Share your welcome e-mail templates!

1

We’ve started to send e-mails to guests on booking. Just wanted to see what people are sending to their guests. Here’s an excerpt from our email:

Hi [xyz],

Thanks for choosing to stay with us and welcome to our home! We hope you will enjoy your stay. Here’s a little bit more information about us:

About Us:
We are a family of 4 (T, C, and our 2 small dogs who are very friendly). T is currently working in a start-up so some days we work from home. We won’t bother you (unless you want to be bothered that is =p).

Contact Info:
Email - xxx@yyy.com
Phone - xxx-xxx-xxxx

Our home:
The house address is XXX. We are a 6 minute walk from the XXX station. We have a full sized bed and the sheets will be clean and fresh and ready for you.

We have a backyard with a 3 person swing, BBQ and an enclosed gazebo. You can hang out there any time you want.

We also have a full kitchen with a microwave, stove and fridge so if you’d like you can cook food and store anything you’d like in the fridge. No oily/greasy/curry food though since there is a strong smell.

There is free wifi and we have 3 access points (I know it’s a little outrageous but I like to have backups). The fastest one is called XXX and password is XXX.
We have an extra cell phone if you need one (you will need a sim card though).

Being the nerds that we are, we’ve created a web app to help us manage sharing bathrooms to make it more convenient and accessible for everyone who stays with us. Please visit www.sharebath.com to book your time slots for the bathroom if you need the bathroom for more than 5 minutes. We find that this makes it much easier as everyone knows when the bathroom is being used. Of course if the bathroom is free, please feel free to use it as well!

Towels are in the closet, if you need it. If you need anything else at all, please be sure to let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you!

For longer stays (1 week or more) - we clean at least once a week and vacuum 2 or more times per week. If you’d like your room cleaned, please let us know and we’ll be happy to do so.

Transportation:
To get to our house, exit off XX on Highway 1, exit XX Ave Southbound. If you are taking transit, get off at XX skytrain station. We can arrange to pick you up at the skytrain station free of charge - just let us know. If you are driving, we do have an extra permit for your car. Please make sure you remember give it back to us before you leave though!

If you would like us to pick you up or drop you off somewhere else we can arrange to do so for an extra charge.

House Rules
Our house is your house. We don’t smoke and we have the occasional drink.
We do ask that you please do not wear any shoes inside the house and please do not smoke inside the house.
Feel free to chat with us or enjoy quiet and privacy anywhere in our home - we want you to have the perfect stay!

Points of Interest Nearby (Walking Distance):
Grocery Store:

  • Save on Foods -XXX - Open 24 hours
    Food:
  • Starbucks - XXXXX - Open 5:30AM to 8:30PM
  • Fresh Slice Pizza - XXX - Open 11AM to 11PM
    Transit:
  • XX skytrain station is a 6 minute walk away from our home; an all day pass is only $9 and can be purchased at the station

Our Top 5 Things to Do in Vancouver:

  • Visit Stanley Park and rent a bike for the day and cruise the seawall
  • Visit Capilano Suspension Bridge
  • Take a trip to Whistler
  • Visit Kits beach
  • Hike one of the many trails available close by - Hiking Trails Sorted by Name | Vancouver Trails

Restaurant Recommendations in Vancouver:
Cambodian/Vietnamese:
Phnom Phenh - http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181389/restaurant/Chinatown/Phnom-Penh-Vancouver
Japanese:
Guu Izakaya - http://guu-izakaya.com/
Chinese:
Peaceful Restaurant - http://www.peacefulrestaurant.com/
French:
Le Crocodile - http://lecrocodilerestaurant.com/
Steak:
Black and Blue - http://www.glowbalgroup.com/blackblue/
Italian:
Al Porto - http://www.alporto.ca/
Desserts:
True Confections - http://www.trueconfections.ca/

See you soon!

T+C

Are we providing too much information? What do you guys send to your guests?

3

I have two different templates. I ask for their email address because Airbnb blocks it. This is the one I use once a guest books. I like how you have your address on yours… I might add that to mine.

Thank you so much for your reservation. I’ll send you a detailed email closer to your arrival but for now, here are some links and information you might find useful:

EMAIL ADDRESSES:
Since the site doesn’t share personal emails I’m sharing it here. My personal email is XXXXX. Can you please share yours?

CHECK IN IS AT 3PM:
I should be home when you arrive, but if not, you can find your keys inside a lock box on the wall by the downstairs entrance. It says “Master Lock.” Enter the combination XXXX, press the little black switch to the left of the dial pad and open the box.

YOUR TRAVEL INFORMATION:
Please send me your travel information (flight number, driving arrival time, etc.) as soon as you have it so that I can stay updated on any delays. Also, send me your transportation plans from the airport, if flying, so I can estimate your arrival time.

FOR YOUR COMFORT:
I provide WiFi, clean linens, a hair dryer and an iron as well as a few breakfast items (coffee, tea, milk, cereal, bread, eggs). When you arrive, you will find a guide book with information about the apartment and the neighborhood, from restaurants to a 24-hour pharmacy.

CAR SERVICE:
Eastern Car Service 718-499-6227 or http://www.easterncarservice.com/
You can mention my account number XXXX they will ask you for a code which is XXXX. You can pay with cash or credit card. They charge $35-40 for pick up at JFK. A regular yellow taxi usually costs about $50, possibly more depending on traffic.

SUBWAY:
R train to 9th Street
F or G train to 4th Avenue/9th Street
Both trains are in the same station at 9th Street & 4th Avenue.

I imagine you have already looked at tourist information through books and online for things to do in NYC. Just in case it’s helpful, here are some additional links:

HELPFUL LINKS:
NYC GO – “the official guide to NYC” –
This has a cool “Save the date” feature. Enter the dates of your trip and you can see events, offers and more.

Time Out

Local events including concerts, movies, kid-/family-friendly activities, etc, in NYC parks as well as around NYC:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/p1

Free and Cheap NY:
http://www.theskint.com/

Park Slope Highlights

NY Magazine Park Slope Visitors Guide
http://nymag.com/visitorsguide/neighborhoods/park-slope-prospect/

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Looking forward,

Evelyn

4

@Evelyn good idea on getting a lock so you don’t have to wait for them. Our check-in is a little bit later since one of us needs to be home. Do you get push back from your guests when you ask for their flight information? It could seem tedious to provide all that information possibly?

5

For the most part they don’t give me a hard time about it, since they know I’m trying to cater to their needs. I try to be home for their arrival, but the lock box has allowed me to have a life. I was at an Airbnb in San Francisco and they had keypad locks, which I loved and I’m seriously thinking about it.

6

I downloaded your app but haven’t started using it.

7

If you get a keypad door lock, you will not have to carry or lock up keys. Mine is a Schlage and we have one code for us and another for our guests which is changeable.

8

Get yourself a keypad lock instead. No keys to lose. We have one code for us and a second one for our guests which we can change each guest. Ours is a Schlage and is great!

9

@Evelyn.
I got August key with August Connect and August Keypad. So, I can send the Airbnb users a digital key to their cellphones. They should have their cellphone Bluetooth option On and once they are behind the door with a click of a button they can open the door with August App. If the guests are not tech saavy, they can use the keypad to enter their access code. I always set their personal 6 digit access code as their date of birth.

10

Hosts and Homes have a good number of message email templates that you can use to forward to your guests. https://hostsandhomes.com/airbnb-message-templates-to-help-you-save-time/

11

Love using the August Smart Lock as well.