You’ve just started listing your property as a short-term rental. Host Tools is managing your automated guest communication and making sure you don’t get double bookings. But what’s something else that can really make your listing memorable? Airbnb welcome baskets are a great way to make your guests feel taken care of!
Welcome gifts will start their trip off right, and make them remember your short-term rental fondly when leaving their reviews. We’ve compiled some of our favorite Airbnb welcome basket tips and ideas to help you earn Airbnb superhost status.
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
Tips for Organizing Your Airbnb Welcome Basket
Creating an Airbnb welcome basket doesn’t have to be expensive, and it reaps big rewards for a host. Organizing thoughtful items into a welcome pack will mean a lot to your guests.
Perhaps you already provide oatmeal packets for breakfast or extra toiletries. Organizing a basket can be as simple as taking things you already provide and displaying them as a gift. To keep costs low, you can easily make bulk purchases of these items from a discount store.
Welcome baskets are also a great opportunity to partner with local businesses. Reach out to your local coffee shop to see if they will provide coffee grinds at a discounted rate in exchange for featuring them in your welcome pack, or gather coupons from a local restaurant.
Keep in mind your Airbnb pricing strategy when putting together your welcome basket.
If you charge $100 a night, a $5 welcome basket won’t cut deeply into your profits and is a worthwhile investment in achieving a superhost rating. However, if you charge anything over $250/night consider more luxury to match the style of your property. Oftentimes, guests won’t utilize everything in your welcome basket, so your cleaning crew will just replace the missing items.
These thoughtful details will add a “wow” factor to your Airbnb that your guests will remember when they write their reviews. Your welcome pack doesn’t have to specifically be a basket – it can be a nicely decorated tray, table display, souvenir bag, or whatever makes sense for your property. Keep in mind the style and ambiance of your property when picking out your welcome basket container.
Be sure your welcome basket is not only mentioned in your Airbnb listing but also has a photograph. A welcome basket has the power to be a determining factor in a guest’s booking decision.
What to Include in a Welcome Basket
You know it’s important to go above and beyond as a host, but you may be wondering what exactly you should provide in your Airbnb welcome pack. No two properties are the same, so there is no “one size fits all” answer to welcome packs. Use this to your advantage. Here are some time-tested starting points for preparing your Airbnb welcome basket:
Information and recommendations
Guests often choose Airbnb over hotels because of the opportunity to live like a local. Greet your guest with a personal note, and provide your house manual. If your guest is utilizing self-check-in, a note will add the personal touch you may miss otherwise.
Provide brochures to popular attractions, and include take-out menus to your favorite local restaurants. After a long day of travel, guests will be pleased to have recommended food and activity options presented to them rather than having to search the internet. These little conveniences will go a long way.
If you are managing your Airbnb remotely (which we highly recommend) then these recommendations for the area will remind a guest of your hospitality even if you are not physically present.
Travel essentials
As a hotel does, it’s a good idea to have extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other toiletries on hand. A guest who has forgotten an item will be thrilled to find one in their welcome basket rather than having to go back out to a store to pick them up. Think like a hotel and have a bottle of water and personal sized shampoos and conditioners on hand.
Snacks
Food is the way to many folks’ hearts – and you should use this to your advantage! Providing a simple tray of light breakfast and snack options allows you to add “breakfast included” to your listing. A guest looking to save a few bucks will be extra appreciative of having a light meal covered during their visit. This can be as simple as oatmeal packets, some fruit, bags of chips, baked goods, etc.
A snack tray should be proportionate to your nightly rate. If you own a luxury Airbnb, it is common practice to provide a bottle of local wine. Try to avoid consumable items that contain common allergens such as nuts. If you do provide items like nuts, include it as a note in your listing.
Add some local flavor by providing goodies from businesses unique to your area. Are you a San Francisco Airbnb? Provide some mini Ghirardelli chocolate bars! In Austin? Perhaps a couple of bottles of Topo Chico. Vermont? Grab some mini maple syrup bottles! Anything that has your guest saying “Aw, how cute” is a win.
Are you a pet-friendly listing? Consider a special treat for your furry guest!
Enhanced Comfort
If you want to go above and beyond, consider enhanced comfort items like disposable slippers, luxurious robes, body lotion, etc.
If your guest is traveling with children, provide coloring sheets or toys. Even if they don’t use them, the gesture will show your guest your exceptional hosting skills.
Seasonal
Has your guest rented the property for a holiday? Are they celebrating a birthday or anniversary? Little details like holiday cookies, or materials for a birthday mug cake are what makes short-term rental hosting more intimate and desirable than hotel rentals. Welcome your birthday guest with a balloon or a couple celebrating their anniversary with a bottle of champagne.
Branding
Welcome baskets can serve as great marketing for your short-term rental too! Consider printing postcards and include info on your property, provide custom notepads with your listing on it, or partner with local businesses for mutual marketing opportunities.
Providing an Airbnb welcome basket will go a long way in enhancing your guest’s experience and getting you reviews that make you a superhost. Let’s recap:
- Welcome packs can be created at affordable rates
- Utilize relationships with local businesses
- Provide basic area information and recommendations
- Include travel essentials like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.
- A light breakfast or snack is a crowd-pleaser
- Personalize your welcome basket to the season or reason for visit (holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, traveling with kids, etc.)
- Brand your welcome pack for extra marketing
Whether you’re a brand new host or you’ve been hosting for a few years – an Airbnb welcome basket is a strong asset to becoming and staying an Airbnb superhost. They’re an inexpensive investment that will lead to h fantastic guest reviews.
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
