A hotel welcome basket is a thoughtful way to welcome your guests and start their trip off with a positive experience. Many hotels have begun to offer welcome gifts or supplies to frequent guests, VIPs, those celebrating a special occasion, or those in town for a meeting or event. Some hotels even have basic welcome baskets for all of their guests.
These small gestures are a great way to display your brand, create relationships with guests, and thank them for their business. When used strategically, welcome baskets can even boost usage of your amenities, earn positive reviews from guests, and increase your connection with the local community. With that being the case, we put together a list of 18 hotel welcome basket ideas that your guests are sure to love.
Explore 18 of our favorite hotel welcome basket ideas:
1. Local flavors
The most popular option for a hotel welcome basket is something that shows off your location’s unique heritage and character. Local jams, craft beers, sweet treats, seasonings, and even produce give your guests a feel for the area and a fun keepsake to take home. Consider the things that make your location stand out, and what guests tend to buy to bring home with them — this will give you great ideas to start your welcome baskets.
2. Hand sanitizer and masks
As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, hand sanitizer and masks will always be welcome. This welcome basket makes guests feel safe and shows your commitment to cleanliness. Keep this fun and positive by including other items so that guests don’t feel like you’re lecturing them with your baskets.
3. In-room spa experience
Help guests relax in their rooms with added spa kits. These could include bubble bath soap, shower steamers, fuzzy slippers or socks, face masks, branded toiletries, lotion, a robe, pillow sprays, and more. If you have an on-site spa, make sure to include a menu of services in the kit so that your guests can continue their relaxation there.
4. Kid-friendly options
Parents traveling with kids will love the idea of a kid-friendly hotel welcome basket. These can include toys, travel games, coloring books, or supplies for local kid-friendly activities. The supplies can get really creative to match your location. If you have a kids club or nearby experiences that you’d like to highlight, make sure to include the information in the basket as well.
5. Festive treats
As an extra special treat for your guests, you can change your welcome baskets to go with local holidays and seasons. Go beyond Halloween and Christmas and focus on local events to truly wow your guests. You can make themed baskets for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, fall foliage in New England, St. Patrick’s Day in Boston, or even the local county fair. Use these festive baskets to celebrate a special time of the year in your area.
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6. Hangover cures
A popular (and funny) welcome basket for weddings, “hangover cures” are a fun option for locales known for nightlife and parties. You can include a bottle of water, earplugs, eyeshades, pain medicine, and coffee, along with midnight snacks for your guests. Depending on your branding and the types of guests you're targeting, you can include a tongue-in-cheek note about your hangover cures or simply refer to them as a "refreshing experience."
7. Healthy trail snacks
Is your area popular with hikers and nature lovers? Healthy snacks to take out on the trail are a welcome addition to any basket. Include a trail map of local hikes and walks so that your guests can appreciate their treats on a beautiful walk in nature.
8. Tea and coffee
Tea and coffee are classic options for a hotel welcome basket, and with good reason. Guests love a warm beverage in the morning, and the teas and coffees that you choose can say a lot about your brand, location, and guests. Make sure the coffees and teas you offer are high quality, fresh, and reflect your location as much as possible to make these baskets stand out. The Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hong Kong goes one step further, offering guests a private tea ceremony in their room upon arrival. This is relaxed luxury at its finest.
9. Beach supplies
If your hotel is near a beach, your guests will love a welcome basket filled with basic beach supplies. Flip flops, sunscreen, and a straw hat go a long way towards making guests feel welcome and prepared for a day in the sun.
10. Amenity kit
Any amenity that you’d like to highlight can be the inspiration for a welcome basket. We’ve already spoken about beach, spa, and trail offerings, but it doesn’t need to end there. Do you have on-site cooking classes? Try including spices and a few recipes. How about a great selection of in-room entertainment? Give your guests popcorn and candy for a movie night. The options here are endless.
11. Picnic supplies
Nothing is quite as charming as a picnic basket filled with lunchtime delights. This hotel welcome basket idea is particularly great if the grounds of your property work well for picnicking. Just be aware that the basket itself may be hard for guests to bring home.
12. Fashion first-aid kit
If you have guests arriving for a formal event, wedding, fashion week, bachelorette party, or any other dressed-up occasion, why not offer a fashion first-aid kit? These fun and practical welcome baskets come with things like hem tape, a mini sewing kit, stain remover wipes, and gel cushions for uncomfortable shoes. Your guests will thank you for saving them from all possible wardrobe emergencies!
13. Warm and cozy kit
Beach destinations aren’t the only ones that can prepare their guests for the weather. If your hotel is near the ski slopes, mountains, or just in a cold area, you can provide a warm and cozy-themed welcome basket to beat the chill. These baskets can include warm socks, hot chocolate, marshmallows, heat packs for inside gloves and boots, and even a map of the local ski trails.
14. Business travel kit
Frequent business travelers have high standards when it comes to their hotel stays, but with the right welcome basket, you can stand out from the crowd. For your VIP business guests, go beyond the typical pen and paper in the room by including a phone power bank, travel umbrella, mini shoe-shine kit, notebook, or branded travel mug. It’s worth investing in high-quality gifts for these valued guests.
15. Wine and cheese
Wine and cheese baskets are flexible, elegant, and great for a variety of guests. You can highlight local products in this basket, and even include fresh grapes or fruit spreads to make the basket extra special.
16. Champagne, chocolate, and flowers
If you know that guests are celebrating a special occasion, you can’t go wrong with champagne, chocolate, and flowers. These thoughtful gestures help your guests celebrate, and show that you care about them. Don’t forget a handwritten note congratulating them on their special day!
17. Cocktail supplies
Provide everything for your guests to make a special cocktail, mocktail, or signature drink right in their hotel room. You can use this idea to highlight local flavors and spirits, and they may continue ordering it at your hotel bar or restaurant throughout their stay. One example comes from the QT Gold Coast, where guests are given a designer lemon juicer and glassware and can then order lemons and ice to make fresh lemonade.
18. Fresh-baked anything
Include anything freshly baked in your welcome baskets for a sure crowd-pleaser. If you have an on-site coffee shop, bakery, or restaurant, provide your own baked treats. Otherwise, pair up with a local bakery or cafe to offer a special treat and maybe a discount for that store in case they want more. The Armani Hotel in Milan, Italy, for example, captures the elegant feel of their brand with complimentary monogrammed biscotti from their pastry chef.
Use these hotel welcome basket ideas to greet your guests and leave a lasting impression!
Need more ways to make your customers feel special? Take a look at these 7 ways to impress hotel guests and earn more business.
