The pages guests actually read
1. Wi-Fi, on page one
Network name and password, in the biggest type in the book. This is 80% of why the book gets opened. Some hosts print it on a small card for the fridge too — guests photograph it and never ask again.
2. Arrival & departure, the short version
Check-in steps in the exact order a tired traveler does them (parking → door code → lights/heat), and check-out as a checklist of at most five items. If your check-out list needs a second page, it needs editing, not more pages — long chore lists are the single biggest driver of "host had unreasonable expectations" reviews.
3. How things work — only the non-obvious things
The shower that needs the handle pulled then turned. The TV input that guests always get wrong. The thermostat, the coffee machine, the washing machine, the hot tub cover. Skip anything a guest can figure out in five seconds; cover everything that has ever generated a message. A good rule: after every stay, add one line answering the last question you were asked.
4. House rules, framed as help
Quiet hours, smoking, guests, pets — stated plainly and briefly, with the reason where there is one ("quiet hours after 10pm — the neighbors have a newborn, thanks for understanding"). Rules written like favors get followed; rules written like threats get tested.
5. Emergencies & essentials
Your phone number, the property address (guests genuinely forget it when calling a taxi or worse, an ambulance), nearest hospital and pharmacy, and where the breaker box, water shutoff and first-aid kit live.
6. Local recommendations — short and personal
Five to ten places you'd actually send a friend, with one line each on why. Guests book "local experience" and remember it; a 40-page tourism dump gets ignored. One great breakfast spot recommendation is worth more than a restaurant directory.
What to leave out
- Your life story. A warm two-line welcome, yes. Three pages about your renovation journey, no.
- Fee threats and penalty tables. If it's in the book, it reads as the tone of the stay. Handle fees through the platform, not the coffee-table book.
- Instructions for things that no longer exist. Audit the book every few months — the DVD player you removed in March is still confusing guests in July.
- Cleaning instructions beyond check-out. Guests are not your turnover team; anything beyond the short check-out list belongs in your cleaner checklist, not the welcome book.
Printed, digital, or both?
Both, doing different jobs. Send the digital version (PDF or your listing's guidebook) before arrival so guests can read the check-in steps on the way. Keep a printed copy in the property for the in-the-moment questions — nobody digs through an app standing in front of a strange thermostat. Keep the two identical, or guests will follow whichever is older and wronger.
How a welcome book shows up in your numbers
Hosts consistently report the same pattern: the "how do I…" messages drop within the first few stays, check-out compliance rises because the list is short and findable, and reviews mention feeling "looked after." It won't fix a broken listing — but run your numbers on the profit calculator and you'll see how much one prevention-worthy bad-review month actually costs in occupancy.