How to write the perfect Airbnb welcome guide

At KeyNest, we definitely know how difficult it is to always welcome guests in person. A guidebook is a great way you welcome your guests even if you’re not there. Read on to find out everything you could need to know about writing a welcome guide.

Why should I have a welcome guide?

Creating a helpful guide for your Airbnb guests to find the moment they check in is a great way to make them feel welcome. Your guests will appreciate you going the extra mile and it will make their stay as hassle-free as possible. But creating a welcome guide is also an easy way of reducing hassle for yourself as well, by addressing things your guest will want to know up front.

What should I include?

The essentials

The first page should serve as both a welcome, and a way for your guests to find the most important information. Write a little introduction welcoming them to your home and let them know you hope they're looking forward to their stay. Let them know that you're available to answer any questions they have, and include your contact information. They'll likely already have this, but it's good to include anyway just in case. Include some emergency contact information and phone numbers for emergency services. In our increasingly connected world, one of the first things your guests will want to know when they arrive are the Wi-Fi details, so include this on the first page too, along with information about parking for the property. 

House rules

You'll want to lay down the house rules for your property next. Getting your house rules right is a delicate balance - you'll want to make sure that they're concise enough to cover yourself and protect your property, whilst still being concise enough that your guests will actually read them. House rules usually cover things like if and where guests can smoke, extra visitors, security and noise.

Information about the local area

When they're staying at your Airbnb, your guests will be itching to get out and explore the neighbourhood, and as someone with a home in the area, you're in a perfect position to be their guide, even if you're not there in person. Include a list of essential tourist spots, the best places to eat, nightlife spots as well as stores where they can pick up anything they'll need whilst staying. If you're living in a big city, there's a good chance your guests will already have an idea about the top tourist spots - so giving them recommendations that are a bit more off the beaten track is a good idea. You should also include some information about transport - they probably won't have too much of an idea of how to get around, so including bus and train schedules as well as a recommended taxi service will help them to get exploring faster.

Instructions for your home

Nothing will frustrate your guests quicker than not being able to figure out how to use the things around your house. The shower that requires getting the dial in the exact right place, the TV that needs a certain setting to watch Netflix... Using the electronics and appliances in your Airbnb might be obvious for you, but it won't be for your guests. Writing out some quick, clear instructions for all of your appliances and electronics in your welcome guide will save you a lot of time answering routine questions from your guests.

Check-out instructions

When it comes to checking out, it's pretty likely your guests will be in a rush. The last thing they'll need is not being sure about how to actually check out. If you want your guests to leave their towels in the bath, or leave the key on the kitchen counter, then make sure to include it in the guidebook. If you're using a key exchange service like KeyNest to take the hassle out of check-ins for both you and your guest, then you can include instructions on how to return the key to the KeyNest store here.

How should I make it?

You have a lot of options for making a guidebook. If you're just starting out as a host, creating it on your computer, printing it off and stapling it together will be enough. If you want to go the extra mile, there are plenty of templates online for making your guidebook more aesthetically pleasing. If you're starting to take hosting more seriously or you're managing a few properties, you could try out an electronic guidebook. Using a service like Wishbox lets you upsell to your guests throughout their stay whilst serving as a detailed and easy to use electronic welcome guide.

Need an easy way to let guests and cleaners into your Airbnb without meeting them in person to hand the keys over? With over 4000 key exchange locations in 500 cities worldwide, KeyNest lets you share keys securely and easily.