Chapter 1

The Perfect Airbnb Welcome Book Template to Impress Guests

Last updated: May 2024

One of the many joys of being an Airbnb host is witnessing the happiness on a guest’s face when they arrive at your property. Starting an Airbnb is no small feat, so when you finally arrive at the moment of guests ringing your doorbell, it’s only natural to feel elated. Without getting too caught up in the excitement, you’ll have to make sure you’ve done everything necessary to guarantee the best guest experience possible.

Beyond all the work that goes into pre-arrival, the moment a guest steps foot on your property is arguably the most critical part of ensuring a great vacation. Give them the warm welcome they’re looking for by crafting the perfect Airbnb welcome book for each guest who visits.

Disclaimer: Lodgify is an Airbnb Preferred+ Software Partner. This guide, including any claims or statements within, is solely from Lodgify and is not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, authorized, or sponsored by Airbnb in any way.

Don’t see the form to download our free Airbnb welcome book template? Click here.

What is an Airbnb welcome book?

Not to be confused with the Airbnb welcome letter, your welcome book is the culmination of all the information your guests will need during their stay. This can range from recommendations to checkout details. By putting yourself in guests’ shoes, you’ll have a better understanding of what information they would like to see in their Airbnb welcome packet.

The Airbnb guest welcome book can really be anything you want it to be. Depending on the type of Airbnb accommodation you’re offering, you may choose to include or omit some information. For example, our downloadable checklist has a section detailing the outdoor features of your home. However, if your Airbnb is exclusively indoors, you can simply omit this section and focus on what’s around town.

Your content should also target the type of guests your Airbnb attracts. For example, if your audience is family-oriented, a section about the nightlife in your city won’t be useful to your guests. Consider having several versions of your Airbnb welcome book to better accommodate each guest type you host.

Why do you need an Airbnb welcome book?

The real question should be, why don’t you have an Airbnb welcome book already? This isn’t your typical welcome packet. Remember that the guests who choose to stay in an Airbnb are seeking a more customized, experiential vacation than, say, a big-brand hotel. Airbnb’s model is shaped by a deeper meaning of hospitality, and your Airbnb welcome book should follow suit.

So, even though creating a welcome book is an additional step, it’s definitely one worth taking. Let’s explore why.

Sets the stage for a good trip

Taking a vacation is an act of labor just as much as it’s an act of tranquility. Before getting to the relaxation, there’s plenty of anxiety, planning, and stress that goes into a trip.

Keep this in mind when writing your Airbnb welcome book. Let guests know their efforts have paid off simply by choosing to book your Airbnb. You want to convince them that they’ve made the right choice in reserving your vacation rental as soon as possible. When you greet guests with a handy Airbnb welcome book, you can ease their worries and remind them that their vacation has just begun.

Introduces guests to the area

In many cases, guests will be new to the area. They might be from the next town over or the adjacent country! To give them a warm welcome to the neighborhood, you’ll want to get them acquainted with all that your property’s location has to offer: be it restaurants, museums, or natural scenery. You might not know what your guests are interested in, so it’s important to include all the major attractions they might like.

Encourages guests to care for your home

When you take the time to write an Airbnb welcome book for guests, you’re demonstrating just how much you care about your guests, but also your home! The Airbnb welcome book helps to humanize the owner behind the book, encouraging guests to take better care of your property. Demonstrating just how much you care about your rental property means guests will follow suit.

How someone treats a family-run bed and breakfast differs widely from the treatment of a chain-motel room. Why? The most glaring reason is the impersonality of the stay. When guests feel as though there’s no face behind the property, they might be tempted to treat it as just a place to vacation rather than someone’s actual home. Protect your accommodation by adding a face to the home and motivating guests to take care of your property as if it were their own.

How to make your Airbnb welcome book stand out

If you do decide to create your own Airbnb welcome book, you have to make sure guests notice it. If your welcome book isn’t strategically located or it’s just bland, guests might toss it to the side or, worse yet, not open it at all. Make sure your personal touch comes across by creating an Airbnb welcome book that stands out.

Use eye-catching design

This is of the utmost importance. The design of your welcome book is going to be what allows it to get noticed in the first place. If you have a tacky, flashy, or just unsightly welcome book, guests may choose to ignore it.

You want your welcome manual to mesh with the rest of your home’s design while also grabbing visitors’ attention. Build from your home’s color scheme and choose the most remarkable colors. Choosing colors that contrast with the table on which you plan to leave your welcome book will also make it more striking. For example, if you have a white marble-top entryway dresser, you could opt for rich, dark colors to stand out from the furnishing.

Organize in order of importance

Once you’ve lured your guests in with a stunning design, you have to keep them engaged. Instead of flipping through the Airbnb welcome book, it’s best if they read the handout from cover to cover to absorb as much information about the property as possible.

The best way to ensure that your guests read the Airbnb welcome book in full is to organize it in order of importance. You may not necessarily know what each guest needs, but you can think about what the general traveler expects from their welcome book. Is the spa and nail salon near your property of top importance, or are the local emergency numbers more pressing?

Think of the information your guests need and rank it accordingly. This will prevent visitors from losing immediate interest and help ensure they read all the way to the end.

Make it interactive

If you plan on making your Airbnb welcome guide virtual, such as in a slideshow or PDF format, consider making it interactive with GIFs, reactions, and multimedia. This will help keep guests engaged.

A paper Airbnb welcome book is slightly more difficult to make interactive, but not entirely impossible. If the handouts are single-use, you can add checklists, vacation bucket lists, a notes section, and more. This also helps to emphasize that the welcome guide is for each individual Airbnb guest, not a generic pamphlet for everyone that walks through the door.

What to include in your Airbnb welcome book

Maybe you’re already dreaming up the colors, design, and type of cardstock you’ll use for your welcome guide. But we haven’t even addressed the most important part!

What information do you need to add to your Airbnb welcome book? The content itself is what’s going to determine if guests find the guide helpful or not. Remember that they’re using part of their precious vacation time to read what you have to say, so make sure it’s valuable information that adds to their guest experience.

Let’s review these 13 Airbnb welcome book ideas.

1. Welcome information

First and foremost, you need to greet your guests. Even if you already programmed a welcome email and left an Airbnb welcome letter on top of the guidebook, you’ll need to say it again. You can never over-emphasize how delighted you are that they’re staying in your home.

Because the welcome letter isn’t the same as your Airbnb welcome book, you can feel free to keep your greeting short and sweet. A simple thank you will suffice before you dive into the information they’ll need during their stay.

The welcome information should be useful rather than a copy of the welcome letter. Some things you might consider including here are:

Access codes, passwords, and key exchange information
WiFi network and password
Your contact details

There might be more you want to highlight here. Just ask yourself what guests need right from the beginning to feel welcome.

2. Table of contents

Guests are in a hurry, and it’s no wonder. After all, they’re on vacation! So, make it easy for them to skim through your Airbnb welcome book or find exactly the information they need by providing a table of contents. A table of contents helps organize your welcome book, points guests in the right direction, and adds a professional touch.

3. Arrival and departure details

If you’re customizing each pamphlet, you can add the details of their check-in and check-out as a gentle reminder about their length of stay.

Depending on when you send the Airbnb welcome book, you might want to add details about how, when and where to check-in if you’re planning to give guests a copy before they arrive. If guests receive the welcome guidebook upon arrival, you can add a nice note, hoping that their check-in went smoothly.

If you have a specific check-in and check-out protocol, you might want to mention or remind guests here. Providing clear instructions for smoothly transitioning them into and out of their vacation will improve their experience and hopefully make for return guests.

4. Emergency contact information

You may have already provided your personal contact information at the beginning of your welcome book. However, you should also include a section with the following emergency resources:

Nearest medical clinic or hospital
Fire department
Police department

Remember, guests probably weren’t thinking about potential emergencies when planning their trip, but that doesn’t mean accidents won’t happen. Put them at ease by making sure they have the information they need.

5. Airbnb house rules

All Airbnbs are different, so guests won’t necessarily know what to expect at yours. So, it’s best practice to include your Airbnb house rules in your welcome book to avoid potential issues.

Use this section to clearly explain any short-term rental policies you have, along with clear instructions for guests regarding what is expected of them during their stay. In most cases, these aren’t “bad” rules they need to follow—they’re usually just standard procedures! For example, if trash is collected on Tuesdays, you’ll want to communicate this to your guests so they don’t miss the opportunity to throw out the garbage.

Ultimately, this section of your vacation rental welcome book also serves as a reminder about how to leave your property in good condition.

6. List of amenities

If it’s been a while since your guests booked their reservation or they booked in a rush, they may not know or remember what amenities your Airbnb offers. So, it’s a good idea to include a list in your welcome book—both to make sure they take advantage of them and to impress them with your offerings!

Listing your amenities also gives guests an idea of what they are and are not allowed to use at your property. For example, maybe the washer and dryer in the bathroom are actually off-limits. On the other hand, guests may not be aware of amenities they do have permission to use, especially if they’re located outdoors or out of site.

7. Property how-tos

Consider this the “troubleshooting” section of your Airbnb welcome book. Here’s where you’ll lay out all the information regarding how to’s or instructions on things like:

The heating and cooling unit
TV, Roku, or streaming services
Pool or shared facilities usage
Laundry services
Beach equipment and usage

The benefits of this are two-fold. Guests find what they’re looking for quickly and you don’t get a phone call about how to use each amenity in your house. This section should be molded to fit the needs of your property. If you offer amenities that have guidelines, like a pool or hot tub, add the details here.

Think of your Airbnb welcome guide’s purpose while writing this section. If you think that information is unnecessary or a waste of time, such as instructions for using the dishwasher, then omit it. On the other hand, the welcome guide is intended to make guests more comfortable. So if you don’t include some valuable instructions for the heavily-used amenities, you might be dealing with some aggravated guests.

8. Activities guide

Don’t forget the fun part! Mentioning information about cleaning, check-out, and the like is essential, but your Airbnb welcome book mustn’t be all work and no play. After all, your guests are on vacation. Remind them of how much fun they’re about to have!

You never know what kind of itinerary guests have. They might be expecting you, the local, to guide them through the must-sees and dos. This is the section to demonstrate your expertise in the area. Suggesting a variety of things to do that cover the likes of multiple types of travelers.

This could also be a good opportunity to upsell the activities you offer. If you have add-on activities or even local partnerships, you can promote these here. Maybe guests didn’t see it in the Airbnb listing or maybe they’re feeling like doing something spontaneously. You’ll never know if you don’t try!

9. Guide to local bars and restaurants

When the foodies come to town, they want to know the top picks. This is the place to introduce your guests to all the fine eateries around. Much like the activity guide, it’s a way to demonstrate your culinary knowledge. There’s a couple of ways you can play around with this section, whether you choose to organize the eating and drinking guide by cuisine, ratings, price, or even kid-friendly spots.

You don’t have to limit it to just restaurant recommendations. If there’s a famous dish, drink, or local cuisine to try, you can recommend it to guests. They’ll be grateful to have insider tips and secrets and might even leave you a good review because of it.

10. Local attractions

The “around town” section is going to be one of the last chances to make your property’s location shine. Think of what makes your spot so special. Are there any local traditions, festivals, or secret sunset lookout points? What little moments around the area could enhance your guest’s stay? Beyond the tourist attractions, consider what parts of town your guests might like, such as Saturday farmer’s markets, local theaters, or the best places for photo opportunities.

Guests should enjoy their stay inside and outside the home. When visitors fall in love with your Airbnb property and the location, they’re that much more likely to rebook a stay in the years to come.

11. Local transportation

Make it easier for your guests to explore the area by providing tips on getting around! You may want to include schedules, directions, contact information, and any other details that could be useful, such as:

Taxi and shuttle services
Bus routes
Metro stops
Car rentals
Airports and train stations
Local area maps
Any tips only locals would know

These details are especially important to share if cell service is spotty in your area!

12. Personalized guest recommendations

You’ve already taken the first step toward making guests feel special by providing a welcome book. Why not go one step further with specific guest recommendations? An extra section specifically designed for the type of guest you’re hosting can really bring that additional wow factor.

For example, let’s say you’re hosting a family. You can include a section with family-friendly recommendations, such as local parks, affordable restaurants, and children’s activities. It’s not much extra work for you, and they’re sure to appreciate the thought!

13. Special extras

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make your guests feel at home. It can be as simple as, “Hey, by the way, there are fresh cookies on the kitchen counter” or even a foldable treasure hunt for kids! The last section is for you to add your final touches and leave guests with a warm feeling about their stay.

Here are some ideas for final touches to add to your Airbnb welcome booklet template:

A voucher for a fresh baked good at the local bakery next door
How to say “welcome” in the local language
The upcoming weather report printed out for their stay
A discount code for the next time they book a trip through your website

The options are endless when it comes to customizing a welcome book for Airbnb guests. Remember to keep it heartfelt, informative, and inviting, regardless of what you choose to add.

Airbnb welcome book example

Now that you know what to include in your Airbnb welcome book, what does one actually look like?

Of course, Airbnb welcome book examples vary widely. However, our sample Airbnb welcome book below should give you an idea.

Free Airbnb welcome book template

Looking for a customizable version? Scroll down to download our free Airbnb welcome book template!

How to give your welcome book to Airbnb guests

With a beautiful Airbnb welcome book drafted, you might be wondering, now what? When do you give it to the guests? Are you expected to hand-deliver the Airbnb welcome book or leave it at the entrance? Do visitors want a physical copy or is digital more convenient?

No need to fear! Your Airbnb welcome booklet will be well received no matter the format you choose. Let’s break down both options to find the best one for your property.

Airbnb digital welcome book

Delivering your Airbnb welcome book digitally has its advantages, beginning with convenience. A couple of clicks and your guests will have their welcome book on their phones, computers, and tablets. They can download a copy from anywhere without fear of losing or damaging it. You also wouldn’t have to worry about where to leave the booklet, as they’ll have it directly at their (virtual) fingertips.

Not only that, virtual welcome books are cheaper. Even if you pay for software to design the Airbnb welcome book outline or buy a tablet to display a virtual copy inside the home, it will eventually outweigh the cost of stationery (if you plan on creating a new welcome book for each guest).

If you want to send the booklet in advance, this is also a good option, particularly for hosts who plan to also leave a welcome letter. It might help to break up all the check-in materials provided. Just be careful not to send it too early, so as to keep the tips and information fresh in your guests’ minds.

Printed Airbnb welcome books

There’s still something so magical about receiving a handwritten note or personally signed letter. It takes thoughtfulness to the next level and really shows your guests that you care. This might be especially important if your booking process has been hands-off or if you haven’t had much communication with your guests up to the point of check-in.

If your location is a little more off-the-grid or rustic, a printed copy might fit the theme well. You can even have the physical design match the decor and feel of your Airbnb property.

Summary

As Airbnb hosting gets increasingly competitive, it becomes much more important to greet guests with genuine hospitality. And an Airbnb welcome book is a great way to do that.

Having a welcome book particularly for Airbnb guests will show just how happy you are for them to be there. Guests will be thrilled to find the extra touch and feel at home from the start.

Not to mention the benefits a welcome book has for you! Making your guests happy from the very beginning of their trip paves the way for a great guest experience and also helps to build a strong bridge of communication just in case something does go wrong during their trip. When visitors feel comfortable in your home and around the area, they’re far more likely to enjoy themselves and their stay. Happy guests tend to rebook, leave positive reviews, and take better care of your home. It’s a win-win!

The informative nature of the Airbnb welcome book also means you’ve provided guests with all the tools they need to independently navigate their stay. When you leave detailed descriptions of how to use appliances, where to find WiFi passwords, and other important details, guests might not even need to reach out, making your job as a host a breeze.

Make your guests feel welcome from the start and answer their questions before they even have to ask with a well-designed welcome book. Ready to get started? Download our Airbnb welcome book template, free of charge, to customize for your property and guests!

Don’t see the form to download our Airbnb welcome template? Click here.