Welcome Packet/Goodie bag

Natalie198
Level 3
Orlando, FL

Welcome Packet/Goodie bag

Recently watched STR shows all portray hosts offering some sort of welcome packet for their guests. 

 

I would like to know if any of you, fellow hosts, offer any welcome packet,  and, if "yes", what it includes. Please, specify if your listing is luxury or budget conscious.

I am debating whether this is something I should incorporate into my listings.

5 Replies 5
Annette215
Level 3
Nashville, TN

Hi, my listing caters to large groups so it’s not budget conscious exactly but really depends on the number of people on the group. With that being said, I have a card that welcomes them to the home with the WiFi information etc. as I find it more convenient for them to find it. I also have my larger welcome guide that is laminated and has the house rules, instructions for the fire place and where towels and things are, contact info, etc. I also sometimes put out some local snacks, etc. 

Susan1404
Level 10
Covington, GA

@Natalie198I don't offer a goodie bag, but I do have a hospitality basket in the kitchen of pre-packaged breakfast foods, nutrition bars, crackers, teas and hot chocolate.  I've gotten some great comments about it.  Some of my guests arrive pretty late due to flight schedules etc., and finding a snack in my cabin at least gives them something to nibble on.

Andrea-and-Francis0
Level 10
Mississauga, Canada

We provide a little gift basket of snacks from instant oatmeal packages, granola bars, chocolate, popcorn, candy, water, coffee & hot chocolate. Guests absolutely love them 🙂

Emily487
Level 10
KCMO, MO

@Natalie198 

I imagine that any STR that manages to get on a tv show isn't necessarily entirely representative....so don't take what you saw as gospel. 

 

I have a 3 bedroom apartment that rents to mostly families and sets of couples. We are affordable but not cheap. Mid-range, I guess. 

 

I tried welcome baskets and freshly baked cookies for the first 6 months. People either didn't mention them or they didn't touch them. That's not to say they still didn't appreciate them but they didn't seem to make a difference in their satisfaction as a guest. In addition, half eaten bags of goodies would have to be thrown out and replaced and the leg work and waste involved in getting it all together was just not worth it since I am a single mom toting by toddler around with me while I clean and shop. Also, my host had a hard time understanding why any of it was worth it since he got paid no matter what.

 

What I have found that our guests DO appreciate are just things that make their stay easier. They aren't in a basket but are in the apartment where they would be in a home: a bowl of clementines, eggs and butter and English muffins in the fridge to make breakfast, a few basic granola bars next to the coffee maker, some decent frozen foods in the freezer for late night arrivals or people who just don't want to go out to eat, extra diapers and wipes for families with kids (in a family basket that gets put out when groups with kiddos book) , the local paper in the living room. Pad of paper and plenty of pens, stamps, and envelopes in the kitchen. An umbrella at the back door. 

Šarka0
Level 6
Ljubljana, Slovenia

I have a 2-bedroom apartment in the old town of Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is more luxury than budget conscious.

 

For our guests we leave a "first breakfast package" -

fresh bread,

eggs,

jam,

butter,

ham & cheese,

juice,

milk,

ground coffee & teas,

honey,

flour and sometimes oatmeals in the cupboard

+ welcome drink (beer or wine),

biscuits and candy,

and many times some fruits too.

 

But right now we are reconsidering how many items we should leave in the apartment as usually nobody eats the bread, or they only take a slice and leave the rest - many things get thrown away. We otherwise use the opened carton of milk for our coffee, but juice gets rarely drunk and bread usually gets too dry to eat after the guest leaves (especially after longer stays as we don't enter the apartment while someone is staying).

 

So right now we are thinking about only leaving the basic "continental breakfast" things in the fridge - (per person) small packets of butter, jam, honey, small juice boxes and small carton of milk, toast packets in the freezer, beer and coffee & teas.

 

Usually our guests are really happy with the stocked fridge and also comment on it. But the cost of everything is pretty high (the whole "first breakfast" comes to roughly 10% of the 1 night rate, and we throw away half the cost).

 

Along with food, we provide our guests with extra towels to take if needed, socket adapters, washing detergent, umbrellas and many more. They can even use a shared espresso coffee machine free of charge in the building anytime they want. Maybe we should add a tip jar next to the machine to cover the coffee beans? 🙂

 

I am also wondering what others leave for the guests!