Welcome book for B&Bs and holiday homes: what to write, section by section
The sections that really matter, in the order guests look for them, plus three legal obligations worth mentioning in the guide too.
The welcome book is the house guide: everything you currently explain on the phone, in a chat or on a laminated sheet. It works when it follows the order in which guests ask their questions, not the order in which the host thinks of them.
1. Before arrival
- Exact address and a link to a map, with the spot to stop at if the street is narrow or in a restricted traffic zone;
- check-in times and what to do if arriving late;
- parking: where, whether it is paid or free, and what to avoid;
- how to get there by train and bus, for those not travelling by car.
2. On arrival
- Wi-Fi: network name and password, written so they can be copied;
- how the heating, air conditioning and hot water work;
- house rules: quiet hours, smoking, pets, visitors;
- breakfast, if provided: where, what time, what it includes.
3. During the stay
- Beaches, restaurants, things to see: a few personal tips are worth more than a long list;
- events and useful services: the duty pharmacy, emergency numbers;
- your direct contact details, with the hours when you reply.
4. At departure
- check-out time and what to do with keys, rubbish and linen;
- a polite request for a review.
Three obligations to mention in the guide too
- Guest registration: guests’ details must be reported to the Questura (the local police headquarters) through the Polizia di Stato’s Alloggiati Web service. Explain in the guide which documents are needed on arrival: it saves waiting.
- CIN: the national identification code must be displayed outside the property and in every listing; including it in the guide as well builds trust.
- Tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno): where it applies, as in Gaeta, the regulation requires hosts to inform guests of rates and exemptions.
The mistakes that make guests phone you
- the Wi-Fi password in a blurry photo;
- directions written for people who already know the town;
- a twenty-page PDF that nobody opens on their phone;
- out-of-date information: a changed breakfast time, a restaurant that has closed.
Paper, PDF or digital
Paper is fine in the room, but it cannot be updated or translated. A PDF can be updated, but it has to be sent out again and is hard to read on a phone. A digital guide opens from a QR code, reads in the guest’s language and you can correct it in a minute when something changes. If you would like to see how some properties in Gaeta use one, you will find their guides on the real cases page.
Read more
- Real cases: guides from hotels and B&Bs in Gaeta
- CIN code: what it is and where to display it
- Tourist tax in Gaeta
Sources
Article written with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited, under the editorial responsibility of ENEA Cloud. Rules, timetables and prices can change: always check the source.
