When it comes to choosing the right Airbnb, guests have a lot of things to consider: how many bedrooms, bathrooms, location and what amenities are included in their stay. In many locations, the listings will offer similar features and amenities - so what makes your home stand out?
More and more Airbnb hosts are considering offering breakfast to their guests as an added, unique bonus to their stay. It helps them stand out from the rest of the competition, and provides an experience guests will remember and recommend to their friends and family and can even help you receive rave reviews!
Serving breakfast sounds like an incredible amenity to offer but is serving breakfast at your Airbnb the right choice for you? This is the question we will discuss within this article today.
In order to figure out if you should serve breakfast at your Airbnb or Vacation rental you should consider the following questions:
- Do Guests Want Breakfast During Their Stay?
- Do Guests Have A Way To Prepare Breakfast?
- Can You Legally Serve Food At Your Airbnb?
- Do Guests Expect Airbnb's To Be A Bed & Breakfast?
- What Does It Mean When An Airbnb Has Breakfast As An Amenity?
- What Type Of Breakfast Should You Serve?
- Should You Consider Allergies?
It may seem like a lot to consider but hosting is all about hospitality so put your best foot forward as we discuss the topic of serving food at your Airbnb and share some of our own tips and tricks with you. Let's get started!
Do Guests Want Breakfast During Their Stay?
The short answer is: Yes. Consider where your home is located and what breakfast options are available in your area, this will help you decide if providing food is mandatory or optional for guest stays.
Is your vacation rental in the city?
If yes: your guests will have many breakfast places to choose from and in fact they may want to try out local cuisine and restaurants. With so many options for your guests to choose from, it does not necessarily mean you need to serve breakfast at your Airbnb but instead can opt to keep staples in the home should your guests choose to stay in and cook one morning.
Is your vacation rental in a remote location?
If yes, breakfast at your Airbnb will be the ultimate convenience and actually necessary if there are no food options nearby. Instead of having to wake up and drive somewhere far for breakfast to-go, they have the luxury of being served something fresh right where they are which is a coveted bonus.
Do Guests Have A Way To Prepare Breakfast?
Some homes just have kitchenettes whereas others may have full kitchens stocked with all the necessary appliances. Depending on what cooking space you have available for your guests, will determine the breakfast that you are able to offer.
Do you have a space to prepare food in your rental?
No. If you do not have a place to cook food in your home you may still want to opt in for breakfast-y snacks or at least provide a coffee station with a toaster oven. This will make way for the most basic of breakfasts to at least be optional for travelers.
Yes. If you do have a kitchen or a kitchenette, put that baby to use! Offer some items that guests can utilize should they choose. Even if you don't want to provide a full breakfast, offering something without marketing it, will be a great surprise and your reviews will shine! Now if you market breakfast, guests will be expecting a little bit more - we will get into this later on in the post.
Here is a short list of possible breakfast options per cooking type:
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Kitchenette
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Full kitchen
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Can You Legally Serve Food At Your Airbnb?
Many Airbnb hosts offer some form of food for their guests upon arrival even if they don't serve breakfast. Snack items such as small chip bags, granola bars, and nuts are common items to make the guests feel more at home, and add a little extra to their overall trip experience.
But when it comes to prepared food, there are a few more regulations from Airbnb that hosts have to follow. Depending on your location, there may be certain sanitation and health standards you will need to abide by to ethically serve food in your Airbnb.
To Do: If you are listed with Airbnb you can take a look at their recommendations regarding food for a starting point on your journey into serving hot breakfast at your rental. Be sure to look into the specific regulations in your location to ensure you are able to do so legally this may even require you to take a health and hygiene course.
Yay for continuing education!
Do Guests Expect Airbnb's To Be A Bed & Breakfast?
Bed & breakfasts often offer the same charm and uniqueness that many vacation rentals have and may even be listed on Airbnb as well.
This means that both housing options will often attract similar customers but the key difference is that guests who book a bed & breakfast expect to be served breakfast in the morning whereas guests who book an Airbnb are unlikely to expect breakfast as part of their package.
Unless of course guests filter by "includes breakfast" then in this case, they will be actively seeking homes that offer this amenity. Most Airbnb listings do not offer breakfast as part of their common amenities which is why including breakfast with your rental can be a great opportunity to set you apart from the crowd.
Side note: There is an option to list a bed & breakfast on Airbnb - however, the establishment needs to have a specific license in their application to do so.
What Does It Mean When An Airbnb Has Breakfast?
Other than a listing that is specifically a 'bed & breakfast', it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what Airbnb hosts mean when they say breakfast is included.
Airbnb does not regulate breakfast amenities at any particular stay. This means that a host offering instant coffee, granola bars and breakfast pastries can be in the same category as a host offering a fully stocked fridge to cook the breakfast of your dreams.
The only way guest's will know what "breakfast included" means, is to be as detailed as you can in the listing. Set expectations from the beginning by providing full details of what your guests can expect for breakfast when they arrive at your listing.
Though many guests would be satisfied with some muffins and eggs in the fridge, every guest will set their own expectations if you don't do so for them which will in turn hurt your reviews.
What Type Of Breakfast Should You Serve?
If you decide serving breakfast at your Airbnb is right for you, there are just a few more items you will need to consider.
- Legalities: As discussed above, be sure to research any licensing you may need in order to serve breakfast at your home and of course follow all necessary health and hygiene standards.
- Select your menu: You have plenty of choices when it comes to how you want to serve breakfast at your Airbnb: Continental, English, or a simple grab-and-go breakfast are some of the most common options. Depending on what you are comfortable cooking or providing, you can offer a variety of combinations to serve a unique breakfast at your location.
Keep in mind: Many people go on trips to have new experiences and broaden their cultural horizons, however, this does not mean every guest is going to be adventurous with their dining. So be sure to offer something new AND something familiar to be considerate to most pallets.
Should You Consider Allergies?
Food allergens - including wheat, soy and nut allergies - are particularly common today. Many of the top allergens are included in a lot of breakfast items so it is nice to consider those that have specific dietary requirements.
To ensure peak inclusivity and safety with your guests, be sure to ask if they have any food allergies ahead of their stay.
If your guests do not have any allergies, ensure a myriad of choices so that guests can gravitate towards what their taste buds enjoy or skip over items they tend to avoid.
Some Top Tips From Our Home To Yours
Overall, serving breakfast at your Airbnb is a great way to offer a memorable experience for guests. If food is provided unexpectedly, this added amenity will make your guest's vacation stand out. But k in mind that if all hosts provide breakfast options without marketing it as "breakfast included" then it becomes industry standard and the more it changes the hosting landscape. Here are some extra tips from our team:
- Include recipes. Your guests will appreciate recipes for the ingredients you have left for them especially if you purchased items for a specific meal where cooking is involved.
- Don't forget the spices! It is common for hosts to skip this step but adding a spice rack to your home can add great value as it is one of the biggest complaints we hear about from the guest perspective regarding kitchen amenities.
- Try offering breakfast as an extra charge. If you are on the fence about including breakfast, you can always offer it as an extra charge to see how many guests are interested in this amenity or not before providing it for every stay.
- Always offer coffee...always. This is non negotiable as it is a part of the hospitality process and it is industry standard at this point.
- Include items that have a longer shelf life. Individually wrapped granola bars, oatmeal packets and small pancake mix are some examples of items that you will be able to use across multiple reservations. Not everyone will utilize your breakfast offerings so opting for longer shelf life items make it more cost effective than fresh food which expires and shouldn't be reused between guest stays.
- Purchase a breakfast tray. This is always nice so that your guests can serve their special someone in bed. After all, we are aiming to provide the best service we can!
We hope you have enjoyed this article and that we have helped you make the best decision for you and your home.
Have a great time providing an additional amenity for your guests and Happy hosting!