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What Do You Include in Your Welcome Gift?
"Flip Flops! We won our vacation home from MyHomeIdeas.Com. When we arrived to the home, the outdoor shower was stocked with flip flops. Our children quickly tossed off their street shoes and chose a colorful pair of flops for their stay. We were so touched, we decided to purchase a case of flip flops, and keep the shower stocked for new guests upon arrival. The flip flops have been a huge hit, and a fun way to welcome guests to our Summer Dream Beach House in Windmark Beach." -Leisa, Port St. Joe, FL (HomeAway #94102, VRBO #220237)
"Many of my guests used to call and ask me whether the gifts were actually for them. I think your best bet is to make sure it's obvious that your welcome basket is for your renters to take home with them." - Christine Karpinski, Destin, FL & Gatlinburg, TN
"It's catered by who stays, where they come from and length of time. Bottle of wine for a couples get away. Basket of soups and crackers for winter." -DeAnne, Moclips, WA (VRBO #146133)
"Our house caters to the 4-leggers, so our gift baskets are made up of things especially for the visiting pets -- anything from treats to assorted toys. I usually know what type and how many are staying so I let my basket lady know when she is preparing them. She throws things in for the humans too!" -Tammy (HomeAway #306983, VRBO #22766, VacationRentals.com #32815)
"Bottle of wine for adults, bottle of bubbles for kids to blow off the balcony in ocean wind." -Rick, Panama City Beach, FL (HomeAway #185820, VRBO #169198)
"There is always a bottle of decent Spanish sparkling wine in the frig. I use Chistalino @ $6/bottle from World markets. There is always a bowl of assorted chocolates. Various teas and coffee are provided as well as mix of bath products. TV Guide arrives weekly and USA Today is delivered to the door every day. I give guests a Hotel 508 ball cap if I see that they might use it. We aspire to Ritz-Carlton amenities at Best Western prices." -Frank, Venice Beach, CA (HomeAway #157275, VRBO #59196)
"Puerto Rican coffee, $1 or $2 souvenirs, small bottle of Puerto Rican rum, postcards from the Island. I use a big plastic shell that I found in a store to use as a basket as a dinning table center. Total spending per stay is less than $6." -Marisol, Luquillo, PR (HomeAway #172916)
"A yellow-bow beribboned split bottle of Moet Champagne ($20 in NH) for our upscale, romantic riverfront cabin in coastal Maine, with two stem glasses. Though such a welcome gift is admittedly on the high side cost-wise, our favorite demographic being summertime honeymooners, we are charging a healthy rent for the cabin and its various amenities in return -- hoping they will want to 'return' also!" -John, West Bath, OR (HomeAway #156161, VRBO #184285)
"Local micro-brewed coffee, tea, hot chocolate, assortment of bath and skincare products." -Maggie, Yellowstone, MT (HomeAway #156635, VRBO #118423)
"Coffee, popcorn, and other instant drinks and the bath welcome basket has a few items from the Dollar Store like body wash and a personal care kit which includes clippers, file, and a bunch of other items." -Randy K, Front Range, CO (HomeAway #191583, VRBO #185273)
"Toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, small bars of soap, and hand lotion.
Wine, fresh fruit, bottle water, sodas." -Andre, San Diego, CA (HomeAway #173770, VRBO #151488)
"Large bar of dark chocolate...two weeks or more receive wine and chocolate." -Dcruse, Carlsbad, CA (VRBO #134439)
"Coffee, tea, sugar, bread, 1/2 dozen eggs, 1/2 lb. bacon, milk, cheese, butter, package of cookies, and a choice of a bottle of white wine red wine or six beers." -Angie and Roger, (HomeAway #213396)
"Not really a welcome gift, but when I return their deposit, I included it in a box with two coffee mugs with my cabin's logo and some coffee and hot cocoa." -John, Ruisdoso, NM (VRBO #101594)
"Wine, chocolates & coffee." -Becky, Burnsville, NC (HomeAway #116511, VRBO #34551)
"We provide a basket with coffee, creamer, sugar, coffee flavorings, a variety of teas & popcorn. We also provide packets of instant cocoa (in the winter months)." -Rhonda, Nashville, TN (HomeAway #117039, 175662, VRBO #27028, 121971, 179215, VacationRentals.com #36967, 3088, 4523)
"Not really a gift basket, but I offer coffee with plain and flavored dry creamers, flavored teas, sugar and sugar substitute, simple breakfast foods, shampoo, conditioner and liquid soap for the shower. Various and sundries provided for all guests. Everyone is treated special for every stay." -Tammy, Asheville, NC (VRBO #20261)
"Bathroom basket with soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotion, two razors, body wash, Q-tips. Then I leave coffee, filters, cream and sugar plus a basket with either nuts and chocolate or something similar." -Mary, Murrell's Inlet, SC (HomeAway #162287)
"Note pad, pen, coupons to attractions, microwave popcorn, hard candies." -Brent (HomeAway #173042, VRBO #104646)
"We provide fresh tropical juice in the fridge and chocolate covered macadamia nuts. All honeymooners, returning guests and those celebrating anniversaries receive a bottle of chilled champagne." -Herb
"Fresh flowers and various gift basket items." -Suzanne, Hermosa Beach, CA(HomeAway #184007)
"Personalized koozies for guests and beach cooler." -David, St. George Island, FL
"Bottle of wine or Ben & Jerry's gift certificates." -D, Eastham, MA (HomeAway #124291)
"A free cap with my Cabin logo." - Dennis, Oneida, TN (HomeAway #171328, VRBO #10345)
"A box of dates" -Adam
"Candy, gum, book, other freebies from vendors" -Christy, Keystone, CO (HomeAway #160986, VRBO #112577)
"Ingredients for s'mores (chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows), a box of sparklers and (in the fridge) a bottle of sparkling cider." -Lisa, Hartwell Lake, GA(VRBO #43885)
"Water bottle & beach tote or hat to full price weekly rentals only." -Clotilde, Hilton Head Island, SC (HomeAway #165062, VRBO #132195, VacationRentals.com #44749)
"Gift bag with welcome card, suntan lotion and cookies, or, marinade for cooking and cookies. Cost is about $6 per rental contract." - Kelly, Cape Cod (HomeAway)
"Fresh Fruit, gourmet coffee beans, cheese, crackers, and a small gift keepsake." - Sheila, Miramar Beach, FL (VRBO #48961)
"A loaf of homemade blueberry streusel bread." - Kathy, Phippsburg, ME (HomeAway #135835, VRBO #82110)
"I find out what my guests like by including a questionnaire with the contract. It has a choice of wine, beer, muffins, breads, pastries. I try to make the selections general rather than specific." -Nancy, Mesa, AZ
"We used to have organza bags with a pen, pad of paper, Kleenex, stamped post cards, high quality soap and shampoo and conditioner, locally made taffy, and a couple gift cards to local businesses. They were rarely opened! I don't know if it was they way we presented them (in a wicker basket on the night stand) or what. We stopped using them." - Vaughan, Port Gamble, WA (VRBO #112416)
"This is our first year renting and as a token of our appreciation, I am giving my renters a mermaid magnet as our house is near the beach and that is our theme." -Lisa, Wildwood Crest, NJ (HomeAway)
"A bottle of local area wine, chocolate truffles, and a handwritten card to welcome our guests." -Colleen, Carmel Valley, CA (HomeAway #212031, VRBO #189381)
"We provide a breakfast basket for first morning as local shops are shut on changeover day.This includes bread, butter, jam, fresh milk,chocolate. The storage jars are filled with coffee, tea & sugar. The dispenser in bathroom has liquid soap, and we provide dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid & toiletpaper.Champagne for honeymooners,special birthdays etc. Our guests really appreciate it and we find happy guests tend to take better care of our home!" -Jenny, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland (VRBO)
“A cake is delivered packed in dry ice on arrival. –Kelli, Davenport, Florida (HomeAway #200763)
“2 bottles of cold water in the fridge. In a bowl on the counter is Kona coffee and either a fresh Maui Gold pineapple, homemade banana bread with dried mango or homemade chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies with a welcome note.” - Lisa, Maui, HI (VRBO #77617)
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