Snacks. Guests LOVE Them

Just a random tip. I put out a basket with snacks for each group of guests and they go ga-ga over them in the reviews. It costs very little. Go to the dollar store and you can find some decent name-brand items (cookies, nuts, chips) for very little money. I also put out a bowl of apples and/or oranges. And a bottle of wine (cheap but good). It only puts me out maybe $12 per turnover. ($3-4 per bottle of wine, $2.50 for apples/oranges and the rest on snacks). There’s also a few things which I view as necessaries: some keurig pods, tea, bottled water, cream and sugar (averaged out, roughly $3 per stay). But the money is more than worth the great reviews! Aside from other particulars, guests rave about the king bed in one of the rooms, and the snacks. Like, no joke, they LOVE the snacks :slight_smile: .

Anyone else have any easy things that make guests go ga-ga?

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Help yourself breakfast of which only 60% of my guests have.

It all depends on your price margin - when your only renting out your spare room on Air for say 30-40 dollars a night all those extras really add up…

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That’s a good point. I would think the snacks/wine/etc. might be best suited to renting out an entire space. I rent out the private bottom floor in my house (side stairs/separate entrance/locked off stairway/no shared space).

metavirus,

If we spent as much as you’re suggesting on snacks, we’d barely make a profit.

I do bake homemade muffins which our guests love.

We recently added black out curtains to the guest room which seem to be very popular.

We have to inexpensive bicycles which a lot of guests really enjoy.

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Since I remodeled guests are loving the shower. I’ve shared beer and wine and offer breakfast items but I’m glad almost no one mentions it in the reviews. I want it to be up to me if I share a beer with a guest, not an expectation.

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Ellen, Good idea about the blackout curtains. I’m sure guests love the homemade muffins. Regardless of what the specific items are, I figure guests love the special touches that make them think you’re looking to make their stay as comfy as possible. For one group that just left, they came for their daughter’s nearby graduation. Instead of the wine, I spent two extra dollars on a cheap but decent champagne, for them to celebrate with. They loved it.

K9, By the way, do you offer the beer and wine along with the breakfast? Boozy morning! :slight_smile: - j/k j/k

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Oh, and I forgot to mention that in most cases, guests only eat maybe half the snacks and fruit. Sometimes they don’t even open the wine. So those items I can carry over to the next guest. Helps to spread the cost.

Go to one of the warehouse stores and buy in bulk. The quality is better and the cost is lower.

Did you know that the dollar stores have the highest margins of any store?

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I have homemade neck warmers (I rarely sew ) and I put a few drops of lavender on them and guests heat them in microwave. I also put out a small container of homemade lavender salt scrub ( either Epsom or Himalayan salt, lavender, coconut oil, almond oil, tea tree oil). I have lavender oil in a cadle burner in their room. Guests love these things but rarely mention it in reviews.

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brook2adks,

Homemade lavender scented neck warmers are a lovely perk. I’m getting relaxed just thinking about them.

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Pray tell what is this good $3-4 wine???

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felix: Agreed as to most of the things I provide. Tea, wine, creamer, keurig pods, etc. However, when it comes to fruit and a reasonable variety of name-brand snacks, can’t beat the dollar store. It’s also a good place to get body wash, shampoo and conditioner (I’ve compared prices with a variety of other retailers.)

Lucy: Trader Joes has some great $3-4 wines. Outside of Trader Joes, Turning Leaf is a pretty decent wine (decent Chardonnay) - as well as Beringer has a good red (I think it’s a cab, off the top of my head). Those brands have a bonus in that they use corks - which generally make people feel like its a nicer wine. I’m also in California, so it’s a nice little touch to mention that I provide a bottle of California wine upon arrival.

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Thanks for the tips!

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Also, for anyone with one near them, Smart and Final can be a good place to go for paper goods. They have great prices on bulk individually-wrapped paper towels, toilet paper and napkins. I like individually-wrapped because I think it seems cleaner and more sanitary.

Negative on the snacks. The fruit bars, for example are of a smaller size and still cost more per unit than the Costco option. You don’t run > 30% margins in retail and still have a good deal to offer on food items.

They do have some good deals on shampoo/conditioner, bath soaks, and such. As for food, though, the portions are smaller and they are much closer to the expiration date.

I put a bottle of Proseco in the studio refrigerator. I think the fact that it’s sparkling, so then corked, makes it special and (!) rarely opened. It’s a great deal at my local grocer at $6 something and has been through 8 turnovers without being opened. I think the popping of the bottle unnerves many. It’s a win-win.

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LOL. Not yet but hey, what’s retirement without day drinking!

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Some good options I’ve found at the dollar store: Big bag of pretzels, big bag of tortilla chips, big bag of potato chips, banana chips, shortbread/wafer cookies, nuts, pringles. All of them from brands that don’t scream “Jethro’s Cheapo Foods”. A difficulty with some costco items is that they’re bulk rather than individually packed. Yes, there are some of those lunchbox-sized chip packs, but for me, I think a guest would prefer unopened bags. I do like the Costco 3-pack with ketchup, mustard and relish. Also good cooking spray and canola oil.

It’s very true, metavirus. I do the same thing (except I put out bottles of water, not wine.). Tis true, tis true - guests love that little touch.