Why hosts who skip it work harder
Every vacation rental host knows the messages. "What's the WiFi?" "Where do I park?" "Is there a good restaurant nearby?" Sent at 11pm, the night before check-in, while you're trying to switch off.
The hosts who get the fewest of these messages aren't necessarily the most available. They're the ones who answered those questions in advance, in a welcome book their guests actually found and read.
A well-built host welcome book doesn't just hold information. It sets the tone for the stay before guests even arrive, and it keeps doing that job every check-in, without you lifting a finger.
What your welcome book is actually doing
A host's welcome book does three distinct jobs simultaneously:
- It replaces you for the routine questions. WiFi, parking, check-out time, how the oven works. These don't need a personal reply every time. The welcome book answers them at 3am when you're asleep.
- It makes guests feel looked after. There's a difference between a property with a printed sheet of house rules and one with a thoughtfully written guide that says 'the best table at the taverna is by the window; ask for Giorgos.' One is functional. The other generates reviews.
- It protects you. House rules that guests have clearly read and acknowledged reduce disputes. Emergency contacts that are easy to find mean guests don't panic (and call you first). A good welcome book is also risk management.
What every host's welcome book needs
The essentials first, the ones guests look for immediately on arrival. Then the local knowledge that makes your property memorable.
Arrival essentials
These are the first things guests look for. Get them wrong or make them hard to find and the rest of the guide doesn't matter.
- Exact check-in time and what happens if they arrive early
- How to access the property: door code, key lockbox location, smartlock instructions, or concierge name
- Parking: space number, permit details, nearest public option
- WiFi network name and password, displayed prominently (not buried on page 8)
House rules that don't read like a legal document
Rules are necessary. The tone in which you write them is a choice. Guests respond better to 'we keep quiet hours after 10pm, our neighbours have been here longer than we have' than a numbered list of prohibitions.
- Quiet hours and why (neighbours, building rules, local ordinances)
- Smoking policy: indoor, outdoor, specific areas if applicable
- Pet policy with any relevant restrictions
- Party and gathering policy
- Check-out instructions: what to do with keys, linens, rubbish
How things work
Appliances are the most common source of support messages. Write short how-to notes for anything non-obvious.
- Heating and air conditioning: controls, remote location, what to do if it doesn't respond
- Hot water: boiler timer, solar heating delay if relevant
- Kitchen: espresso machine, oven quirks, dishwasher instructions
- TV and streaming services, including how to access Netflix or local channels
- Pool or jacuzzi operating hours and controls
Emergency contacts
Guests should be able to find these without scrolling. A separate section, clearly labelled.
- Your number (and a backup contact if you're unreachable)
- Local emergency services: police, ambulance, fire
- Nearest hospital or clinic with address
- Nearest 24-hour pharmacy
Your local recommendations
This is where a host's welcome book becomes genuinely useful, and where it earns you review mentions. Be specific. Don't list 20 restaurants; list the 4 you'd take a friend to.
- 3–5 restaurants with a note on what to order and when to book
- The morning market, the local bakery, the best place to buy wine
- Beaches and viewpoints that don't appear on the first page of Google
- Day trips worth the drive or ferry, with realistic timing
- Anything seasonal: festivals, pop-up markets, boat trips
For the full 18-section checklist, read the complete digital welcome book guide →
The multilingual advantage
If you host in a place that draws international visitors, particularly the Greek islands, the Amalfi Coast, the Algarve, a welcome book in only one language is leaving something on the table.
A German couple reading house rules in German is less likely to misread them. A Russian family finding local restaurant recommendations in their own language, with the name of the dish written out phonetically, feels genuinely looked after in a way that gets mentioned in a review.
The challenge is that machine translation produces text that reads like machine translation. Be Our Guest writes each language version from scratch (English, Greek, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese), so the tone stays warm and the local references still make sense in context.
Common mistakes hosts make
- Burying the WiFi password. It should be on the first page, in a font guests can read from across the room.
- Writing house rules in a tone that makes guests feel like suspects. Rules exist for good reasons; say what they are. 'No parties, we've had bad experiences with the neighbours' is both honest and effective.
- Outdated information. A welcome book with a closed restaurant or a changed door code is worse than no welcome book. Build in a habit of reviewing it at the start of each season.
- No personal touch. The difference between a useful welcome book and a memorable one is the host's voice. One specific recommendation (the fisherman who does early morning boat trips, the best seat in the village café) is worth more than ten generic listings.
- Sharing it only at check-in. Send the link 2–3 days before arrival. Guests who arrive already knowing where to park and what the WiFi is start their stay calmer.
How Be Our Guest builds it for you
Most hosts know what they want to say, they just don't have time to write, design, and translate it. That's the gap Be Our Guest fills.
We start with a discovery session: you tell us about the property, the guests you typically host, and the local recommendations that matter to you. From there, we write the copy, design the layout, and translate into the languages your guests actually speak. The finished guide is a mobile-first web page your guests open via a link or QR code. No app, no login, works offline once loaded.
You keep an editing link so you can update the WiFi password or swap a restaurant recommendation yourself, any time. One price, no subscriptions.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a welcome book for my vacation rental?
You can build one yourself using Notion, Google Docs, or Canva, free, but the result is usually generic and hard to maintain. Self-serve tools like Hostfully or Touch Stay let you fill in templates. Or you can use a fully managed service like Be Our Guest, where you provide the property details and we write, design, and translate the finished guide for you.
What should a host include in a welcome book?
Start with the arrival essentials: check-in time, door access, WiFi, and parking. Add house rules, emergency contacts, and how the appliances work. Then layer in the personal stuff: your favourite restaurant, the hidden beach, the bakery that opens at 7am. That's the part guests mention in reviews.
Does a welcome book improve vacation rental reviews?
Hosts who use a well-structured welcome book consistently see fewer support messages during the stay and more specific, positive review mentions. The connection is indirect: guests who feel informed and looked after write longer, warmer reviews, and they reference the local tips you included.
Can a welcome book be in multiple languages?
Yes, and for properties that host international guests, a multilingual welcome book is one of the highest-leverage things you can do. Be Our Guest writes and designs in nine languages: English, Greek, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese. Each version is written from scratch, not machine-translated.
Ready to create yours?
A welcome book your guests will actually read
Be Our Guest designs bespoke digital welcome books for boutique hotels, villas, and short-term rentals, multilingual, mobile-first, and ready before your next check-in.
Get a quote →