Guest Information Folders

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Joey Camb

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2010
Messages
4,793
Reaction score
0
Am just redoing my guest information folders and wondering what people put in theirs. I am putting in a front sheet with a breakfast menu and times as that is what people seem to ask most so I am putting it up front. I put some ideas of things to do, a brief history of my town, important phone numbers, places to eat out and some general information about our place.
 
That's what we have, too. For the restaurants I have how close they are to me, phone number for rez and what the dress 'code' is. My books are so out of date. Places have moved, new restaurants have opened. Something else for the list.
 
Im questioning the entire concept, I have printed information, yet, people will ask me "I read the printed flyer saying you can not store luggage, can you make a exception for me?" I am now subscribing to the theory that anything I put in print, simply acts as a guide for questions.?
Bo
 
Im questioning the entire concept, I have printed information, yet, people will ask me "I read the printed flyer saying you can not store luggage, can you make a exception for me?" I am now subscribing to the theory that anything I put in print, simply acts as a guide for questions.?
Bo.
You might think that, but it's probably just that 99% of the people who would have asked, didn't because they DID read it and DID think it applied to them.
And it beats the folks who come down in the morning and STATE that they will be back at 4 PM for their luggage, where should they leave it. (Yes, I've had that. And when the limo driver showed up at 4 PM none of them were here so he hauled it all out to the car, threw it in and then idled while waiting for them. Then I started getting phone calls that 'stuff' was missing. Yeesh. As I recall, these were the same guests who walked into another guest's room and took her 'welcome basket' that she had ordered.)
 
Area recreational info, events for the week, movie theatre showtimes, restaurant list and menus, current weather forecast, information about and directions to all major area attractions surrounding us.
Back of the binder has history and old photos of the house.
 
Our booklet has most of the info already stated. However, one thing the folks really enjoy is the once a month updated list indicating from where our visitors have come from. Town, County and Country only - no names. People really enjoy the list and love to have their town added to it. It covers "by year" the past three years and is broken down into what town/provinces in Canada and town/US states they came from and the other sheets depict the rest of the world.
Cheers
 
I keep a 3 ring binder with menus from area restaurants and directions, local attractions (movies, shopping etc.), a map and a pen and notepad. I also leave a letter with all the events that are happening in our area during their stay.
 
H, I would like that! I am into that. For me I could grab a cuppa and read the list and think that was really cool. Great idea.
I was one of those who said too late "Dang it, we need a map here for guests to put pins from their country, state, city, etc!" I wish I had done it, but never had the right place for it, even though I did buy one.
 
I've started putting Post Codes of places in mine, it seems more and more people are travelling with Sat Navs.
 
H, I would like that! I am into that. For me I could grab a cuppa and read the list and think that was really cool. Great idea.
I was one of those who said too late "Dang it, we need a map here for guests to put pins from their country, state, city, etc!" I wish I had done it, but never had the right place for it, even though I did buy one..
I don't think my maps (US and world) are in the best location, but they work. Lots of conversations start over the map. Especially the world map. What I wish is that I had gotten one color pin for each year so I could track who came when.
We also have a huge map of New England on another wall. That comes in handy when guests are leaving here and headed for NH or VT.
 
HJ, postcodes for the guest to look them up themselves? Like a bit of fun, or? My sister lives in Ireland and doesn't have a post code... :)
 
HJ, postcodes for the guest to look them up themselves? Like a bit of fun, or? My sister lives in Ireland and doesn't have a post code... :).
We have had so many guests from the same general area that we are surprised when they DON'T know each other. Unlike the guest coming next month from ME who knows my long time guest from PA. But he knows her from ME, not PA. Still, what are the odds someone in ME would come here who knows someone from PA who comes here, too?
 
I have a sightseeing section and I put a small description of the attraction and its phone number and full address so they have the postcode for directions. I should have a folder of restaurant menu's as well I think that is a good idea.
 
I have printed up turn by turn day trips with places to see and things to do. One for my immediate area, one for the area north, and one for the area south. It's in their binder in a protective sleeve, but I also have them loose in the left binder pocket to take with them. I got so tired of saying the same thing over and over to the guests and this has been a huge time saver for me.
 
I had a 1 inch 3 ring binder with a welcome letter, a single sheet with quick info (breakfast times, linen change, thermostats, how to contact us, etc.), then info about their specific room, emergency exit map, followed by tabbed sections with Restaurants, Entertainment (live music, movies, bowling alley, etc.), Shopping, Services (dry cleaners, taxis, airport shuttles, banks and ATMs, churches, etc.). Front pocket had the current CV&B brochure for the area things to do and also the annual the State Tourism Travel guide. I tried to update it monthly.
I had lots of maps in a basket downstairs and restaurant menus and coupons in the same location...I didn't put those in the room.
 
  1. We have maps and GPS coordinates for area attractions.
  2. List of area restaurants with our personal rating of each. (no we don't get a kickback)
  3. List of area churches for the Sunday morning crowd.
  4. Map of our trail system.
  5. Safety tips for the woods.
  6. Photos of poison ivy and dangerous critters on the property to avoid.
  7. OUR POLICIES.
  8. And of course a welcome letter on the front.
 
Back
Top