Do your guests ask you for recommendations on places to eat or visit in your city?

[Elena1133]

Hey everyone!

Do your guests ask you for recommendations on where to go to eat or what to visit in your area? If yes, how do you share it with them?  We had people staying at our place and I would give them suggestions but was thinking about doing it in a more convenient way so I don't have to repeat myself over and over again.

Thank you!

[Ava30]

Hi @Elena1133,  simple answer, guidebook. This can be as simple as a three ring binder filled with menus of your favorite places or places that other people recommend. I have one on my dining room table that has menus from the three closest communities, places to go and hike or various other forms of entertainment. Also because my listing as a standalone, I included  a comprehensive list of the best grocery stores and whether they take credit or debit, apparently that’s important. Because  we are in a waste reduction county that they all asked you to bring your own bags ( which I have available) or you have to pay for them. I also have listed a recommendation for the best laundromat in town because I don’t have a washer and dryer in my listing. I also include any discount coupons for local anything that we get in our mailers. I am constantly adding to it. It also has my House rules in my house manual. A brief bio about myself and my husband and the house. I even included a short statement about how the Airbnb rating system works. It’s often mentioned that they appreciated having that, it’s even shown up in a few reviews.  I hope this helps. 

[Elena1133]

Ava, you are so thoughtful!! Thank you for sharing!! 

[Helen3]

Why don't you just use the guidebook Aibnb has set up for just this purpose?

[Lawrene0]

@Helen3, except that the guidebook has completely disappeared. It has been replaced by Experiences. In my case the Experience offered is too far from my listing to be of any interest to a guest. I cannot imagine someone booking a remote, off-grid treehouse just to drive an hour back to the city for coffee-tasting.

I can send an already-booked guest the direct link (listing URL with /guidebook added) for my guidebook, but that is a frustrating workaround. 

Perhaps this is only in Canada, though? Do you have a minute to check my listing and screenshot the guidebook link?

@Elena1133, if the guidebook is working, it is a great way to get information to your guests. A printed version in the listing along with brochures/business cards, is even more important. Don't print the online guidebook directly, as that is a formatting mess. Do up something yourself that looks nice. 

[Elena1133]

Thank you for the suggestion Lawrene!

[Helen3]

No it hasn't @Lawrene0 just gone in and checked and my guest book is still there.

Why would one replace the other they are completely different resources,

[Lawrene0]

I don't know why, @Helen3. Makes no sense to me either. I just looked at your listing, and there is no guidebook. Would you consider screenshotting either the preview of yours or your view of mine? I think this may be a roll-out. Hope it is rolling from the UK to Canada and not the other way around. I would like my guidebook back. 

The experiences I see instead of your guidebook on your listing are a Bath photowalk, a walking tour of Avalon, and Bushcraft and Survival Experience.

[Helen3]

@Lawrene0 as I have already mentioned, there definitely is a guidebook on my listing.  You  can't see it because it is only available to guests who have made a booking.

You are not seeing  experiences instead of the guidebook. Expereinces and a hosts guidebook are two completely different things.

I really don't know how else to explain it to you.

You will not be able to see my guidebook and I won't be able to see yours unless we make a booking at each others listings.

You would know if you have set up a guidebook as you would have manually had to put in details for any recommendations you make in your guidebook.

As far as I am aware it is a feature available for all airbnb listings.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/249/what-s-a-guidebook

[Lawrene0]

Okay, yay! I looked this up to update it because all is well. The guidebook did disappear last week, but it is back (as of yesterday here, so hopefully everywhere) and better than ever now. Ann from NY posted the breaking story :). There is an option for a cover photo, and an option to create just one guidebook to be placed on as many listings as you need. Edit it from the dropdown under the host photo at the top right (on a laptop screen). Find it on your listing just above the map. As Experiences showed up last week on my listing at the same time the guidebook disappeared (probably because the first one ever within 100 km was created...), I leapt to the faulty conclusion that one replaced the other. @Helen3, thanks for attempting to talk me down. The guidebook is as public as it has always been - we have never needed to book a place to see it, and don't need to now - and it did disappear, but it has not been replaced. It has been improved. 

[Quincy]

Hi @Elena1133,

Welcome!

Yes, my guests would ask this but very rarely as they somehow already prepared their whole trip :-). At the time I did not have a guidebook yet, but I had a few pamphlets with things to do and small maps of the city. I would definitely, follow the advice given by Ava and Helen. 

[Elena1133]

Thank you Quincy!

[Tony-And-Una0]

Hi Elena

We find 'Hostfully' is great.

Not only can you add recommendations, but it also answers many of the other regular questions. It's free for the first listing.

We send the link at the time of booking and with the day prior to arrival message.

Hope this helps

Tony and Una

[Elena1133]

Thank you Tony! You have to pay for Hostfully, correct?

[Gregory87]

@Elena1133:

I use Hostfully*, like @Tony and Una.  Since I only have a single listing, there is no charge to use it.  Guests are sent the link a few days before they arrive and are able to access Arrival and Departure information, the House Manual, as well as local restaurants, sights, and activities.

It takes time to setup, but it is worthwhile to have everything accessible online.  Plus it can be updated whenever necessary.

You are definitely encouraged to check it out.