A Welcome Pack is a great way to communicate with your guests. You can give them all the relevant information they need, and any extra information you think might be of interest, to read at their leisure.
I would recommend putting the most important information first as your guests may not read everything.
Welcome Sheet
I start my welcome pack with a welcome sheet, welcoming my guests and providing important information, house rules and any other useful information for staying in my home. This is helpful even if you've greeted your guest on arrival as you don't want to overload them with information as soon as they get in. The welcome sheet also reinforces anything you said and helps people who have a different first language (if you're able to translate this for them, even better).
Important information
I put my address here so it's a quick reference if guests want to order food or book a taxi.
I also give them the wi-fi network and password details. You could also send this electronically, especially if the password has a lot of numbers and letters in upper and lower case.
Emergency information is also included here. I state how to get out of the flat and building in an emergency. I let them know that there is a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in the flat and where the fire extinguisher and first aid kit are located.
I give the emergency phone number for police, ambulance and fire (as this varies in every country) and where the closest hospital and walk in centres are.
House rules and where to find things
I start by listing a few bullet points of house rules that are important to me. These include asking guests not to bring anyone else into my home, to close all windows and turn off lights when leaving, no smoking or candles in the flat (I provide little led candles), to be respectful to my neighbours regarding noise, if they spill, damage or break something to let me know as soon as possible to I can fix it and state the check out time.
I then give details on how to lock and unlock my front door. Some locks can be more complicated and some people aren't used to using keys (for example, they may use keypads in their country), so a quick instruction is useful.
After that I section it off into headings for each room they use. Under each room heading I give information about what is provided, where to find things, how to use things and any additional rules. For example, how to use the TV, where to find the hairdryer, where extra bedding can be found, telling them to help themselves to snacks and toiletries, how to use the shower, where to find the travel adapter, which bins are for general rubbish and which are for recycling, and so on.
I then give check out information. Letting them know the check out time, what I want them to do with sheets and towels and anything else they've used, and what to do if I'm not there to say goodbye.
I then reassure them to let me know if there's anything they need, give them my phone number, and wish them an enjoyable stay.
Local Information
In the next part of the pack I give information about the local shops, services, public transport, and places to eat and drink. I let them know where the nearest post office, pharmacy, currency exchange and ATMs are.
It's best to review this every now and then as sometimes information changes, for example, local cafes and restaurants in my area change hands, and names, quite frequently.
I put a map in the pack showing where the closest supermarkets and bus stops are.
As I live in London, I provide a print out of transport charges for the different zones in London and information on the different fares and their caps.
The pack also contains information about local events taking place, local attractions, theatre shows, activities such as cycling and walking routes and information about things further afield.
User manuals
I enclose any user manuals in the Welcome Pack, whether it's for the TV, microwave or how to set the alarm clock.
I also provide a list of items which can go in the recycling bin. I downloaded this from my local council website.
Additional Information
You might want to provide information for particular interests, such as birds, animals or plants you can find in the local area. I live close to a lake and so have a list, with pictures, of birds guests might be able to see and provide binoculars and bird food for them to take out with them if they wish.
You could also add a section (or provide a Guest Book) for your guests to write recommendations for other guests, for example, a great place to eat, or an attraction they enjoyed visiting.
Image by Petra from Pixabay
