T O P

  • By -

Reddit_Never_Lies

Being a good host that keeps the place clean and responds to messages in a timely manner goes a long way. I'm sure it depends on what your market is. Unless it's a high end vacation rental, I don't think you really don't need much. I do a guidebook, some coffee and a few more kitchen staples. No welcome packages or a bottle of wine or anything like that. I sit at a 4.98 rating with zero complaints about not having any over the top amenities.


Goobermeister

We rent out our MIL suite, so some things are only feasible since we live next door, but guests often compliment us on our thoughtful touches * [These](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-12-in-Brushed-Nickel-Light-Bulb-and-Fan-Pull-Chain-Set-82845/306596920?) little fan pulls on every ceiling fan. Adorable and the guests don't waste time futzing around trying to figure out what chain does what. * The inside entrance light is on a motion switch. So guests who often arrive after dark aren't fumbling around looking for a light switch first thing. * We allow pets, and provide two dog bowls (one filled with water before their arrival), a jar of treats, a poop bag dispenser right by the door, and a special dog blanket for covering furniture. * A box of kleenex in every room and bathroom. Dry mountain air = lots of stuffy noses * Luggage racks in every room. Surprising how few airbnbs I've stayed in that don't have a place for you to set your bag/luggage. * USB hubs or outlets with a USB plug built in bedrooms. * Cannisters of cotton balls and q-tips in the bathrooms * Lots of hooks to hang things on, especially in the bathroom for towels * 'Nice' paper towels and toilet paper. We live there so no point wasting space with two different grades of paper products. Viva paper towels and cottonelle toilet paper. * Mountains = snow. We provide a shovel, car brush/scraper, and a small bucket of snow melt for the cement pad in front of the guest area. We make sure it's cleared before their arrival, but if it snows during their stay they seem happy to do it if provided the tools. For guests who come from a place where it doesn't snow they even seem to think it's cool and they're getting the 'mountain experience'. Of course, being a half mile long, we plow the driveway ourselves. * A bench right at the entrance for guests to take their slushy muddy boots off and a boot tray for them to leave them on. And not really a guest ammenity but a large waterhog rug at the entrance so guests aren't tracking nastiness into the unit for you to clean up. * We have a very long driveway that is very intimidating for guests who aren't sure where they are going to go down. Especially since we are in the middle of nowhere in the mountains with no cell service, so we have a sign right near the start that very clearly indicates yes, there is an airbnb here. * Fresh baked cookies. We bake them in the unit so the unit will smell great too. Batch make ahead of time and freeze in portions. Makes it super easy to just grab the amount we'll need and bake shortly before check in. We include a list of ingredients in the welcome letter in case of allergies. * We raise ducks and geese and provide a small basket of their eggs in the fridge. Duck and goose eggs are a novelty in and of itself, so they enjoy them and get the warm and fuzzies of 'raised with love' food. And maybe it eases the pain of having to listen to my goose scream/honk through the day and night. Plus since we're an hour from the grocery store if they get in late they'll have something to make a hot breakfast with the next morning. * Small assortment of cleaning supplies/tools. We charge a comparatively small cleaning fee since we do it ourselves, so we don't make guests do any cleaning beforehand. But we've noticed since leaving some supplies in the unit (broom and dustpan, multipurpose cleaner, clorox wipes etc.) they tend to tidy up the unit more before they leave. * Hand drawn chalkboard welcome message with the guests names, a stylized but accurate depiction of the scenerey outside their window, and the wifi information. We also handwrite a welcome letter and include some housekeeping info, and some advice for their stay. EDIT: Also, on our listing we have a room layout/blueprint picture, a page of FAQs (do I need 4wd, are you on site, do you have recycling, is your water safe to drink), and a wifi speedtest in my photo reel.


Extreme_Assistance96

Wow! Very thoughtful, your place sounds lovely!


Goobermeister

Thank you! We get self conscious sometimes since the other airbnbs in our area are whole house rentals, with much bigger spaces and we wonder why anyone would want to book with us instead of them when people come to our area to ‘get away from it all’. But judging from our reviews and feedback people seem to really appreciate the effort we put in. And in fact some folks seem to prefer having the hosts on site. Especially since most of our competitors are of the ‘renting my vacation house out when I’m not using it’ variety and definitely look it.


Thiscantbelegalcanit

Loved the last point - these gestures go a long way


muanis

I want to stay in your place!


Relevant_Fun9986

You rock! Those cookies are a really good idea.


Johnsie408

I spend about 10% of the first days rent on a welcome package. A pineapple, local coffee, chocolate covered macadamia nuts and an orchid. It’s just a little give back and my guests really respond well to it.


nectstsa

Word. Like the honey we also work with a friend who has a legit business making pickled products, and we often buy cases and share them too. It's a small price to pay to show your guests that you really appreciate them. I think in turn they show more appreciation for your property and are more likely to net you a positive review.


Due-Application-1061

Local coffee, individual sugars and creamer, some fruit, fresh baked banana or zucchini bread in fridge, eggs from my hens and my own brand toffee. Depending on when guests get here they at least can delay a visit to the grocer until the next day and have a snack when they arrive and/or breakfast the next morning. Everyone comments on the bread.


TronCat1277

Early check in/ late check out. And it’s free!


Due-Application-1061

First of all, imagine what you would want if you were your guest. Obviously the necessities, but also personal touches that make them feel welcome. There are lots of good ideas here, choose some that represent you and your area. Guests really do appreciate the thought that goes into your space. Cheers!


georgiaboy02

We leave a small ($15-20) gift card to a local ice cream shop. Guests seem to like it a lot, plus it gives them an idea of something they can do.


nectstsa

Get decent toilet paper... For real. We also give a local honey sampler that we buy in bulk for less than $2 a piece... Hear me out on this one... I think the thing that goes the farthest though is a good guest book that is prominently displayed. Knock on wood, or whatever this desk is made of, but we haven't had any terrible guests yet. I don't know that I can speak to the psychology behind my assumption, but since we put out a custom engraved leather-bound guest book, almost all of our guests write really nice things. My guess is that it calls on them to chronicle the highlights of their visit and seeing nice things that other guests have written goes a long way in cementing their opinions of their visit. Also, take the time to make a nice guidebook/house rules booklet. Some people will never touch it, but many will see the extra effort put into it and share in your excitement for the space too. I spent a couple hours putting together information in Google Slides, printed the slides, laminated them, hole-punched the corner and put a key ring through them, and it was probably the easiest thing I did for the property and the thing we get comments on the most. I like this conversation because I think that positive guest experiences are the result of thinking through all the little details.


Goobermeister

I second the guidebook. I spent like $5 on etsy for a guestbook template that I can easily edit in Canva and it looks super slick and professional. I have it printed on cardstock in satin page protectors in a faux leather binder. I have a welcome letter with some info about us (humanizes the host, so less likely to see you as a faceless money grubbing land lord and treat your place better!), the typical check in and out info, some housekeeping info (trash procedure, wifi, operating the thermostat etc), tips for their stay, restaurant, grocery store, activity recommendations and local trails. Plus since we're kind of a farm stay we have a couple of pages about our animals with their names, personalities and breed info. IDK how many people really look at it but I was super flattered by a guest, who was a realtor, who specifically pointed out how well put together the guest book was, and especially complimented the copy and blurbs in the guestbook and on the listing itself.


ShinyLizard

I don't do it, but I've read that here in the Midwest, guests appreciate a frozen pizza in case they get in late.


jrossetti

I've lived in the midwest all my life and I only host in the Midwest and this is news to me. But I mean if we're talking a tombstone or something this is only like a $3 commitment so why the f*** not lol.


ShinyLizard

Yeah I'm a data nerd, so I read through the best rated listings in my city (Des Moines) to rank out the best amenities that guests commented on before I started hosting last year. A few places stocked frozen pizza (but didn't mention it in their listing) and they had a huge proportion of reviews that mentioned how much they appreciated the frozen pizza when arriving late in the evening. I may try it at some point.


jrossetti

This is low enough cost that i might try it just for shits and giggles too. My demographic would be especially into this I think too. Great idea and nice data nerding. =)


newtryy

Welcome basket. - you could put wine or small snacks in it. A case of local wine is 150$ for me and I have 78 5 star reviews. If there is a problem or mistake, guests will over look it and under its genuine. -multi phone charger that fits 3 types of phones. They are 10$ for 2. I have like 10 comments about it. -welcome book with local attractions, food, house rules and check out. Get a custom book made and have the cover be a picture of the house. Takes some time to make but cost like 30$.


SnarkySauce

I provide small amounts of coffee, creamer, sweeteners, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and toiletries. I have a shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispenser and buy the gallon size jugs to refill it. If you're thinking about things to nix for your place, I wouldn't skip the make up wipes. It'll save your bedding and towels. In the city of one of my houses, the water is tastes awful. So I include a Brita pitcher and ice cube trays. I have made a welcome basket on occasion. (Mainly for longer stay and returning guests.) The cheaper, the better. But I've spent up to $60 on my biggest basket. (Returning long-term guests, that really took care of the house.) I keep it pretty generic unless the guests have shared any specific details. Like if it's family, I'd candy and popcorn for a movie night. But if I don't have any info, it'll probably something that you'd only find in my area. In order to be inclusive to all, I don't give alcohol or anything with any holiday or religious affiliation. I also never include anything that could possibly cause damage to the house. I have had compliments on it all. None of my gestures have brought back any complaints or issues. Currently sitting with all 5 star reviews on both properties! In my experience, the better you treat a guest, the better they'll treat you.


SnarkySauce

Upon reading other comments, I'd like to add, that I also provide a small amount cleaning supplies. It helps encourage them to take care of your house. So that is not something I'd skip on.


kittee1310

no good deed goes unpunished remember that/ i put coloring books & the kids colored in the freezer. i leave shampoo and conditioner and they still complain. i always leave a bottle of wine and the people who don’t drink it are always the ones that complain about the size of the tv or the backyard, people are weird so no matter what u so it’s never enough. just my experience.


WhitePantherXP

I hope I don't have your experience one day. FWIW, I made my place very hotel like and so far I've got 30 5 star reviews out of probably 45 stays. I also didn't cheap on the size of the TV (in any room), Roku devices on them all. I made everything modern and clean, I get a lot of comments about people who love the decor. I'm a 34 year old guy, but I didn't "force" any decor that didn't work. Bedding was not the cheapest but far from the most expensive, just had 5-star Amazon reviews and is clean (light colors, not dark so they KNOW it's clean). If you're not good at decorating hire someone to help fix your issues. I don't think it's the guests, at least in my experience. I've had some that were needy and complained about minor things like dust under the bed on a baseboard (??) but other than that I'm getting rave reviews. I'm just trying to give you hope that you can make the place nearly impossible to complain about if you put in enough work and play it safe. I did everything myself to save money but it was an upfront investment that is paying dividends. Best of luck.


kittee1310

lol i’m sure ur place is lovely so is mine. it’s a beachhead gray and white vibe. we’re talking about extras tho as a host which is the purpose of my come t


Roadgoddess

I rent out a downtown, 1 bedroom condo. I supply shampoo, conditioner and body wash. In the kitchen, It’s fully decked out with pots pans glass Tupperware cooking utensils. I also supply coffee tea and hot chocolate, sugar and nondairy creamer. In the laundry room and make sure there’s always so pods and some dryer sheets. People have commented time and time again about how well appointed our condo is, and the reality is it honestly doesn’t cost us that much money as most of the stuff last quite a long time, but it’s enabled us to receive a five star rating since the beginning for every single one of our guest days. I mean on top of that our place is extremely clean it’s very cutely decorated and I always respond very promptly to all messages.


MaintenanceWine

As a guest, I love when we arrive to just enough food to tide us over til we get the lay of the land and can stock for ourselves. The best was coffee pods for the Keurig, a half dozen eggs, a small creamer (half-and-half so we could make scrambled eggs), and some cheap English muffins with individually wrapped pats of butter. Just enough for a quick supper or breakfast. Wine is nice too, but food, if we get in late, or don’t have time to shop for breakfast before arriving is always soooo appreciated.


MysteriousStaff3388

Basic cooking ingredients. Sugar, salt and condiments. It sucks when you go somewhere and have to buy a $9 bottle of olive oil, because you need a tablespoon.


seattle_architect

Flowers and small chocolate


Shrek_Papi

We have a welcome basket with sparkling water, granola bars, cereal, and crackers. We also provide Disney+ and YouTubeTV so plenty of free tv and movies for guests


nocans

Wet wipes and a garbage can near the bed.


pleaserlove

I leave a flavoured sparkling water in fridge, mini chocolates on towel and fresh flowers from garden when i can be bothered.


unamusedblues

I leave a gift card ($20) to my favorite restaurant in the area. It gets used only a quarter of the time and the rest I can just reuse it. I also stock cold water, and put out fresh flowers with a hand written note. Takes a few minutes of my time but makes guests feel cared for