The Perfect Holiday Home Welcome Hamper

When weary travellers arrive for that well-earned break, it is good to think that the perfect welcome hamper is what greets them in your holiday home. Of course, perfection is a tall order but these tips might help you make the best of the opportunity to make a great first impression on your guests. A well-crafted welcome hamper can sometimes mean the difference between a pleasant but one-off stay and repeated custom and great reviews.

Personalise your welcome hamper
Apart from the holiday home itself, the welcome hamper is often the first chance to make an impression on your guests. As well as including some holiday essentials, a personal touch will go a long way to making it a memorable stay. It is a simple matter to place a postcard featuring a local attraction or something similar on your hamper welcoming your guests by name and perhaps telling them how to contact you or a nearby representative during their stay, should they need anything.

Know your guests
Take advantage of the booking process to get to know your guests. Try to use the information they give you, to tailor the contents of your welcome pack. Obvious things such as dietary requirements should of course inform what goes into your welcome pack.

What kind of holiday are they hoping for?
Attempt to glean as much information as possible in post-booking, pre-arrival correspondence by email or phone with your guests. Anything you learn will help you construct the ‘perfect’ holiday home welcome pack, with minimal effort, but tailored to their needs.

Are they coming with children?
Perhaps include some puzzles and a couple of toys or even a copy of the latest (age-appropriate) video game to play on a console you provide. This is great for travel weary parents who can get on with unpacking and settling in while the children play.

Do they have pets?
With a massive increase in staycations there is a corresponding increase in the demand for pet-friendly accommodation. A welcome pack with a bone in it is perhaps a step too far but something to give the dog while unpacking and settling in like a healthy chew or dental stick and a toy (not a squeaky one though!) might be very welcome.

Are they a couple on a romantic break?
Perhaps a small bottle of wine and a discount voucher for a meal for two at a local restaurant or a film screening at a local cinema. In general, it is a good idea to reach out to local companies for such deals as they may be glad of the custom, particularly in these testing times for all in the hospitality industry.

Are they a lone traveller?
For such a guest, the personal touch may be doubly important. Not everyone travelling on their own wants to remain that way throughout their stay. Information about group activities, tours and interactive experiences may be exactly what they need to enhance their enjoyment of the area.

Do they have hobbies they wish to pursue on holiday?
Are they particularly interested in music or fishing, cycling or painting? The information you provide about the local area can be targeted at these interests and make for a pleasant departure from the regular welcome pack contents.

One size does not fit all
Although general travel and amenity information is always useful, the holiday home welcome hamper offers an opportunity to go beyond the same standard issue collection of snacks, maps and local information that we are all familiar with. Advice on where to go bungee-jumping might not be appropriate for your family with infant children, but a discount voucher for the local indoor play area might be very welcome on a rainy day. A bit of thoughtful preparation can go a long way to making a big impact on your guests.

Of course, all travellers arriving at their destination will welcome a few snacks and a cup of warm revitalising drink when they arrive. Perhaps make these of local interest too. Could the flap-jacks or slices of cake be from a local bakery or farm shop, which you can point your guests to if they want more of the same? Even the tea bags could be sourced from a local shop, which you mention. Local businesses can often be very amenable to this form of advertising.

When putting together a welcome hamper for your holiday home, use your imagination and experience.

This is a marketing article from My Holiday Home Insurance, a specialist provider of insurance for holiday homes, leisure homes, holiday lodges and static caravans. Our team of experienced advisers are always happy to help, so for more information call our Northampton office on freephone 0800 988 0890.

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