Is it a good idea to provide a mini gift box with basic pantry essentials?

[Crys450]

I'm a relatively new host of an upscale apartment. For hygienic reasons I don't provide any pantry essentials in my kitchen, so guests often bring their own and leave them behind when they leave. Usually I just throw them away, because I don't want the next guests to be greeted with used food.

Because of that I was thinking of providing some small, 50ml bottles of olive oil, vinegar and some pockets of sugar, salt and pepper so it would be just enough for a couple nights stay.

Maybe arrange it like a mini gift box with basic pantry essentials.

Is anyone doing something similar? Do you think the guest would appreciate it? And is it worth spending some extra money to provide a new set for each guest?

[Sarah977]

@Crys450  Only you know what your profit margin is and what you can afford to provide. Leaving little extras for guests that you don't mention in your ad, so they don't anticipate, can lead to good reviews. One mantra hosts have is "Promise less and deliver more".

Things like containers of salt and pepper can really be left for the next guest- just top them up so they look fresh and sterilize the outside of the containers. 

You can do the same with oil and vinegar, etc. You might want to dump out the unused product and refill with fresh, and you could just refill them from bulk containers you purchase.

It's just not a great idea, environmental-wise, to be providing single-use containers of things. We should all be trrying to reduce the amount of garbage we produce.

I understand the hygiene concern, but as I mentioned, you can wipe down the outsides of the containers with a bleach or lysol wipe to sterilize it. Bacteria or viruses can't survive inside a bottle of vinegar, for instance. Resturants, which have to meet strict health regulations, certainly don't dump the remaining salt and pepper on the table into the garbage between diners.

And do try to find a place to donate unused food to rather than just throwing it out, unless it's someone's leftover dinner- a homeless shelter or encampment perhaps, if you aren't going to consume it yourself.

But it's also perfectly okay to not provide anything in the way of foodstuffs, as long as you make it clear in your listing description and give guests some guidance on the nearest and best places to shop.

[M199]

@Crys450, @Sarah977 

We sourced out and provided diner individual portion of jam, peanut butter, mustard, relish, ketchup, hot chocolate, Quaker Oatmeal. We do not highlight this in our listing.

In last year, every guest upon check in was thrilled, but only 25% used them.

Though, I think that I have a lifetime of aluminum foil that guests left, along  with unopened mustard, relish, ketchup, cabbage rolls, hamburgers and balsmic vinegar.  Oh yeah!  And also the earthworms in my fridge for fishing Salmon and Trout.  They now live freely in my back garden.  Lol

Just my experience, as @Sarah977 states "Promise Less, Deliver More".

[Mark116]

@Crys450  There is really no reason to have to throw away pantry staples such as spices, sugar, vinegar and oil.  All you have to do is wipe down the containers and when they get about 1/2 full you can replace and use the remainder yourself. 

At the beginning of the pandemic we asked guests if they wished us to remove the pantry staples and the squeeze top condiments from the refrigerator, everyone preferred that we leave them.

But your mileage may vary, I am personally very sensitive to food waste and over use of disposable items.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Crys450in my experience it is doesn't cost money but time. Refilling salt-pepper-coffee-sugar... wiping all containers and bottles and shelves, going shopping for what is missing etc... takes time. Some hosts pay the cleaner per hour, some have same day turnovers and the time is always important

We used to offer a lot of this pantry stuff and when covid hits we cut it down to essentials (salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, sugar, and then individual packages of instant coffee and tea ).  There is no difference in reviews, guests didn't mention it before and don't mention it now. So, even if they appreciated it - they never said anything.

[Laura2592]

@Crys450  what are the "hygienic reasons" you don't supply staples?

Most hosts throw out expired condiments and will re-supply as needed. Things like milk and eggs may or may not be present at every listing but they also tend to be quite common. Guests may be used to this and bringing their own to an "upscale apartment" could result in some hard feelings. Its extremely wasteful to purchase one serving items  for each guest but I suppose its possible. Refilling the same bottles each time may override the "hygiene" aspect you are trying to uphold.

How about just not allowing kitchen use? Some hosts don't.