Welcome Basket for Airbnb Guests That Doesn’t Break the Bank

Airbnb hosts are always looking for ways to impress their Airbnb guests and make their stay the best it can be. One way to achieve that is by providing a welcome basket for Airbnb guests. Let’s take a look at what you can put in your baskets and how you can find unique products for your budget.

What brings more joy to a tired guest than entering an Airbnb and noticing that the host has left a bundle of surprises? The best thing about gift baskets is that most guests won’t expect them. They’ll appreciate that you’ve gone above and beyond for them, with the intention of making them feel special.

Read on to find out how you can make every single guest feel special without breaking the bank.

What is an Airbnb welcome basket?

As the name suggests, the welcome basket is a gift that shows Airbnb guests your hospitality. Most guests aren’t expecting to receive any gifts, so it’s a nice surprise when they find a basket on their bed that contains shampoos, toothpaste, vouchers from local restaurants, and other things. The gifts certainly elevate the guest experience and pave the way to a glowing review if everything else is as expected.

With that said, it’s up to you to decide if you use gifts that can be taken home (a keychain, magnet, etc.) or if you only use consumables (fruit, drinks, snacks). It might even depend on the occasion, for instance, someone who’s booked a shorter stay might love a take-home gift more because they’ll remember you forever. Who knows, maybe they’ll even come back one day! For long-term stays, gifts that can be consumed might have a better effect. After all, your guests can nibble away at their snacks for weeks to come.

What do you put in an Airbnb welcome pack?

When piece your basket together, ask yourself what your guest might appreciate. Are they celebrating an anniversary or birthday? They might’ve told you via messaging when they booked your place. If so, you can surprise them with a bottle of champagne. Are they spending their honeymoon at your vacation rental property? Make it an unforgettable event by offering a basket with premium snacks and drinks.

If the tourists are visiting your country for the first time, offer something special. Someone from Europe visiting Asia is probably interested in trying out something they wouldn’t find at home. For instance, Singapore is well-known for Durian. While everyone wants to try the infamous fruit, the smell might be a turn-off for most visitors. Try to ease them into the Durian taste by putting Durian flavored products into the welcome pack. Their smell is much softer and easier to get used to.

That being said, don’t just go for off-the-shelf products as your guests most likely know them already. Instead, try to purchase local products they haven’t heard of. Work together with local shops and try to partner up with them for all your gift baskets. There might be an opportunity to not only help small business owners, but also get a discount as a repeat customer.

5 Airbnb welcome basket ideas your guests will rave about

Let’s look at a few basket ideas people will actually use and appreciate.

1. Welcome message or letter for your guests

Imagine this: you’re jet-lagged, tired, and hop in a taxi to get to your Airbnb. When you walk into the Airbnb property, you see a message with your name. The welcome message is a very simple way for hosts who want to add a personal touch to their stays.

We recommend this specific gift for property managers who don’t meet their guests in person. Those kind of stays often feel a bit impersonal. You can change that by writing a letter (by hand), introducing yourself, and wishing your guests an amazing stay.

Bonus tip: Create a digital copy of the welcome letter (a photo will do) and send it to your guests when they leave.

An inexpensive alternative to letters are chalk boards–and they are a bit more environmental friendly too. After all, you don’t need to use a piece of paper for every new guest. Instead, draw something inspired by your local culture on the board, and write the names of your guests before their checkin. You could even hire a local artist to draw on the board.

On the other end of the spectrum is the fancier alternative, the welcome book. Giving guests something they can take home always creates lasting memories. You could print these books in a large quantity, mention local attractions, things to do, and more. Leave the first page empty and write a welcome letter to make each book personal.

2. Gifts for guests who may be celebrating a birthday

Birthdays are occasions that warrant a welcome gift that has something special about it. The most obvious choice is a birthday cake. Order it just in time for the checkin of your guests, and put it in the fridge. Leave a note on the table with the following text:

Happy birthday, [guest name]!

I thought I’d make this day even more special for you. Check the fridge ;)

Best wishes,

Your awesome host, [host name]

If you want to go all in on the birthday theme, you can decorate the apartment with balloons, hang up a “Happy birthday” banner, and buy a few hats to get the party started. All that’s left to do is sing the happy birthday theme! If you want to chime in, or let guests celebrate alone, is up to you.

3. Guest basket offering luxurious toiletries

Make your guests feel special by providing them with fancy toiletries. This is a great gift idea for medium to high priced Airbnbs were guests have elevated standards. While hotels usually have contracts with big brands such as Bvlgari and Hermes, you don’t necessarily have to buy the brands your guests might be familiar with already.

As previously mentioned, it’s always a nice idea to shine the light on local or regional brands–and those can be luxurious too! Give your guests an unforgettable experience from labels they haven’t had the chance to discover yet. Here are a few things you can provide them with:

For your male visitors you could also provide a luxurious razor and aftershave.

4. Freshly roasted beans from a local coffee shop

Are you expecting coffee lovers for two nights or longer? If so, go to a local coffee shop and get freshly roasted beans. Put them in a transparent sealed bag next to your espresso machine. Ideally, mention where the beans are from, what kind of acidity they have, and other stats your guests might want to know about.

This simple gift can make a big impression on someone who loves to try out coffee beans from different countries. However, a true coffee lover will most likely want to know more about the beans themselves.

The aforementioned chalk board would be a great way to display all there is to know about them. Draw shaded beans to show how roasted they are, and mention the acidity number on a scale of one to ten. Your coffee shop should be able to provide this kind of data.

5. Fresh produce from local farmers

If your property is in the country side, try finding local farmers that can provide you with fresh products: milk, eggs, butter, cheese, fruit, vegetables, nuts. Keep in mind that your guests might have certain dietary restrictions, personal preferences, or allergies though. You could ask them before they arrive, and give your guests baskets offering produce that suits their needs.

If you will be providing Airbnb baskets with fresh products, keep the arrival time of your guests in mind. Some produce might require refrigeration to keep it fresh.

A vacation rental welcome basket should always be both a great value and also look nice. Besides edibles, here’s what else you can use to make your basket more interesting:

While fresh products are nice to have, don’t put too much pressure on your guests on having to eat a big quantity of them. Maybe they’re planning on not eating at home at all, so they could feel bad for not eating the provided produce. Instead, combine them with products that have a more generous expiry date (or can be taken home).

Money saving tips for your Airbnb welcome gifts

Airbnb hosts always keep an eye on their expenses while making sure that their guests are perfectly happy.

To reduce costs for their short-term rental business, there are a few tips and tricks that can be applied:

The last tip is very useful as carrying products around isn’t easy nor resourceful. You should have a storage room or drawer that is locked away and cannot be accessed by your guests. Store products you use in your welcome packages here for easy access.

Final thoughts

This blog post has hopefully inspired you to create personalized welcome packages your guests will love you for. From welcome books and letters to toiletries–there are many ways to surprise your guests, and exceed their expectations, leading to a positive rating.

Try to use local products, or those that are specific to your area, as much as possible. They’ll make the experience much more unique for your guests, leaving them with a positive impression. And, you’ll be able to stand out from the competition.