Adding value for guests

[Susan4180]

I’m looking to add some extras to my property so that guests feel it’s value for money.

I currently offer free tea and coffee plus biscuits.

What do other hosts do that doesn’t cost allot?

[Normen0]

@Susan4180  I provide breakfast items in my high end rental but I have another thing I do that I don’t advertise this so there is no expectation. I find the surprise upon arrival has the most lasting impact for the feeling of value. 

I buy a few treats or snacks and leave them with a welcome or thank you card with a personal note. 
You can usually glean a lot from guests profile as to their style of diet but not always. 
If it doesn’t suit them they can always leave it. But in my check in message two days before I ask if they have any allergies and that helps with deciding what to buy. Usually it totals about $4-5. It’s worth the money IMO.  
This next idea is far above what I would recommend but is also in my high end rental and always a hit - I bake a cake for special occasions or fresh muffins or cupcakes instead of treats. 
I have 80 straight 5 star reviews for this listing and it is a very pricey stay. Before the pandemic we were charging a third of the price and getting a 4 stars for value. Go figure. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Normen0  if your muffins and cupcakes increase the price by 300% and your rating from 4* to 5* then may I get the recipe please?  😄  😄 😄

[Sybe]

@Normen0 yes please!! I promise it'll be just for personal use (in my case). 😉

[Normen0]

Haha!  Ok. Just back from a holiday. I will get recipes sent to all who have asked 🙂

[Mark116]

@Susan4180   We leave olive oil, cooking spray, vinegar, a small assortment of spices, instant hot chocolate and sometimes instant oatmeal in addition to several teas and a package of coffee.  Since most guests won't use much of this, it tends to last a long time but provides a sense of offering a lot.  We also usually provide some kind of bakery good on the last night of a stay for guests who stay 4 or more days.

[Huma0]

@Susan4180 

Like @Mark116 , I have a few extras in the kitchen for guests. The listing says I provide tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, cooking oil - so the basics really. However, I actually provide a wide variety of teas, different types of coffee, sweetener, honey, hot chocolate, breakfast cereals etc etc. There are also different types of oils, vinegars, spices etc.

I find that most guests don't use a lot of these things (although there is always the occasional guest who feels a need to use as much as they possibly can) so they go a long way, but also, guests seem impressed because they are being offered more than they expected, i.e. I am underpromising and overdelivering. None of this costs very much, especially as guests often bring tea as a gift.

I'd never really been into baking until quite recently, but have found that guests greatly appreciate my homemade cakes and deserts!

A card and/or small gift for a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion is usually really appreciated, but I stopped with the Christmas cards and gifts as few guests seemed to care about those. 

I also find that even some things that are free can go a long way in making a guest appreciative. They love the welcome blackboards with their names on them. They like that I put a carafe of water and glasses in their room. I also have a selection of tourist leaflets, maps and discount vouchers for them and  usually a small selection of magazines in their room, which will be in their own language if I have them. The leaflets I pick up for free and the magazines I used to pick up when travelling for work, but that has become very seldom since the pandemic started.

[Huma0]

Oh, and there is also body wash, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap etc. for them in the bathrooms as well as mini toiletries and handy things like mini sewing kits, nail files, shower caps etc. in the bedrooms.

Don't skimp on towels. Guests aren't necessarily going to use them all, but they will appreciate not having to ask for more towels, clothes hangers etc. Extra blankets, quilts etc. are there for them in the cupboard. Again, these are rarely used so it doesn't mean a lot of extra cleaning/laundry for me, but you want to give the impression that you have thought of everything to make them feel comfortable.

[Kirsten266]

I welkome nu guests with a mini bottle of prosecco ( 2 persons or big bottle with 4), set of mini shower gel and bodylotion etc, a little local cake from the local bakery.

I always tell the guests the story behind the little cake and they love it. 

I often see that the people go to the same bakery for more treats 🧁( I can see by the paper waste 😉)

[M199]

@Susan4180 

I also pretty much do as others above have stated.

Along with spices, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, bottled water, basic non-fridge condiments, olive & canola oil.  I  also leave hotel sized soap and individually packaged toothbrush and 5ml toothpaste (Amazon). We do also leave restaurant individual packages of mustard, relish and ketchup.

If I have the time or know that the stay is a special occasion, then maybe, bottle of wine, homemade bread, cheese scones, roasted street nuts.  These really depend on the gut feeling I get from the pre-stay guest communications.

[Debra300]

@Susan4180,

We always provide seasonings, cooking oil, sugar, an assortment of teas, instant hot chocolate, Keurig coffee pods, Nespresso pods, half & half creamers, laundry detergent, stain remover, bleach, multipurpose cleaner, stovetop/grill cleaner, and dishwashing liquid. Additionally, we provide water filter pitchers and ice trays.  Much of the time we also offer an assortment of microwave popcorn, small packets of cookies (biscuits), and chips (crisps).  

[Scott57]

Some not so common things that I provide are pre-stamped Portland postcards, a voltage converter, charging cords, a chromebook and AA and AAA batteries. I also have a "take-a-book" library of books that I am done reading. Lastly, I have an assortment of frozen meals in case they arrive late and the local restaurants are already closed.