What makes your holiday home stand out from a hotel is the personal touch it provides. You want to remind your guests that they are welcome in their home, as the saying goes “mi casa es su casa.” There are a number of ways to do this, one of which is a welcome pack, which gives you the chance to easily share lots of key information with your guests about your property and the area that they are staying in, as well as including some small gifts and treats.
If you’re not sure what to include when putting together your welcome pack, we’ve put together some ideas.
Logistical essentials
It’s very likely that this will be your guests first time visiting your area, so help them out by providing them information about the area. You could include:
- Local transport information (bus, train, taxi)
- Local attractions that they need to see
- Local restaurants and takeaways
- A map of the local area
- Recycling and bin details
- Key details about the accommodation (how to operate the heating, hot water, and so on).
Food essentials and luxury nibbles
In the past, holiday lets have been known to provide a ‘welcome hamper’ to guests including things like:
- Pantry essentials such as salt & pepper, olive oil, sugar
- Tea, coffee, milk
- Butter and jam
- Loaf of bread
- Some pasta and a jar of pasta sauce
Some even went a step further and provided luxury treats such as:
- A bottle of wine
- Chocolate
- Biscuits or cakes (want to earn even more brownie points? Make some homemade treats!)
- Local artisan products such as ciders or jams
If you would like to do this for your guests, you must make yourself aware of the legislation that applies to the provision of alcohol and food. PASC provide an excellent overview of the legalities of welcome hampers in the UK here. In a nutshell:
- If you leave alcohol for guests, even as a gift, you must obtain the relevant licenses
- If you leave food for guests, even as a gift, you must abide by the relevant food safety regulations.
It is still absolutely possible to provide this kind of welcome hamper experience to your guests–but as a business you must ensure that you are covered legally. This is something that many holiday let owners are unaware of and it is well worth your time to understand the law in your area.
Tailor it to your guests
Information from your booking form should give you some insight into who exactly is staying in your property. This allows you to tailor your welcome pack to each group of guests, letting them know that you’ve put that extra bit of effort into hosting them.
If there are going to be young children staying then you could leave out some colouring pencils and some paper. If it’s a family with slightly older kids then how about popping some cards or board games on a side table for them, or the code for the wifi? Are they bringing a dog? Leave out a toy. You might already know if your guests are celebrating a hen do or a big birthday, so a small congratulatory card could go a long way.
Additional extras
Try and think of the small things that your guests might not have thought to bring that they might need to stay in your property. For instance, if you live in a busy area you could provide sleep masks and earplugs. Or if your property has a bath, leave out some bath salts or essential oils and tell your guests they are welcome to use them.
Perhaps your property is popular for its nearby walking routes;Â you could let your guests know if you have any wellies, raincoats or walking shoes that they can borrow during their stay. You could either go out and buy some of the most popular sizes, or just let them use your own.
For more hints and tips, take a look at our 5 ways to encourage repeat holiday bookings.
Going that extra mile for your guests doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, but it is a good way for you to leave your guests with a good impression of your property. And a good experience means they’re more likely to leave a glowing review or recommend your property to their friends and family.
Owners who advertise with us get the benefit of our advice on all sorts of things (including advice on welcome packs) by calling us whenever they need to. We’re here to answer any questions you have about running a successful holiday let, as well as ways to increase enquiries and bookings. Find out what else you get when you advertise with us.
Want to make your guests feel welcome? Download our ultimate checklist to help your guests have a great stay.
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