the A/C is running...in the colder month the heating is running...it costs money and we have a big old house!  We are still doing just fine and are 5***** + other very good ratings...because we enjoy looking after our guests...! Why is it that Airbnb never takes more interest and actually learn about the areas their hosts operate in? France is huge...And Provence us a big area of France...and there’s quite a difference here in Provence if you are in the mountains or down by the coast...it really is not rocket science! Wishing everybody a great summer...😎