Communication is a big part of a stay in any hotel, bed and breakfast, or guest house. It allows you to pass on extremely useful information which will improve your guests’ overall experience, not only just in the room, but within the local area. We have put together a guide of everything that you should include in your guest room folder to create the best experience for each guest.
Welcome Message
A welcome message gives a personal welcome to your guests as they arrive and is the perfect introduction to your guest information folder. You may consider giving them some information about the building that only you might know. Any renovations you may have done, why you bought it, how long you have had the property for: the more connected you can make your guests feel to you and your property, the more likely they are going to look after it during their stay.
Local Tourism Sites Map
Likely, this is the whole reason that your guests are in the area. But you might be able to inform them of local sites that they hadn’t considered before. Providing a map of all of the local sites will allow your guests to plan out their days and know where they are heading. You might consider what the best times of year or day to go and visit each site are, adding a bit of local knowledge can be invaluable to one’s stay.
Recommended Local Businesses and Amenities
You could to strike up some deals with other local businesses, in which you can provide your guests with benefits, (like a percentage off a meal if you recommend a restaurant). This will incentivise your guests to try these places and will make them feel like you have really considered their stay. Bearing in mind that they have probably not been to the area very much, you might be able to give them some tips on local amenities to use.
Operating Instructions
The immediate question of “what’s the Wifi code?” should probably be addressed in the front of your information folder as that is what the vast majority of your guests are going to be looking for. In addition, providing instructions on how to operate the heating or air conditioning systems and the television will often alleviate any frustrations they may have with facing unfamiliar technology.
Emergency Contacts and Information
Giving your guests information on how to contact yourself or a maintenance engineer for any emergencies out of hours could end up saving you a lot of money and your guests a lot of stress. Providing information on what to do if minor problems occur (like where to find the fusebox if a light trips), will ensure your guests are not left in the dark – literally!
Guestbook
Guest books are a great addition to the folder as it reaffirms the guest’s experience of their stay. A handwritten guestbook is more personal than a review platform like TripAdvisor and is more likely to receive better feedback. As a consequence of this, it is likely that your online ratings will be affected for the better as your guests won’t want to contradict themselves.
Check Out Instructions
Ensuring that your guests know where to leave their waste and where to leave the keys, etc. Leaving them a checklist provides an easy to follow guide of what condition to leave the accommodation in and will ensure that neither party has any unexpected surprises. This will round off a pleasant stay in your guest room and will improve the communication between you and your guests.
Guests information folders are a proven way of improving AA ratings. Providing guests with necessary information is one of the minimum requirements that the AA Hotel Quality Standards recognise. Ensuring that you have everything in this guide will be a boost to your business and will improve your guests stay considerably.
