The core template sections
A welcome book template gives you the skeleton: what to include and roughly in what order. Every property's guide will look different once it's filled in, but the sections below are consistent across almost every well-structured welcome book.
The order matters. Guests open a welcome book because they need something, usually on arrival, usually urgent. Arrival essentials come first. Local recommendations, which guests will read at leisure, come later. Don't make a guest scroll past restaurant recommendations to find the WiFi password.
The sections are covered below in the order they should appear. For a deeper look at the philosophy behind the structure, see the complete digital welcome book guide →
Arrival essentials
These are the first things guests look for, usually in the last 20 minutes before they arrive. Get them wrong, buried, vague, or missing, and the rest of the guide doesn't matter.
- Check-in time and access. Exact time. What to do if they arrive early. How to get in: door code, key lockbox, smartlock, or concierge name and number. Don't assume anything is obvious.
- WiFi. Network name and password, displayed prominently. This is the most-searched piece of information in any welcome book. It belongs on the first section, not page 8.
- Parking. Dedicated space or street. Exact location (a photo helps). Any permit, timing, or access code. For island properties, whether the approach road has any practical limits.
- Getting around. Nearest bus stop, taxi contact, car hire recommendation, ferry port if relevant. What the transfer options are from the airport or port.
House rules
A separate section, not embedded in fine print. Include the rules guests most frequently mishandle: noise and quiet hours, smoking, pets, parties, check-out time and instructions, maximum occupancy, and anything property-specific (pool rules, AC use, rubbish sorting).
Tone matters as much as content here. Rules framed as shared care for the property get better compliance than lists of prohibitions. For the full breakdown on writing rules that guests follow, see the vacation rental house rules guide →
How things work
Appliance notes are the most common source of support messages and the easiest to prevent. Write a short note for anything non-obvious. You know your property; guests don't.
- Heating and air conditioning: remote location, mode settings, what to do if it doesn't respond
- Hot water: boiler timer, solar heating delay (relevant on many island properties), how long the tank takes to reheat
- Kitchen: espresso machine setup, oven quirks, dishwasher instructions, any appliances guests might not recognise
- TV and streaming: how to access the TV, which streaming services are available, how to switch inputs
- Pool or jacuzzi: operating hours, heating controls, cover handling, any safety notes
- Rubbish and recycling: what gets sorted where, bin collection schedule, location of bins
Local recommendations
This is the section guests mention in reviews. Not because they expected it, but because a host who tells them about the fisherman who does early morning boat trips, or the bakery that opens at 6:30am, signals something about the relationship.
Be specific, not comprehensive. Four restaurants you'd take a friend to, with a note on what to order and when to book, is worth more than twenty generic listings. The same principle applies to beaches, markets, day trips, and seasonal events.
- 3–5 restaurants: what to order, best table, whether to book
- Coffee and morning essentials: the best bakery, the market day, where to buy wine
- Beaches: the popular ones guests will find anyway, plus one or two that don't appear on the first page of search
- Day trips: destinations worth the drive or ferry, with realistic timing
- Emergency supplies: nearest pharmacy, supermarket, 24-hour option
- Seasonal extras: festivals, pop-up markets, boat trips that only run in summer
Check-out
A dedicated check-out section prevents the most common end-of- stay friction. Include: check-out time, what to do with keys, linens and towels, rubbish, and whether guests should strip the bed. Be specific about what you ask. Guests who know exactly what's expected handle it; guests who have to guess often don't.
Add your emergency contact and a note on what to do if something goes wrong during the stay: a leak, a broken appliance, a lockout. Guests who have this information feel looked after; guests who don't panic and call at bad times.
The sections that make it yours
The template above is the structure. What makes a welcome book memorable is the host's voice in it: the specific recommendations, the small notes about the property, the things only someone who knows the place can write.
- A personal welcome message. Two or three sentences from you, not a hotel-style form letter. Something about the property, why you love it, what you hope guests will experience. It sets the tone for everything that follows.
- The insider tip. One piece of local knowledge that isn't on any tourist map or travel blog. The sunrise viewpoint. The fisherman who sells directly from the boat on Tuesday mornings. The village square that only fills up after 9pm. Guests remember this.
- Property-specific notes. The quirk about the front door that needs a firm pull. The air conditioning that takes 10 minutes to cool down. The neighbour's cat that treats the garden as its own. Small things that would surprise a guest are worth writing down.
Digital vs. printed
Most hosts building a welcome book from a template today are building a digital one, a web page guests open via a link or QR code. The advantages are significant: guests can access it before arrival, you can update it without reprinting, it works offline once loaded, and it can be in multiple languages.
A printed guide has one advantage: it's physically present in the property. For guests who aren't comfortable navigating a link, or properties with poor mobile signal, a printed backup still makes sense. The practical solution for most hosts is a digital guide sent before arrival and a small printed card in the property with the WiFi, check-out time, and emergency contact.
Whatever format you choose, the template structure is the same. The digital version just lets you do more with it.
Frequently asked questions
What sections should a welcome book template include?
A complete welcome book template needs: arrival essentials (WiFi, parking, check-in), house rules, how appliances work, emergency contacts, local recommendations, and check-out instructions. Boutique properties often add a personal welcome message and seasonal tips. These are the sections that show up in guest reviews.
How long should a welcome book be?
Long enough to answer the questions guests actually have, short enough to read in 10 minutes. Most well-structured welcome books are 8–12 sections. Avoid padding with generic content. Guests can find that on Google. The valuable sections are the ones only you can write: the appliance quirk, the best restaurant recommendation, the hidden beach.
Can I use a generic welcome book template for any property?
A generic template gives you the structure. But the content needs to be specific to be useful. WiFi passwords, parking instructions, appliance notes, and local recommendations are all property-specific. A template is the scaffold; your local knowledge is the building. The most memorable welcome books are the ones where guests can feel the host behind them.
Should a welcome book template be digital or printed?
Digital wins for almost every use case. A digital welcome book can be shared before arrival, updated instantly, read offline once loaded, and served in the guest's own language. A printed guide can't do any of those things. The only case for print is a property without reliable mobile signal. Even then, a downloaded digital guide works.
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