The experience offered by a vacation rental is simply unparalleled. None of the hotels can beat the charm of vacation rentals. Property managers and owners need to take advantage of each possible opportunity that they have to provide a unique and warm welcome to their guests upon their arrival. The best thing is that it is not hard to provide value in places where your competitors tend to ignore. The most commonly ignored aspect is providing a unique welcome experience. This is the moment when your guests step into your property for the first time. Do all that you can to augment their experience! Simple welcome gift basket ideas can start their vacation on a high note.
Practical and thoughtful vacation rental welcome basket by a vacation rental owner can help them stand amidst the stiff competition. Raise the bar and surprise them. You may own a luxurious property in an unbeatable location. However, doing a little ‘extra’ can work like charm. Preparing a welcome gift basket to surprise your guests will promise a great first impression. Pampering them also implies recommendations and positive reviews.
If you are wondering how to prepare a perfect welcome gift basket, then here are certain tips that you can consider. Though your budget and time will be critical factors in determining what kind of gift basket you can offer to your guests, combining things with practical and sentimental value will work like nothing else.
As time is a critical factor for vacation rental owners, check out the below slides to concoct the best welcome gift basket ideas in no time!
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Vacation Rental Welcome Basket Ideas (What to Put in Welcome Basket)
Creating a memorable first impression for your vacation rental guests is easy with a welcoming gift basket. This culture should be maintained from the very first day you start your rental property business. From local specialties to travel essentials, a basket full of treats is the perfect way to show your guests you care. Find here some welcome gift basket ideas for guests:
1. Vacation essentials
Including the basics in the welcome gift basket is a great way to prepare a thoughtful yet economical way of surprising your gifts. These thoughtful items still have the surprise factor associated with them. Your guests may have forgotten to pack the essentials for their trip in a hurry. Gifting them this can eliminate the hassle of looking for essentials from local stores at the start of their vacation. They will certainly appreciate this sweet gesture.
You need to include gifts that your guests would be grateful for. Try including things that will make their trip easier. For instance, you can include a sachet of shampoo, a small bottle of body wash, instant coffee mixes, and cookies. These items seem basic, this doesn’t imply that they wouldn’t need them but it makes a significant difference. If you want your basket to be more luxurious, then include a soothing cream and bath salts.
2. Personalized items
If you want to take your game to another level, then gifting travelers with personalized items will certainly touch their hearts. You can do this in two ways. You can either surprise the guests with personalized items according to your accommodation and based on the season or you can consider personalizing items according to the guest.
If you seriously want to upgrade your marketing skills like no other, then try to play with the theme of your property while personalizing gifts for your guests. You need to put some time and thoughts in deciding the gifts. Consider what kind of tourist place your property is located in and what time of the year it is. For instance, if you own a cozy cabin and the guests have booked the property in winter, then you can consider including hot chocolate, instant latte mix, or simply ingredients to make mulled wine. If your property is a beach apartment, then include sunscreen or offer inflated beach balls for free.
When it comes to personalizing the welcome basket according to the guest, here is something that you can do. While communicating with the guests while they are trying to book a reservation, you can consider finding out the reason for their trip. It could be a family trip or friends celebrating a birthday. You can always ask the reason if they haven’t mentioned it during the discussion. If you want your guests to be happier during their stay at your vacation rental, then make sure to personalize the welcome gift. The more useful your welcome pack is for the clients, the more meaningful their stay at your property is going to be.
If your guests have planned a romantic trip, then you can include a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of champagne or wines, essential oils, and anything else you can think of to make their vacation special. If your guests are spending time with their little children, you can include toys and storybooks in the welcome basket. This will offer them hours of entertainment. Your guests would certainly appreciate this gesture. Find some tips for family-friendly vacation rental properties.
3. Snacks
If your guests are arriving late in the night, they might be too tired to go out for dinner. If you don’t have any provision for supplying late-night snacks in your vacation rental, then you can consider including snacks in the welcome gift pack. Even if they aren’t using it right away, they can carry it in their backpack while exploring the place the next day. You can include water, energy bars, nuts, a bag of cookies, and chocolates. You can also consider including fresh fruits like apples and bananas in the welcome kit.
4. Souvenirs
Guests are booking your vacation home for a reason. If your vacation home is located in a prime tourist spot, then take advantage of this opportunity and include a small selection of souvenirs that they can take back home in the welcome kit. You can include keychains or any touristic symbol of your city. Try to choose original souvenirs. If your place is popular for any fauna, then you can include a magnet or the stuffed animal of the famous species. If the place is the hometown of a renowned writer, then you can include something related to their famous works. Postcards also work like charm. No matter what you choose, try to include things that are unique about your city.
5. Include popular local items
Travelers love exploring local items while on a vacation. If you want to make your gift basket extra special, then try to include typical cheese or artisan chocolate which is popular in your city. Traditional pasta, jam, honey, handmade soaps, candles, or anything else you can think of. You can also try partnering with local businesses to offer these items as a part of your welcome pack. You can get discounts with local businesses by doing this. After all, you are promoting their store to travelers.
6. Special vouchers or discounts in local shops or restaurants
In order to create a unique guest experience in rental property, you can consider partnering with local restaurants to get special vouchers or discounts. This will help them save money while enjoying local delicacies. No amount of money can beat the way the discount vouchers can satisfy your guests. Those who are traveling on a tight budget would truly appreciate the considerate gift. You can also try to obtain discounts on tours, such as wine or cheese tastings if it is popular in your city. You can also try to collaborate with local sporting activities providing teams or local amusement parks. Include gift vouchers in the welcome kit if you truly want to stand out from the rest of your competitors.
7. Personal touch and self-promotion
Along with a surprise kit, you can consider including a welcome for your guests that includes everything that the travelers would want to know about your accommodation, the region, places of interest, good restaurant, and transportation services. Doing something as simple as creating a list of personal recommendations that the guests can explore in your area can work wonders. Though it may seem like a lot of work, you need to remember that you will be doing it just once. You can then take as many prints as you want for your future guests.
If you have created any merchandise with your brand logo, then including them in the welcome kit would be the best thing to do. You can also write a personalized welcome letter for your guests.
8. Information booklet
While welcoming your guests with a basic welcome kit, you can include an information booklet that has all the instructions that they need to have a peaceful vacation. For instance, you can include instructions for machinery in your property such as air conditioning, dishwasher, and washing machine. You can also include a map of the local area, info on using public transportation, local laws, emergency information about hospitals, and contact information for any issues faced while using the property. You can also mention about the festivals and special events in the city during the time of their visit.
Final Thought
Following the above-mentioned welcome gift basket ideas can help you create a perfect welcome pack to impress your guests during their stay at your vacation home. Presentation is the key and you must never forget this. Choose a nice wicker basket or try to organize all the gift items neatly on a counter. If you are including food items, make sure to find out if your guests have allergies or food restrictions. Doing this will have positive reviews come flying in your way. Take things to another level by including luxury items. If you have a high-profit margin and are renting out a luxurious property, then you can certainly consider including samples from luxury brands in the welcome gift basket.
