Reading Time: 7 minutes One of the best bits about a holiday is the anticipation of arriving at your holiday cottage for the very first time. Will it be as good as it looks in the photos, and what delights await you? Will there be a lemon drizzle cake, freshly baked bread, and sweet treats? The effort you put into welcoming your holiday home … The post Holiday Cottage Welcome Pack Ideas to Delight Guests appeared first on Tips for Marketing & Running a Successful Holiday Let.
Reading Time: 7 minutes
One of the best bits about a holiday is the anticipation of arriving at your holiday cottage for the very first time. Will it be as good as it looks in the photos, and what delights await you? Will there be a lemon drizzle cake, freshly baked bread, and sweet treats?
The effort you put into welcoming your holiday home guests is one of the greatest opportunities you have to set your holiday let apart from the competition and enhance the guest experience.
Under promise and over deliver
If you’ve ever arrived at a hotel and been offered a glass of prosecco by the concierge while you check-in, received a plate of fresh fruit in your room, some cool drinks in the fridge, and a handwritten note from the management, then you will know that it puts a smile on your face.
So how do you create a 5* hotel experience and replicate this warm welcome for your holiday cottage guests? Well, we think you can do it even better.
When your guests arrive from a long journey, they are probably tired, stressed, and hungry. So, one of the most thoughtful things you can do is to offer a carefully put together welcome basket full of little extras they aren’t expecting.
The definition of “carefully put together” is where your creativity really can run wild. Savvy owners can turn this seemingly simple gesture into a real “wow” factor, making guests feel welcome and appreciated.
What to put in your holiday let welcome hamper
Reach out to guests before the holiday
Many owners find it beneficial to contact guests before they arrive to introduce themselves and see if they require any additional assistance e.g., advice on getting an online shop delivered. This is a good time to find out who is coming to the property. Is it’s for a special occasion? Do any guests have specific dietary requirements or allergies? Your booking form should ask this, but it’s a good idea to re-check as plans can change.
With this information, you can tailor the welcome basket to their liking.
Include a welcome letter
If you’re not able to greet your guests in person, then including a small handwritten welcome note with the guest’s name and a few other personal details is a lovely touch. This shows your guests that you care about their stay.
Include your contact details and let guests know that you are available to answer any questions during their stay. You could also include a special offer for their next stay.
Don’t skimp on the basics
Just because your holiday let is self-catering, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t provide the basic essentials for guests.
The first thing most guests are going to want to do after arriving is sit down with a brew and biscuit, not seek a local shop for essentials. Provide essentials such as tea, coffee, milk, sugar, bottled water, fruit snacks, and cooking essentials like salt, pepper, and cooking oil.
Exceed expectations
If you underpromise and overdeliver, your guests will be delighted. A bunch of fresh flowers, a selection of chocolates, cheeses, and chutneys. Including goodies specific to the season, such as Christmas cookies and hot chocolate in December, chocolate bunnies or chocolate-covered strawberries at Easter.
Focus on the type of guests
What you include in your welcome basket should vary depending on the type of guests you accommodate. If you’re renting out a 1-bed apartment for couples, it’s not necessary to go all out. Something as simple as tea/coffee/milk, bottled water, fresh bread & butter, eggs, biscuits, cheese, or jam may be enough.
For family bookings, including treats, games, and activities to keep kids happy while mum and dad unpack their bags will put smiles on faces.
If your holiday cottage is pet-friendly and you know the family dog is coming to stay, include some doggie treats or a few toys for them to play with during their stay.
When will they arrive?
You may want to tailor your welcome basket to suit the time of day your guests arrive. Provide late night arrivals with a breakfast hamper (cereals, bread, croissants, fruits, yogurts), so they don’t have to rush to the supermarket in the morning.
Regardless of the arrival time, the smell and taste of a cake or fresh pastries from a local bakery are always appreciated.
Promote local flavours
What is your area known for? Include local artisan products, for example, honey, a typical cheese from the area, or Devon cream tea with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
Support your local producers by setting up a guest grocery delivery service. Ask local suppliers for free samples that you can give to your guests in exchange for promoting their product, e.g., honey, jams, or olive oil.
Encourage guests to buy more from the source by presenting an “essentials” list of all the places you bought the supplies from. Include directions to the local delicatessens and bakery so they can easily get stocked up during their stay.
Home delivery
Many guests like to do their grocery shopping online. Include the contact details of the local supermarket that delivers, so guests can arrange for their shopping to be delivered to your holiday home when they arrive. Maybe go that extra step by asking your guests if they’d like you to arrange any special supplies in advance.
Non-food ideas
This is your chance to be creative and impress your guests.
- If you attract families with youngsters, then what would delight the children on arrival? The quickest way to impress Mum and Dad is to enthral the kiddies. Maybe some funky sunglasses, a magic colouring mat, a board game, a toy, or a bedtime story. Include a soft toy who is ready to greet children as they arrive at your Airbnb as a gift for the children.
- How about a carefully chosen gift that guests can take home, so they have a special memory of their holiday. A diffuser, sensual bath oils, chocolates, a beer can cooler, or comfy socks.
- Provide postcards that guests can send to family and friends. Include your logo, a photo of your property, details of your social media accounts, and a discount code.
- Work with local businesses to include free samples of their products, or a discount in return for promoting their business to your guests. Do you live near a cheese or wine producer? Is there a theme park or spa nearby?
- To help aid a good night’s sleep, provide earplugs, eye masks, and pillow spray.
- We’ve all been on the way to our accommodation and realised (when it’s usually too late) that you have forgotten something important. Include a few essentials in your welcome basket, such as travel-size toothpaste and toothbrushes.
- It’s common for families and friends to gather in a holiday cottage to celebrate special occasions — a birthday, honeymoon, anniversary, etc. Offer to arrange for a cake, leave a card, balloons, and some fresh flowers to celebrate their special occasion. It’s little touches like this that will make their stay memorable.
Common holiday cottage welcome pack mistakes to avoid
Guests expect the Airbnb host to provide the essentials and enough for the number of guests staying. If the house is for four people, don’t scrimp by only including two of everything – especially loo rolls.
Blunt knives and scratched frying pans with burnt-on residue will irritate guests. As will providing only a few logs when the guests are staying for a week in December.
Think about what your guests actually want. Blue cheese and strong pâtés won’t be appetising to everyone. Aim for variety that caters to everyone. To avoid waste, monitor what is unused and remove unpopular items from future hampers. Remember to keep your welcome basket budget reasonable to maintain profitability.
Food allergies and intolerances
As a holiday let owner, you are responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of your guests. Although providing a homemade cake or jams and chutneys for your guests sounds like a good idea, over 2 million people in the UK have food allergies. If you provide homemade food that was found to have caused food poisoning or a reaction, you risk being held accountable and in breach of legislation.
Although you might ask guests if they have any allergies or food intolerances, groups of friends rarely know what allergies each other have. Therefore, you should ensure that food is pre-packaged and labelled clearly with the allergens in it.
You shouldn’t provide food that is unsafe or unfit for human consumption. It’s your responsibility to make sure that food is in date, and any opened produce is removed at the end of each let as it could be contaminated.
It is essential that owners have adequate public liability insurance to protect themselves from potential incidents.
Holiday cottage alcohol licence
Although the idea of welcoming your guests with a bottle of fizz sounds appealing, if you leave alcohol in your holiday cottage for guests as part of a welcome hamper, you need to be licensed. Whether you obtain one depends on how important alcohol is to your guests.
Alternatively, spend the budget on a voucher for your local deli or farm shop. Guests can choose what they like, and there are no licensing issues. You would only have to reimburse vouchers that guests redeem.
The Pink Book covers food and alcohol legislation in greater detail. Also, contact your local authority for advice.
How to present your welcome basket
The possibilities are endless, you can really flex your creative flair. Put all your treats in a wicker gift or picnic basket on the kitchen table for guests to find when they arrive. If you include spa-like toiletries, put them in a nice container on the edge of the bathtub.
You should include a photo of your welcome basket on your website, Airbnb, or Vrbo listing to draw the interest of potential guests.
Encourage guest feedback
To determine if your welcome pack is making a difference, ask guests what they enjoyed most about the welcome basket. Also, monitor your reviews for mentions of the welcome basket and specific items that went down a treat.
To summarise
Investing some time and creativity into your holiday let welcome basket can reap huge rewards by making a lasting impression on your guests and enhancing the overall guest experience. Your welcome basket should reflect your location, consider your guests’ needs, and be personal.
Happy guests are more likely to leave glowing reviews, which can lead to repeat bookings and recommendations to friends.
You may also find these articles useful:
- Looking for other ideas to include in your holiday cottage? Here is an inventory list of over 200 essential items.
- Alongside your welcome pack should be the guest information book that includes everything they need to know about your holiday let and the local area. Here is how to create the ultimate guest information book.
What would make you feel welcome in a holiday cottage? Add your suggestions in the comments
The post Holiday Cottage Welcome Pack Ideas to Delight Guests appeared first on Tips for Marketing & Running a Successful Holiday Let.
