If I were to leave chocolates on the pillow, they’d be melted and crawling with ants within an hour 
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Ha, they would here too now I think about it.
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I’d also include a note that said, "Have some crazy-ass dreams, cause that’s what eating chocolate before bed will do for you. And don’t stain the sheets with it. " lol
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The gourmet coffee alone is expensive. If you want cheap treats for guests bake some goodies, muffins, scones etc and wrap them nicely for your guests. Edit: you manage remotely? That’s difficult then. Perhaps single packs of chips or cookies from Costco then.
Only if it’s legal in your state/county/city/local authority.
I wanted to do that but because of local legislation I would have to have a professional-grade kitchen that would be subject to inspection every few months. That is too expensive and too much bother. If I was found to be cooking for guests without all the necessary inspections my licenses could well be revoked.
A few miles away and under the ruling of different legislation, I’d be fine. Go figure… 
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I had a guest arrive Christmas day,. A married couple with young kids. They were from Belmont, CA and my AirBnB is some 6000 miles from there! Anyway as a nice gesture I left a bottle of sparkling grape juice in the fridge (was going to leave wine but wasn’t sure they drank wine and for sure the kids probably didn’t), a box of chocolates and a bag of Christmas themed cookies. All was commercially packed so no worries about health etc.
Guest acknowledged checking in and and checking out but no mention of the goodies. And in the review also no mention of the goodies (5* review) but thanked me in the private part of the review. One could ask, why bother with this nicety when nobody apart from them knew about it?
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Depending on the stay, I don’t provide the same things for every guest. I would much rather they didn’t mention any special touches as that raises expectations. You can’t under promise and over deliver if there is already the expectation that it is all just part of the service!
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I agree with what Deb said. Even though it was Christmas other guests might wonder why they didn’t get any special treats. When I do something extra I usually ask guests not to mention it in the review.
Now that’s a point that I hadn’t considered. That’s the great thing about this forum. You get some great experiences from other more experienced hosts. Hopefully the nice touches affe6ct the ratings although I did get 5 stars across the board
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You need specific public acknowledgement for a nice gesture done for your Christmas guests? They thanked you privately and left a 5* review. Yet somehow that’s just not good enough? Many hosts would have been upset if they had mentioned it in the public review- just because we might do something special for one guest, doesn’t mean we want all our guests to expect the same treatment.
I didn’t want a public acknowledgement but a note on arrival would have been nice since they did message me when they checked in.
I am delighted if I don’t hear from my guests! Usually means all is well. Airbnb is aiming for a hotel model. The touchy feely experience of the original Airbnb is long gone.
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I’ve used Webstaurant, English Tea Store, and Amazon, among others. Could you come up with a side deal to have your cleaners put out the items? That way you might be able to offer local things and keep the cost down. Is there anyplace for them to store the items between guests? I would just have a snack bowl so you’re not buying tiny baskets or special boxes.
I’m snack-heavy. I provide plan ol’ Maxwell House 4 cup prepackaged coffee, which I buy in bulk and throw in my freezer, as well as fresh ground coffee in a repurposed jam jar and filters, for the same drip coffee pot. (Oh, the horror, you pour over and french press hosts!) Other hosts have quite fancy Keurig assortments.
I did do one basket for some poor guests who endured two water main shut offs and an electricity outage. Virginia wine, peanuts, Route 66 potato chips and some Virginia-made beef sticks in a repurposed basket. About $25. But that was a unique situation. I also do special treats for anniversary and birthday celebrants and Marine Corps marathon runners.
I used to feel like I needed to meet my guests since at the time I needed to give them a key. When I moved to self checkin I hardly ever meet or communicate with them and that’s fine. Usually guests message me to say they’ve checked in okay or ask me about local facilities which is redundant since it’s all described in the house manual. Some will message to day they have checked out too
One more thing – there is no reason to provide a gift basket unless you have a reasonable expectation that it will increase your net income, through better ratings leading to more bookings or ability to charge a higher price. I think hosts need to be careful not to get too much psychic reward from “thrilling” their guests if there is no financial reward. It’s an easy trap to fall into. Unless you are not really in it for the money.
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My house is stocked with the essentials - coffee, tea, sugar, salt and pepper, and cooking spray. I also leave a little treat that represents our state - some maple syrup and some maple candy for them to enjoy or take. Some people take the syrup and some don’t, but all have eaten the candy! It’s all about what your guests prefer. I wouldn’t go crazy trying to please everyone.
They thanked you in private feedback. I don’t get being fussed because they didn’t mention it in their check-in message- they had 2 kids in tow, they were probably tired from travelling, it was Christmas- I think your irritation is pretty self-centered. Same with check-out- 2 kids to pack up and get out of the place on time, plus hopefully making sure they tidied up. Then, when they were finally settled at home and relaxed, and sat down to do a review, they did make it a point to thank you for the extra thought, for which I’d be grateful, rather than complaining.
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As others have said, you don’t want it mentioned in the review.
So why do these things if it’s not mentioned? Well, the five-star rating you got is one reason. But also, you don’t know that they’re not going to mention it. You know what it’s like when you get back from a trip - people ask ‘how was it?’ and ‘what was your accommodation like?’ That’s when the guests mention it and spread the word about your place.
You’re also almost guaranteed that they will stay with you again if they return to the area and repeat guests (and recommendations of course) are what we’re aiming for.
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Our guests wont starve between check in at 3 pm and check out at 11am. We encourage them to stick around to not miss the incredible sunsets! We supply large water, fizzy water, butter, eggs, pasta, sauce, condiments coffee tea etc, pancake mix, steel cut oats, syrup. Generally no treats and all sealed. Sometimes a chocolate bar, but if it’s summer that would be in the refrigerator. Sounds like a lot but we are high priced and usually the stuff does not get used. It looks good in a welcome note and once they arrive!