5 Impactful Airbnb Thank You Note Messages Hosts Need

Most hosts think writing an airbnb thank you note to their guests happens after check out. But if you wait to show gratitude to your guests until then, you are missing out on setting up the best 5 star experience!

Making sure your guests feel appreciated is crucial to securing that 5 star review at the end of their stay. But how do you make your guests feel your gratitude right away? I know when I book an Airbnb, I’m usually spending hundreds of dollars and have carefully combed over all the listings and their reviews in that area to make sure I’m booking the perfect spot. I want the host to make me feel like I made the right choice in booking their property immediately!

So how do you set this up? Most likely, you’ve mastered the automated messaging and want to ensure your guests’ stay is smooth. It’s a simple formula we have implemented at our properties that I will lay out below to help you take your hosting to the next level (Click here to check out our listings!).

This post is about the 5 most impactful ways to incorporate an airbnb thank you note in your guest messaging to make sure they feel like they got the best experience! No. 5 has suggestions for an airbnb thank you note off the messaging platform. 

Impactful Messages for an Airbnb Thank You Note

1. Right After Receiving a Booking

When a guest books your listing, it’s very exciting for both you, the host, and the guest! Your guest has just done the hard work of combing through listings, reading reviews and deciding on your place. This is the first place you will want to thank them. Once your guest books, it’s imperative you send them a message within 5 minutes acknowledging their reservation and thanking them for booking. (BONUS! This is also a great time to set expectations for the next time they will hear from you.) An example of a thank you note from host to guest at this point is below:

Thank you for booking! We are excited to host you. Your check in instructions and door code will be sent 24 hours before check in.

2. At Check In

Most hosts will be sending their guests the check in instructions and house manual information 24-48 hours prior to the guests arrival. This is your second opportunity to have your guest feel appreciated and build their excitement to stay at your property. Depending on the location of the property, we vary on when we send check in instructions and the house manual is usually scheduled to send one hour after the time of check in (example: 3pm check in, house manual is sent at 4pm). This will all vary on your market and I encourage you to research this in depth. An example of a thank you note from host to guest at this point is below:

Again, we are thankful you picked our property for your coming trip! We strive to offer a 5 star experience to all our guests so please reach out with any questions so we can ensure a smooth check in process. Below are your check in instructions.

[Insert check in instructions]

The House Manual will be sent just after check in, please read thoroughly so you are familiar with everything about the property. Thank you for booking with us and enjoy your stay!

3. At Check Out

When sending your airbnb check out instructions, this is the 3rd opportunity you have to thank them for staying and choosing your property. As you probably know, guests are tired of a list of chores at check out. It’s important to keep the airbnb check out instructions light and simple and more of a list of check out “suggestions” rather than instructions. The best way to get your guests to actually follow the instructions is to make them feel appreciated and then kindly ask they follow the check out instructions if their travel schedule allows. We find that 99% of guests will do the check out procedures using this methodology. An example of a thank you note from host to guest at this point is below:

Thank you for staying! We are grateful you chose to stay at our property and hope your trip has been a good one. Below are a list of check out instructions if time allows before your scheduled check out time of 10am. Safe travels back home!

4. Thank you for your visit!

After your guests have check out and left, there’s still time to interact with them! Guests and hosts have 14 days to leave a review and most guests do it within the first few days after check out or close to the end of the 14 day window when Airbnb sends them the reminder to write the review. By this time, you’ve delivered a 5 star experience and your guests are most likely bragging to all their friends and family about their trip, including the awesome place they stayed, and this is your opportunity to ask for the review you deserve. When sending the message asking for the 5 star review (be specific about that), this is the final touch point to write an airbnb thank you note. An example of a thank you note from host to guest at this point is below:

We hope you had a great trip home and thank you for choosing to stay with us on your trip!

[Insert message asking for 5 star review]

5. Off the App: Best Places for a Tangible Airbnb Thank You Note

The final area to ensure you have a thank you note from host to guest is in the tangible materials you provide for your guests in the home.

Printed Guidebook

If you have a printed guidebook for your guests, ensure you incorporate a thank you note on the welcome page. You can get creative and make your own on Canva or shop for a template on Etsy. This doesn’t need to be fancy, it needs to be impactful for your guests and it’s a great place to thank your guests for staying.

Guest Book

Some hosts have a guest book in their homes for guests to write a note, memories or talk about their experience. This is a fun idea because it makes the guests feel connected to each other over a shared experience. You can buy a guest book on Amazon or get a custom one done for your property on Etsy. This isn’t essential but will add a nice touch especially for people on vacation. Other guests could leave suggestions on highlights they had on their trip and it could resonate with future guests!

Signage

We like to display small 4×6 acrylic signs throughout the house at high impact points that explain various things about the house (think QR code for internet connection, confusing light switches, oven instructions, coffee maker instructions, etc.). Each of these small signs with a small list of instructions provide an opportunity for a small note or even a signature that states, “Thank you for staying!”. Yes, it’s small, but many small touches can lead to an impactful result over the course of a couple days stay.

This post was all about the 5 most impactful ways to incorporate an airbnb thank you note in your guest messaging.