Airbnb Welcome Letter: Tips, Examples, and Free Template
Last updated: May 2024
The luxuries of a hotel mixed with the comforts of home are what make an Airbnb so appealing to guests. How do you convey this perfect blend? An Airbnb welcome letter!
A good Airbnb welcome message lays the foundation for a memorable (and repeatable) trip. Start off on the right foot by crafting your own. Our free Airbnb welcome letter template will help you get started while leaving room for your own creative touches.
Disclaimer: Lodgify is an Airbnb Preferred+ Software Partner. This guide, including any claims or statements within, is solely from Lodgify and is not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, authorized, or sponsored by Airbnb in any way.
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What is an Airbnb welcome letter?
An Airbnb welcome letter is a brief message you’ll either send to your guests after they book with you or leave for them upon their arrival. It’s intended to be informative, inviting, and start their stay off on the right foot.
If they’ve made their booking online, chances are you haven’t had much personalized communication with your guests. A welcome message for your Airbnb guests helps to alleviate the strictly-business feel, bridging the gap between you.
Just because you’re not on-site during their stay doesn’t mean guests shouldn’t get that personalized experience. Make your introduction a good one by including an Airbnb welcome message for every guest’s stay.
Why do hosts need an Airbnb welcome message?
If you’ve got a busy schedule or manage multiple rentals, you might be wondering why you need an Airbnb host welcome letter in the first place, especially one that has to be customized for each reservation.
The investment in time will pay off in several ways. The benefits of implementing this letter into your Airbnb process will far outweigh the burden of having to write it:
- Make guests feel comfortable. Having an Airbnb welcome message that conveys a warm and inviting message helps your guests to feel at ease in your home.
- Share any important information. No two Airbnbs are the same, meaning that the rules and procedures of one Airbnb could drastically differ from the next. Being clear about anything guests should know will help to bolster the guest experience.
- Remind them of the house rules with a friendly recap of what is and isn’t allowed. But remember—the tone of your Airbnb guest welcome letter should be inviting and warm, so this isn’t the place to hash out all the rules of your Airbnb. Instead, remind them of where to find the complete list.
- Enhance the guest experience. An Airbnb welcome message gives you the opportunity to connect with your guests and show them you’re committed to providing a five-star experience.
What to include in your welcome letter for Airbnb guests
As we mentioned above, every welcome letter should be unique. However, there are certain things you’ll want to include every time.
Guest names
This one is a biggie. When you get an email or junk mail that reads, “Dear valued customer,” how does it make you feel? Probably not that special.
Guests are giving you both their hard-earned vacation time and money to stay at your Airbnb. Show them your appreciation by, at a minimum, addressing them by name. Just a quick hello addressed directly to the guests will be enough to grab their attention.
A personalized message
The customization shouldn’t start and end at the heading. It’s going to take more than just a name drop for guests to feel special and recognized.
At some point during the reservation process, you should familiarize yourself with their purpose of travel and any other important details to note about their stay. Use this information to highlight your attention to detail. If someone is celebrating a birthday during the trip, tell them where you keep the candles. If they’re traveling from out of town, tell them where they can find maps and guides.
The ultimate goal is to make sure guests get the exclusive treatment. Demonstrate that you’re listening and hearing their needs by providing a personalized message in the Airbnb guest welcome letter.
What’s included in their stay
If you have last-minute bookings or simply a lot of amenities to offer, guests might have missed what all is included in their stay. In any case, you’ll want to reiterate what amenities they can expect and enjoy during their trip.
Try to do this organically rather than just listing out amenities. For example: “Step outside and enjoy the great outdoors with our wading pool, barbeque pit, and horseshoe set.”
Details about the property
Remember that the welcome letter is also practical. Don’t forget to share details like your Airbnb’s exact address and any other important information needed during their stay!
Consider that your guests might not be from around here. It’s up to you to make sure they feel at ease in your home and finding their way around the area.
In this section of your Airbnb welcome message, you should include practical information like how to operate appliances, the Wi-Fi password, and emergency contact numbers. If there are any quirks they should know about, like a tricky lock or weird shower settings, include these, too.
The most important house rules
We recommend including your complete house rules in your welcome book. However, your welcome letter is a great place to highlight the most important rules so that guests see them right away.
Quiet hours after 11 pm? No pets allowed? Remind your guests that there are some rules to follow and that they can refer to your welcome book if they have questions.
Remember, only include the most important rules here! You don’t want to come across as overly controlling or negative. Gently guide them to the welcome book for all the details and only mention the most important stuff in the welcome letter.
Check-in and check-out instructions
Is there anything guests should know about how to check in and out of your Airbnb?
This is another thing you’ll probably cover more thoroughly in your welcome book. However, if there’s anything essential, feel free to call it out here.
Good wishes for their trip
Let guests know you want them to have the best trip possible. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or grandiose, just enough for your guests to feel welcome during their stay.
You can add a personalized touch here as well or just close out with best wishes. Reiterate that they can contact you if they need anything else.
Your brand name and logo
There’s a good chance your guests will share their welcome letter on social media, with friends, or just take a picture of it if it’s good enough. Because of this, it’s highly recommended to include your brand name and logo in your Airbnb welcome message.
Imagine that someone loves the letter so much that they snap a picture and post it on their Instagram. You want their followers to know where to find you! Have your vacation rental brand name up at the top and in clear view so that potential guests can easily spot you.
Your contact information
Even if you already have all the local emergency numbers listed in your welcome book, it’s best practice to include your contact information (or that of your property manager) in your welcome letter as well.
Remind guests to report any issues or anything they find to be unsatisfactory within the first 24 hours of arrival so you can take measures to sort the problem ASAP.
It’s equally helpful to explain which numbers are for emergencies and which numbers they can call during daytime hours. It doesn’t hurt to reiterate this in the welcome letter so guests don’t have to search the entire welcome book if they need to contact you
Sample Airbnb welcome letter
Curious about what a welcome letter for Airbnb should look like? Check out our sample Airbnb welcome message below:
Want a customizable version? Scroll down to download our free Airbnb welcome letter template.
Keep in mind that this is a generic Airbnb welcome letter example. It might be useful to have a couple different versions of your Airbnb welcome message on file depending on the type of guest. Different types of travelers have their own needs and own ways of feeling welcomed. For example, you might have a specific version for families, honeymooners, and “just because” travelers.
When you have different welcome letters prepared to target different audiences, you help to further customize the guests’ stay and increase their satisfaction. Call out the reason for travel, make mention of any special celebrations, or give recommendations catered to each group of travelers.
How to send your Airbnb welcome letter to your guests
After you’ve crafted the perfect note for your guests, you have to decide how you’re going to get it to them.
Airbnb allows hosts to send communication and files through their own platform. They also automatically send the house rules manual once a guest books. So, it’s up to you if sending an Airbnb welcome message after booking makes the most sense, or if you’d rather wait until it’s closer to their stay.
If you decide to send the message over Airbnb, the process is easy. You’ll simply send it as you would any other message. Guests will receive it either via a banner notification in the app or directly in their email, depending on their notification preferences.
If you want to go old school, you can always have the letter waiting for them at the Airbnb when they arrive. Opting for a paper copy seems a bit more personal, but you’ll need to do a little extra work to make it stand out. For example, you’ll want to print your welcome letter on proper letterhead, not printer paper, and make sure the ink is consistent.
Want to offer a physical Airbnb welcome message? Scroll down to download our printable Airbnb welcome letter template.
Should you provide an Airbnb welcome message?
Absolutely! When you let guests know they’re welcome and appreciated from the moment of their arrival, you set the groundwork for a positive experience (and potential return stays).
This is even more important if you offer self check-in. You won’t be physically present to welcome your guests, but you can still give them a warm welcome through your letter.
After all, guests have chosen your Airbnb from a sea of competitors. The least you can do is express your gratitude with a friendly welcome. And with plenty of templates available to download and save you time, you have no excuse not to!
Download our free Airbnb welcome letter template
If you’re searching for a template you can use to save time, look no further.
Get started now by downloading our Airbnb welcome letter template, free of charge, and personalizing it to meet your needs.
Don’t see the form to download our Airbnb guest welcome letter template? Click here.