What’s for breakfast? Hosts share tips, plus an important update from Airbnb

[Airbnb]

Homemade muffins, eggs, coffee and tea—we love that hosts go the extra mile to welcome guests. So many Airbnb hosts enhance their stays by offering breakfast items, ranging from grab-and-go cereal bars, to continental breakfast, to homemade buffets with local ingredients. It’s not required, of course; but, adding breakfast details to your amenities and listing description can help show off your hosting style, improve the guest experience, and make your property stand out in search.

Starting this week, adding breakfast details will be even more important because Airbnb has new criteria for classifying property types such as bed and breakfasts. Many hosts have asked us to help them distinguish their listings from professional listings such as hotels and traditional B&Bs—as those businesses require specific licenses and have different tax implications, depending on where you live—and we’re responding. If you’re a host who has selected “Bed & Breakfast” as your property type, we’re asking you to confirm your business license or adjust your listing in the next 30 days to help us clearly separate your listing and set expectations for guests.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to adjust your listing and make the most of Airbnb’s breakfast amenity, as well as some tips from hosts like you.

3 easy steps to add breakfast details

1. Update your listing

Go to Airbnb.com, and click on your listing. Next to “Rooms & guests,” click “Edit.” If you have a licensed hospitality business, you’ll see a notification to review your listing and enter your business information. If you don’t have a license, change your property type from “Bed and breakfast” to “Apartment,”“House,” or another category listed in the drop down menu. 

2. Add breakfast as an amenity

Under “Amenities,” next to “Additional,” click “Edit.” Then check “Breakfast” if you offer it. Breakfast isn’t a requirement, but some hosts find it can go a long way to help guests feel at home:

• I check off breakfast because I stock the kitchen with breakfast staples, including coffee (French press), tea, hot chocolate, organic oatmeal packets, cold cereal, an assortment of yogurts, a dozen eggs, and fresh fruit. I let guests know in my welcome message that this will be provided and also ask them to tell me which kind of milk (whole, almond, etc.) they prefer so I can stick it in the fridge for them. But the most popular thing is the homemade muffins I bake for all guests.

—Susan, Groton, Connecticut, U.S.A

• We don't have breakfast checked, but we do have ground coffee, tea, hot chocolate and instant oatmeal in the pantry.—Mark, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A.

3. Share details

Next to “Title and description,” click “Edit” to add any information or photos of what guests can expect. When writing about what you offer, use it as an opportunity to showcase your hosting personality, tell guests what’s on the menu, specify what time breakfast is available, or, if you don’t offer breakfast, let guests know there are grocery stores or cafes nearby. These hosts offer up some great examples**:

• I provide breakfast of tea/coffee with fruit juice, cereal, fruit, toast or freshly baked croissants (from our wonderful local bakery) in the large, bright kitchen diner which opens out onto the garden, or at the table in the garden on warm days. Breakfast is available between 7.00am and 9.30am, although I can provide it a little earlier if you have a plane or train to catch, or work commitments. I can provide a gluten free breakfast plus nut or soy milk if required. Please mention any dietary requirements when booking.—Rachel, London, United Kingdom
• We provide a 24 hour "Refill Station" in the dining room where guests can get coffee, hot chocolate, tea and light snacks 24/7. In addition, we serve a "Light Continental Breakfast" of various cereals, yogurt, toast, fruit and baked goods along with beverages.—Francesca + Dave, East Burke, Vermont, U.S.A.
• Breakfast with coffee, juice, toasted bread, etc. A good start to the day!

—Yuliana, Madrid, Spain

• Our legendary breakfasts, with homegrown and homemade preserves***, are served from 6 to 9 a.m. in our dining room or on the veranda in summer

—Mary + Buster, Sandton, South Africa

When you’re ready, click “Publish.”

With the updates to property-type classifications, hosts have an opportunity to set expectations and stand out to potential guests by confirming or adjusting their listings. Plus, adding breakfast details can also help foster personal connections with guests and set the table—pun intended!—for a five-star stay.

Just take it from host Alan, of Angaston, Australia: “It’s rare to find accommodations [in the Barossa Valley in South Australia] that doesn’t supply cooked breakfast provisions. A little extra work for the host makes a happy guest—the smile on their face says it all!”

*Listing photos courtesy of hosts.

**Host tips have been edited for length and clarity.

***If you are preparing homemade food for your guests, consult your local rules around food service and safety.

[Linda1621]

I don’t think the founders meant the domain name choice to be literal. So then do you also provide air mattresses?

[Kathy-And--R-L-0]

h ha, Linda, I love it !  Actually, though, to be literally correct they wouldnt be providing mattresses, just air !   Maybe they can say" We supply free air for 20 hours of every day - the remaing 4 hours, you can purchase an air package complete with volume tank and compressed air and helmet...for only $=49.95

[Leslie424]

Let alone the free AC consumption! Where I live electricity is very expensive. Granted during summer months it's needed  But in our so called winter months, when Temps do drop drastically, there's no need for it. However, I find it funny when I  point out the AC control etc.  When they arrive, most all guests say: "oh we hardly use it, no worries". And as soon as I leave the guesthouse, they turn it on! I do have a rule in place though  that if they leave it on and are g one for the day.  There's an extra charge! There's my free Air! 

[Kay84]

My understanding is:

Airbnb = Air (bed) No Breakfast

B'nB (Bed and Breakfast)

[Jane1066]

We checked with our local council in Victoria, Australia who advised we needed to “register” our kitchen with them in order to provide breakfasts / provisions. This was fairly simple - it involved an inspection of our kitchen to ensure we had a dishwasher, double sink and bench that was not cracked. We also had to purchase s commercial grade kitchen cleaning fluid to wipe bench areas with.  It was also relatively inexpensive (under $400) and involves an annual visit from council.  It includes the added bonus that we can sell food goods at our local markets (must follow Australian labelling regulations) which we now do!! 

We also found (with a bit of research & difficulty!!!) an insurer willing to insure our home whilst we use it as an Airbnb!  We SO love Airbnb!!!❤️

[Lyn68]

Hi Jane, for a homestay In other states of Australia I think it depends on which council one lives in and some areas have no rules yet. In a prior comment from Kent in Victoria, seems Victoria rather harsh needing registration to supply to guests just pre-packaged  milk sold by mainstream milk providor at supermarkets & a designated food safety person to do same which coud involve doing a food safety course just to supply a carton of milk.

Shame Victoria doesn't look at reality cooking shows produced there where cooks & servers have long hair neither tied back nor covered which doesn't set a good example to people in actual commercial establishments whose business is only selling food en-masse and also the cooks on Better Homes & Garden, a TV show followed by millions where no hair is ever tied back or covered & allows dogs into a kitchen on camera in Victoria.

I am not knocking food safety as fully support that as a consumer & retired, formally trained caterer with food safety certificate who was once approached to be poached by a NSW council to be a food safety officer. Just seems that Victoria's councils are being too harsh re Airbnb if only pre-packaged food is being supplied for guests to prepare and there is no law that forbids one offering a guest in one's home say--- a piece of cake that has been made for the whole family.

[Alex-and-Vaughan0]

@Lyn68wrote:

>In a prior comment from Kent in Victoria, seems Victoria rather harsh needing registration to supply to guests just pre-packaged milk sold by mainstream milk providor at supermarkets & a designated food safety person to do same which coud involve doing a food safety course just to supply a carton of milk.

That carton of milk could have been left unrefrigerated for several hours between the supermarket and the host's kitchen.

Fun fact: the most dangerous food in the kitchen (germ-wise) is eggs. Their shells are not sterilised before sale and can contain some very nasty bugs.

[Lyn68]

The most dangerous item in a kitchen is a person, not eggs or milk. None with any sense would leave milk in Australia out of a fridge for more minutes than necessary.

[Lyn68]

I correct previous post,only an idiot would leave milk out of fridge in Australia & idiots don't host airbnb in Australia---so don't worry about milk suppiled  in Australia 

[Lyn68]

Food facts are not "Fun facts" as you choose to bligthly describe them. 

To describe food facts as fun is irresponsible & makes light of what a breakfast supplier needs to know.  Eggs that are bought from a registered grocery supplier in Australia in  good faith should harbour no bacteria  unless there has been an Australia-wide warning about such supply.  

Your post will only incur unnecessary panic with overseas visitors.

Have you considered what harm you will do to hosts who live in the country & have 6 chooks fed naturally from clean green waste from whom they get 6 eggs daily for overseas guests' breakfasts? 

[Beverley73]

Hi Jane. I am  from Bonnie Doon Victoria. We let out the top floor of our home through Airbnb. Am just wondering who you found to insure you while you are Airbnb ing. I have had no luck finding anyone. We also love doing it but I quite often worry about only having normal household insurance....

[BrendonMaria0]

I advise guests in advance to bring their supplies with them. Only coffe, tea is provided.

[Leslie424]

I totally agree with you. I used to offer breakfasts with a another outfitter. I provided a simple menu, eggs, bread coffee or tea and fruit juice and sometimes added a local cheese or treat. But then it became an ordeal because people started asking for more and more and no remuneration. So  I'd go through the expense of buying the items, preparing etc. for pennies. So I just leave coffee when I can in the cupboard and a few basic cooking items, and let people know they need to shop prior to arrival or at local mom and pop stores in the area since I'm located fairly remote. Though I'm happy to provide anything they may need for the outdoor barbecue by lighting it and utensils for their needs if they caught fish or any seafood during their stay. So far it's worked out fine this way. 

[Beulah1]

I get your past tense and am feeling the same way after 3 years of providing an attractive offering of fresh fruit, granola, yogurt, milk, coffee and toast.  Unlike a restaurant the time frame became problematic with some wanting it very early (too early) while others wanted to sleep in and felt my schedule of 730 to 9 warranted criticism in their reviews.  And then the coffee!  guests tend to be whimsical about whether they want it or not, causing a greatdeal of waste.  That menu has become quite expensive lately, and time-consuming to shop and care for, not being a restaurant, with fruit spoiling. I was amazed to watch people use big sponsfuls of jam to enhance their cereal.  With a group of people that's expensive! 

I have eliminated the offering completely but in order to discourage food consumption in the bedroom, now and say coffee and self-serve toast in the kitchen, and please feel free to add to this.  Partially because I don't want people to eat in their rooms.  I hate to be cynical, but apparently Airbnb wants us to go to all this trouble and expense without realizing what it entails.  Good for hosts who are still willing to do it, but may burn out sooner!  Even if I offered it for a fee, I don't want to go to all that trouble of shopping and prep, storage, etc.

[Nina538]

I normally include basic breakfast - Tea, Coffee, Chocolate Drink, Juice with at least two Healthy Cereals; Milk is Lactose Free only; at least two kinds of fresh fruits; a selection of healthy bars / snacks in a basket - they help themselves any time with what is offered.  No hot meals but of course they can prepare their own meals. (although I somestimes worry about them cooking).    No guests demand certain food, they are grateful and understand our place is not a hotel.  Besides our place is so convenient close to quite a few eating places and also Groceries walking distance.