How to write a guest guide that stops the "what's the wifi?" texts

Every text a guest sends you — "how does the hot tub work?", "what's the wifi?", "where do I park?" — is a question your guest guide should have answered. A good guide is not admin; it is the difference between a relaxed guest and a phone that buzzes all evening.

We rewrote ours after one too many 9pm "how do I light the log burner" messages. Here is what actually works.

Why the guide matters more than you think

• Fewer interruptions. Answer the predictable questions once, properly.
• Better reviews. Guests rate stays where they felt looked-after, not left guessing.
• It powers everything else. Written once, a good guide can feed your welcome email, your cleaners' notes, and even an AI phone agent — so update the wifi in one place and it is right everywhere.

What to include (steal this structure)

Getting in

• Full address + what3words, parking, and where to go in the dark
• Check-in time and exactly how access works (code, key safe, meet-and-greet)

The essentials

• WiFi name and password (make it impossible to miss)
• Heating: how to turn it on and set it, in plain English
• Hot water, log burner or stove: step by step, with any safety notes

The hot tub (if you have one)

• How to use it, the cover, temperature guidance, and the rules (no glass, shower first, supervise children)

The place itself

• Bins and recycling: which day, which bin, where
• Kitchen: where things are, what's provided
• Anything quirky about your property that catches people out

While they're here

• Your best local tips — pub, walk, farm shop, the view worth the drive. This is what guests remember.
• Emergency and contact details

Leaving

• Check-out time and your simple check-out asks (dishwasher on, bins out, key back)

Two rules that make a guide actually get read

Keep it skimmable. Short headings, short lines. Nobody reads a wall of text on holiday.

Put it where they already are. A folder on the side gets ignored. A link they can open on their phone — sent before arrival and pinned in the property — gets used.

How Beacon helps

With Beacon, you write the guide once and it becomes a branded page your guests open on their phone — and the same content powers your cleaners' notes and your AI phone agent, so nothing drifts out of date. Update the wifi once; everywhere stays right.

Build your guest guide free →