Essential items to include in your Welcome Pack

Despite your familiarity with your property, your guests may find many aspects unfamiliar upon their initial arrival.

Fortunately, there are straightforward and effortless measures you can implement to ensure your guests feel at ease from the very start of their stay. One effective approach is to compile a comprehensive welcome pack, containing all the important information in one place to help them have an enjoyable stay at your property.

Below are 6 essentials to consider when putting together your welcome pack to ensure you have covered everything your guests may need during their holiday. Keep reading to find out more…

1. Welcome Message

Dinguardi, Seahouses Ref. 1121845

Once guests have settled in they will put the kettle on and sit down to read all about where they are staying.  Writing a personal greeting for your guests is a perfect way to introduce yourself and tell people a bit more information about your property. Many Northumbrian cottages have interesting histories and guests are sure to love reading about it, and a friendly welcome message will make them feel instantly relaxed and more at home.

At Northumbria Coast and Country Cottages the 2 main questions we get asked by guests during their stay (if its not in the welcome folder) firstly on arrival is where the Wifi code is located and at nearing the end of their stay, what to do with the refuse i.e. which bins they need to use and collection information. So to help guests we highly recommend these points are included in the welcome folder or in a prominent place in the property.

2. Emergency Contact Information

One of the most important things to include in your guest welcome pack is a list of emergency telephone numbers.

The details of the nearest doctors surgery, hospitals, dental clinics and veterinary practices (if you have a dog friendly property) are extremely important in addition to obvious emergency services. When guests are staying in an unfamiliar place, they will greatly appreciate the ease with which they can access all this information, if necessary, and will help to calm their minds.

3. Public Transport

Image courtesy of Northumberland Coast AONB

A list of taxi and bus routes in the area is helpful for those guests who wish to use the local public transport. It is also advisable to provide a description of where this can be found, how and where tickets can be bought for each type of transport and if there is a train station in the vicinity.

4. Appliance User Guides

Guests can sometimes become very stressed when they begin to adjust to a whole range of new appliances! In order to minimise problems, you should always have user guides for your appliances such as washing machines ovens, hobs, microwaves, televisions, DVD players, heating & boilers and anything else that might be useful.

5. Dos & Don’ts

Providing a handy list of things for guests to take note of will be a useful addition to your welcome pack. Examples could be to ensure pets are kept downstairs only, to remind guests to take the rubbish out on a certain day for collection or to turn the heating down or off when heading out.

It’s important to make sure guests know that when there’s a problem, they need to contact you (or us if you’re using our fully managed service) in the first instance, so any issues can be rectified promptly.

6. Local Attractions

National Trust Cragside House

In your welcome pack it’s a great idea to include some local information on nearby attractions. You could provide a few leaflets about places to visit and points of interest, as well as a map of the local area. Providing guests with a variety of activities will be really helpful, from best beaches for dog walking or family friendly, boat trips to the Farne Islands, best castles to visit, walks from the doorstep or further afield, health spa’s for some relaxation to water sport activities. Too much information is better than none!

You could also recommend places to eat and drink close to your property, with estimated walking or driving times to help guests plan their days better. Those unfamiliar with the area will hugely appreciate it, and it’ll help them get the best out of their stay.

** Don’t forget to update your welcome folder as and when if anything changes in your property i.e Wifi code, new appliances or out of date leaflets.

Ready to create the ideal guest welcome pack? If you need any help or advice please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our local team in Alnmouth or Seahouses. Let your cottages with Northumbria Coast and Country Cottages!