Self catering welcome pack - yes or no?

[Malteser71]

So I’m wondering about our holiday let in Cornwall and ether it’s worth continuing to provide a ‘welcome pack’ of goodies.

It generally costs us about £15 per changeover. We include tea/coffee/milk/sugar/biscuits and crisps.

Thing is, when I’m a guest myself, I dont drink tea and I don’t take sugar. Lots of people have food allergies/intolerances.

What do you all think? Do you appreciate these welcome gifts on arrival? What goods do you like ?

Nothing for us thanks
We bring what we'll need for arrival and then do a shop. Supports the local economy and means there's no waste.

I leave a welcome pack and it is nearly always commented on. I am on site so do it myself- homemade bread and cakes. I have a hygiene certificate.

When I wasn't on site I made up welcome packs in advance which I put into separate bags which the cleaner put into a basket. I did a cake, pack of biscuits, large packet of crisps from Waitrose plus milk and tea and coffee.

I think tea, coffee and milk is pretty essential. There is no rule that tea bags need to be sealed, although since covid it is recommended that things are sealed not left open. So tea bags in a killer jar would be fine. I use individually wrapped ones now though, bought in bulk from Out of Eden.

I have heard that you should spend 10% of the price of the first night stay on a welcome pack.

I'd be miffed if i found 10% of the first night's stay was spent on a welcome pack of things I couldn't consume, or had already packed and carried because I didn't know it would be available.

Luckily you are in the minority! I have never had a complaint about leaving a welcome pack in 5 years and apart from one occaision it has always been eaten.

I think most people think it shows you actually care about your customers and that you value them.

It is also nice to be able to have a cup of tea or coffee as soon as you arrive somewhere.

I have a holiday let . I provide all the cleaning equipment dishwasher tabs bin bags etc as I see it as an investment as it keeps the house clean. I provide a fire bag for first night fireworks. And bbq. Coals that I ask to wb replaced if used . I offer to stock the fridge with milk on request. I also provide a link to an online grocery delivery service and an inventory.
I really really hate when people break things and don't tell me - like the corkscrew - they put it back on the drawer so it looked ok until the next person tried to use it . Luckily we have a few

😂 first night fire

I don't provide fireworks not sure my insurance would cover it

We once stayed at an upmarket cottage in Northumberland and they provided a small welcome pack with local butter, local biscuits, local bread, milk and jam which was lovely and very much appreciated. Their was also a card with the shops address on so we knew we could buy more of the lovely jam and see if their was anything else we fancied.

In addition to this on one of the booking documents they sent you also had the option of having an upmarket shop of local produce being delivered to your cottage and in your fridge for your arrival, which we did which was lovely. Crisps is a strange choice a nice bottle of wine or things to make a cream tea would be nicer.

Personally, I always bring our own tea, coffee, dishwasher tabs. But having oil, salt and pepper, loo roll and dishwasher tabs in the property as standard.

Maybe see if you can team up with a local store or deli that can provide a small welcome pack for you.

I think sometimes you just can’t win.

This ^ is the crux of it.

When I was a child, journeys took a lot longer, we had fewer frivolities like cool bags, there was no internet shopping, and everybody drank tea, so it was simple - a pint of milk in the fridge, and some teabags and a kettle were all much appreciated when you got there.
As you can see from what is only a really tiny sample of the population on this thread, people are a LOT more demanding now, and expectations of people catering to 1001 different needs / wants / demands are a lot higher. At the same time, it is a LOT easier for us, as guests to bring things with us, and/ or order deliveries ahead and / or go to a nearby shop that is MUCH more likely to be open on a Sunday / Wednesday afternoon / into the evening than shops were back in the day.

Each of us on here has our own opinions, so what is right for one is wrong for the next, so I think I'd save yourself the money and not do it.

@BackforGood

I agree. I would prefer (and comment positively on a review) that there were good quality towels for bathroom and kitchen, dishwasher tablets, bin bags, cleaning materials and a generally good equipped kitchen, especially knives and pans, than a welcome basket.

OP - invest the money in the cottage instead of welcome baskets.

I don't exactly expect a welcome pack, but I do love them, and would be a bit disappointed for five seconds if there wasn't one.

I don't think I've ever been to a holiday let that hasn't at least left a point of milk and some tea, coffee and sugar though. And I'm perfectly happy for the last three to be in a jar rather than individually wrapped. Cleaning stuff absolutely should be provided. If you want people to care for the property you need to leave the means for them to do so.

A welcome pack is NOT a loo roll, dishwasher tab or bin bags. That's the bare minimum of basic accommodation first night needs, not an optional extra gift.

Surely a 'Welcome Pack' should include 'bits' for people who've travelled a long way and haven't done their shop yet. So tea, coffee, milk (long life or fresh) - essential; nice biscuits - expected; a loaf of bread, or scones, jam, cream and a bottle of wine - a lovely surprise and very gratefully received.

But please don't dress your loo roll up with a ribbon and call it a welcome gift. That's a bit cheeky!

I think you need to stop your housekeeper skimming a few quid off you for doing it and buy the hotel-style single portions in bulk for the tea and coffee, enough for a couple of cups of each on arrival. Ask guests what sort of milk (1 or 2 pint) they use and get some nice local biscuits. That is more than enough as a little welcome pack that avoids waste and won't cost a lot. Veg oil and washing up liquid far more welcome when we go away tbh, can't be arsed buying it fresh then carting it home!

I'm actually surprised by this thread, I wouldn't expect a welcome pack at all, yes, provide some dishwasher and washing machine tablets but for me these would be standard if a dishwasher and washing machine are provided, everything else I've always taken with me including toilet roll, s&p, olive etc. after all it is self catering. You're never going to be able to please everyone. Don't get me wrong, it's nice when things are provided but again I wouldn't expect it. The best things I've had which were total surprises were a homemade cake and some local honey, a voucher to the local takeaway with £15 off and some Kendal mint cake - all very welcome

Every time I've booked self catering it's included tea, coffee, sugar, herbs and spices etc (not new packets) then milk in the fridge. When you are paying £1200+ it's not a lot to ask

The last welcome pack (Dorset are easter) we had contained 2 boxes of local biscuits, a bottle of red wine, a bag of coffee and there was a pint of milk in the fridge. Really lovely (even though I don’t drink wine or coffee, dh does) but not necessary. Some places we’ve stayed at don’t do one.
We’ve been to some where the owner had made a cake and left it.
I do like them, mainly because it’s handy to shove some biscuits at the dc while we’re unloading the car!

Set up a Facebook page and just add all the info about your house and the where to go things.

Best place I stayed lefts huge homemade Victoria sandwich, 4 pints milk, oils, herbs & spices (quite a few open containers) salt and pepper, tea bags, Nescafé and ground coffee plus coffee maker, pack of nine loo rolls, soap in every bathroom, kitchen roll. Was lovely too, slept 10 and not cheap

I'm coeliac so lots of items in welcome packs are wasted on me. It doesn't generally bother me if it's sealed stuff that can be used for the next guest but hate if it's bread or cake that's going to just be thrown away.

At one of our holiday apartments we were left one of these. Two cakes, two packs of biscuits, some jam and some tea or coffee. It cost less than OP's spend and felt like a really hospitable welcome. Also perfectly okay to take home after the holiday as the use by date was generous. But even half that amount and some milk in the fridge would get the stay off to a cheerful start.

www.botham.co.uk/bothams-care-package-cupboard-supplies-yorkshire

I don't think its that you can't win. Theres always going to be people who don't like what you do, because everyones different, but its just about providing the best service you can. There will obviously be the occasional person who doesn't like a welcome pack/local information etc but that will be outweighed by the amount of people who's holiday will be improved by it

Personally I love a welcome pack. Its just nice to find a cake or scones or biscuits after a long drive, i think it just gives a good first impression of the holiday. I also like a pint of milk in the fridge

I don't like opened jars of tea, coffee, sugar or salt and pepper as I never use them because I don't know how old they are or whats been done to them. But if the cottage provides them it doesn't give me a negative opinion of the place, I just wouldn't use them.

I often stay in holiday let/bnb/air bnb type places.

I nearly always arrive on foot. Everything I’m bringing to the stay I have in a rucksack, often I’ve got kids with their rucksacks and it’s been a long day. I’ve arrived at a let before now after walking 20 miles to find tea bags and coffee but no milk, and had to head back out after dropping my pack to find a shop. I often stay in remote places where there is no shop to be found - or there is, but it’s only open in the mornings on the days the vicar’s wife isn’t busy in the church and there’s no E in the weekday. I mean, I’m OK, I can usually find some supplies from somewhere and manage without if not. But if there isn’t even loo roll, and the shop only sells it in packs of four, I’m going to move on before ive used half a roll and I’m not lugging loo roll home in my rucksack (or on a plane).

I often use short lets for work. I can arrange my own accommodations and I prefer a small let to a hotel room. I’m sometimes only there a night, or two, and it’s just so much better if there are the basics I need, especially as I arrive late and leave early.

You know your let, and if you only do long lets of 7+ days and you only let to families who arrive in a car and you’ve a 24 hour supermarket next door then it’s not such an issue.

I'm not used to UK holidays or self catering in the UK but last year it seemed like a good idea and this year I have 4 short s/c breaks. All top price.
What I did last year was book a supermarket delivery to the accommodation on arrival day. It was bliss, no carting stuff there, no searching for shops and a well stocked fridge.

The nicest place we stayed at last year left a loaf of posh bread, some local butter and cheese, a cake, hot chocolate and a bottle of wine.

The worst left those nasty little UHT singles, sachets of nescafe and random tea bags.

Toiletries, dishwasher tablets, toilet rolls etc should be included enough for the whole stay.

I think it’s a lovely, welcoming touch (and that you can’t win whatever you do ). But I’m fairly easygoing so Nescafe sachets and UHT milk along with local biscuits would do it for me - obviously it depends on where you are in the market and how much you charge etc.

I definitely love these at any holiday let. Coffee, tea and sugar I'd expect to be standard - if we're arriving late it's particularly brilliant to have locally sourced 'staples' like bread, butter, milk, jam and eggs, so breakfast or a light tea is possible without having to leave again to go shopping. Cake, biscuits and wine are bonuses!

If I'm honest, if there was nothing it would cloud my judgement of the let/ mean I left a less favourable review. I don't mean to be nasty about that, just that I find them ubiquitous and any property not having one would stand out in a not great way.

There may be licensing issues with leaving wine I believe.