One thing I always advise my clients before a shoot is to dress the space so that it feels welcoming but not cluttered. In doing this though the question of what you are actually providing a guest comes up. 

Whilst a bottle of champagne looks great in the photo’s, are you providing that for every booking?! I travel a lot both with work and the “odd” holiday and use Airbnb all the time. Here are my top tips for the Bear necessities to make a guests stay not only pleasurable but also to help get those five star reviews.

Caffeine!!

The rage I feel when, after traveling all day (and night sometimes), only to find an empty cupboard at my Airbnb is like no other! It’s such a low cost thing to provide tea and coffee and can make the difference between a perfect 5 star arrival and a frustrating 4 star arrival.

Remember your guests are rating every aspect of their stay. My recommendation is stock up for however long they are staying. Lets say it’s a couple staying for three nights.

You don’t have to buy jars of coffee and boxes of tea bags each time, you can buy bulk bags of sachets and re-fill each time. Just make up a welcome pack with enough to last them at the very least for each morning. 

Water

Here in the UK we are very lucky that we can drink our tap water. Your international guests might not be so lucky and unsure if it’s safe. 

Just put a couple of bottles in the fridge so they don’t have to think about it then in your welcome manual just mention that the water if perfectly safe to drink.

Plugs and Power

Just one universal plug can be a life saver for some guests. If you can get one with a USB point all the better. A small thing but so handy

Welcome Manual

I think this is an absolute must. Yes you can create something within the airbnb app but having a hard copy available just shows you are prepared to go that extra mile for your guests.

It can also be a great marketing tool if you want to host guests without using Airbnb!

Things to include:

Your contact details. 

The Wifi code

Instructions on how to deal with rubbish

Check Out instructions

Emergency service numbers

Local shopping info

If you are in a tourist area, include some maps and recommendations.

Yes most of this is available online but I still think it’s a nice thing to have.

Toiletries

Like the Tea and coffee you don’t need to go crazy, just some little bottles of shower gel, shampoo adn conditioner. Even if a guest is having a slightly longer stay, it starts them off and means they don’t have to pack it.

There are so many other things you could provide but for me these are the ones that really make a difference especially on that first day/night. 

Also remember the more things you can provide, the more things you can add to your listing to make it more attractive to guests.