An Airbnb guidebook gives hosts the opportunities to showcase their local knowledge of the local area, build trust with potential guests and save themselves the time of providing personal recommendations to everyone who sends them a message.
Read on to find out examples of what to include in your Airbnb welcome pack, why you should provide one, and how to write one on the Airbnb platform.
Airbnb Guidebook Ideas
In your Airbnb guidebook, you could include recommendations for:
- Dining and drink e.g., the best restaurants, fast food options, unique coffee shops, convenience stores, supermarkets, delis, pharmacies, bars, and pubs;
- Entertainment e.g., nightclubs, live music, karaoke events, cinemas, comedy clubs, bowling alleys, art galleries, museums, and libraries;
- Activities e.g., local beaches, hiking routes, parks, playgrounds, sports equipment hire, unique sports lessons and activities, shopping malls, water parks, theme parks, and circus events;
- Sight-seeing e.g., sites of historical or cultural interest and novel attractions; and
- Events and festivals e.g., local markets, and day festivals.
Do you want a hand in crafting the perfect Airbnb welcome book for your guests? Check out my Airbnb guidebook-writing service.
What is an Airbnb Guidebook?
An Airbnb guidebook is a custom digital guest book and travel guide made by an Airbnb host to give their guests a better understanding of the local area and provide them with recommendations for local events, activities, dining, and entertainment options. Creating a welcome book is a way for Airbnb hosts to save time by consolidating their recommendations into an easy-to-access, easily digestible document that they can send out to guests.
Why Should Hosts Create an Airbnb Guest Book?
Creating a guidebook will save you time and ensure that your guests make the most of their stay in your vacation rental property. Instead of sending messages to every guest with personalized recommendations for what to do during their stay, you can compile everything into one document for all guests to access.
When your guests feel that they have been able to see and do everything they wanted during their trip, they are more likely to leave better guest reviews that reflect the attentiveness and helpfulness of the Airbnb host. This, in turn, increases an Airbnb host’s overall rating, increasing listing views and bookings.
Read more about how to increase your views on Airbnb and attract more guests to your listing.
Not only will creating a guidebook save you time, but it will also show off your extensive knowledge of the local area and thereby increase your credibility as a great Airbnb host. As a result, over time you will be able to charge a more premium price for your short-term rental property.
Read more about how to boost your Airbnb sales.
What Should be in an Airbnb Guidebook?
In your Airbnb welcome book, you could include recommendations for local dining, entertainment, activities, sight-seeing tours, and events or festivals. Make sure that you have visited these places and done these experiences yourself so that you can provide truly great and unique recommendations to your guests. Aim to arm them with the ‘knowledge of a local’, rather than just listing prime tourist hotspots.
Read more about creating unique Airbnb experiences for your guests.
Dining and Drink Recommendations
Are there a few underrated restaurants or bars nearby? Why not recommend them to your guests! Let them know about unique cafes, outstanding food, and fantastic pubs or breweries in the nearby area. Your guests will appreciate the local recommendations, especially if there is an overwhelming choice in your local area.
For example:
“At the time of writing, there are five pubs on the local high street, all serving traditional English pub food. My wife, Julie, and I particularly love the Red Lion pub (next to the Co-op) for a hearty Sunday lunch and a fantastic range of ales. They are reasonably priced and just a short walk from the property.”
Entertainment Recommendations
Depending on who your guests usually are, you may want to provide them with recommendations for local entertainment options. This could include great bars, live music, nightclubs, or karaoke events that they might want to visit. Taking the time to consider what your typical clientele are after goes a long way to building trust with your guests.
Activities Recommendations
Airbnb hosts can recommend all sorts of activities to their guests. From directions to the nearest beach, recommendations for where to rent sports equipment, or unique activities on offer in the area, there are usually many activities around to choose from and so your guests will appreciate the direction. Is the area famous for a fantastic circus, waterpark or theme park? If so, let your guests know!
Read more about what to include in your Airbnb house manual.
Sight-Seeing Recommendations
You may want to take the time to recommend some sightseeing day trips and tours to your guests. If your property is near to some sites of historic interest or cultural significance then make your guests aware of this! They may not have fully researched everything on offer in the area before making a booking with you.
“Stonehenge, a one-of-a-kind prehistoric monument and World Heritage Site, is just a 20-minute drive from The Cottage. See the website for more details about booking tickets or a tour from an expert in European pre-history.”
Learn how to write the perfect pre-booking message to send to guests
Events and Festivals Recommendations
Are there any festivals or events going on in the area during the year? Include an up-to-date list of times and dates for local markets, festivals, or fun events that your guests can get involved with. This, along with providing fantastic Airbnb experiences, is one of the best ways for your guests to feel like they are ‘living like a local’.
How Do I Create a Great Welcome Packet on Airbnb?
When you’re creating an Airbnb welcome pack you need to make sure it is tailored to your guests, is short and sweet, and is always up-to-date. Make sure you include only personal recommendations, mention any unique and special features, and include fantastic photos to show your guests exactly what activities and events they could attend.
Tailor it to Your Guests
Have your ideal guest in mind when writing your guidebook, and tailor it to them. If you usually host families, for example, include recommendations for local daytime activities such as theme parks and beach equipment hire. If you usually host to couples, consider including recommendations for fantastic local hiking routes or couples’ spa days. If you host to groups of young people, include recommendations for all the best bars and nightclubs in the area.
Personal Recommendations Only
Make sure that you truly do recommend everything in the Airbnb guest book. You don’t want to risk damaging the trust you have built with your guests by recommending them a place or activity that turns out not to be very enjoyable.
For example:
“I have attended the local waterpark with my two young children every year since they were born; the diverse range of slides suits all age groups and creates truly wonderful days out all summer long!”
Short and Sweet
Keep your Airbnb welcome pack brief and easy to read. Use a contents table, page numbers, short paragraphs, bullet points, and images to break up the text so that guests can pick out important information when they have a quick scan through it. You may want to consider categorizing events by guest type, e.g., families or couples, or by event type, e.g., dining, outdoor activities, or sight-seeing.
Fantastic Photos
Including some high-quality photos of the activities and places that you recommend in your Airbnb guidebook is a great way of making it more engaging and interesting for your guests to read. Consider using a template on a free website such as Canva for unique and exciting layout ideas.
Read more about writing irresistible Airbnb photo captions.
Up-to-date Information
Lastly, make sure that your guidebook is always up-to-date. Providing outdated information about opening times, events or locations is a recipe for a negative guest review. Make sure to check the accuracy of all the information in your Airbnb welcome pack every couple of months, and make adjustments where needed. If you don’t want to continually check your guidebook is up-to-date, exclude information that may be subject to change and instead refer guests to a company’s website for accurate information.
For example:
“The opening hours of the fantastic local park and playground frequently change according to the seasons and variation in demand. Please take a look at this website for up-to-date opening hours during your stay.”
Creating an Airbnb Guidebook for Guests
Follow this step-by-step procedure to create or edit an Airbnb welcome pack on your Airbnb account:
- Click ‘listings’ and select one of your listings
- Click ‘info for guests’
- Click ‘pre-booking details’
- Next to where it says ‘guidebooks’, click ‘edit’
- Click ‘create’
- Edit the title and cover of your guidebook, and choose the listings that correspond with the guidebook
- Click ‘add to guidebook’ to add your recommendations
- When you’ve finished, click ‘done’.
You can learn more information here.
In your Airbnb guidebook, you could include recommendations for local dining and drink, entertainment, activities, sightseeing, and events and festivals. Keep the guidebook short and sweet, personal to your ideal guest, and up-to-date at all times. Include some great photos and ensure that it is formatted in a way that makes it exciting and engaging for guests to read.
Need help crafting the perfect Airbnb listing description or welcome book? Get in touch today to find out more about my Airbnb guidebook-writing service.