Free template · updated November 3, 2026

Local recommendations message template for Airbnb hosts

Guests trust a host's local picks more than any app. A message with a handful of real favourites, and a line on why you like each, is more useful than a long list copied from a tourism site.

Keep it specific: what to order, when to go and how far away it is. Include a grocery store and a rainy-day option, and check that places are still open before each busy season.

The template

Replace anything in [brackets] with your own details.

Short version

Hi [Guest first name],

Here are a few of my local favourites:

Coffee: [Café name], [Distance]. Try the [What to order].
Dinner: [Restaurant name], [Distance]. Book ahead on weekends.
Groceries: [Store name], [Distance], open until [Closing time].
Something to do: [Activity], [Why it's worth it].

Enjoy!

[Host first name]

Detailed version

Hi [Guest first name],

Here's my local guide! Everything's within [Distance or drive time] unless I say otherwise.

Eat and drink:

Breakfast: [Café name], [Why you like it]
Lunch: [Spot name], [What to order]
Dinner: [Restaurant name], [Tip, e.g. ask for a window table at sunset]
Takeout night: [Takeout spot and phone]

Out and about:

[Walk or trail], [How long and how hard]
[Beach, park or lookout], [Best time to go]
Rainy day: [Indoor option, e.g. the museum or the cinema]
With kids: [Family option]

Practical:

Groceries: [Store name], open [Hours]
Pharmacy: [Pharmacy name], open [Hours]
Gas: [Gas station name]

Let me know what you're into and I can suggest more. Have fun exploring!

[Host first name]

Tips

Share places you've actually been, with one line on why.
Give distances or drive times so guests can plan.
Include a grocery store, a pharmacy and a rainy-day option, not just restaurants.
Check opening hours each season; a closed restaurant on a guest's last night is a letdown.
Put the full list in your welcome book too, so guests can find it without messaging.

Put it on one guest page instead of a binder

Keegix turns your welcome book into one link and a QR sign by the door. Upload the binder you already have and AI drafts the page in about a minute, or paste this template in. Free forever for one property.

Upload my binder, free See a sample guest page

Questions

When should I send local recommendations?

Before arrival, so guests can plan, or whenever they ask. Keep the full list in your welcome book as well.

How many recommendations should I include?

A short list of real favourites beats a long one. Three to five places per category is plenty for most stays.

Should I include chain restaurants?

Only if they're genuinely useful, like the nearest late-night option. Guests usually want the local places they wouldn't find on their own.

More free templates

All guest message templates · Every free template

Free to use

Copy it, change it, print it, use it with any platform. Sharing it with a host group, on a blog or in a forum? A link back to this page helps other hosts find the latest version:

https://keegix.com/guest-messages/local-recommendations/