An Airbnb guest book can mean a visitor journal where guests leave memories, or a welcome guide explaining the home. They serve different purposes. This article focuses on the visitor journal: what to put in it, how to invite entries, and how to keep it separate from practical instructions and platform reviews.
If you need Wi-Fi details, appliance steps, and checkout information, start with a guest welcome book. A journal is an optional extra alongside it.
Guest book versus welcome book
| Book | Who writes in it? | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor guest book | Guests, if they choose | Memories, observations, and suggestions |
| Welcome book or house guide | The host | Verified information for using the property |
| Airbnb review | Eligible participants on the platform | Feedback connected to the reservation |
Label the two physical books clearly if you provide both. “Home guide” and “Your stay, in your words” are easier to distinguish than two identical covers marked Welcome.
Eight guest-book prompts
Choose a few prompts that fit the property. Leave plenty of room for a guest who prefers a drawing or a single sentence.
- What was your favourite small moment during this stay?
- Which local place would you recommend to the next visitor?
- What did you enjoy doing on a slow morning here?
- Did you discover a useful local tip we should check?
- What would you like to try if you came back?
- Which view, walk, or meal will you remember?
- Would you like to leave a sketch of something from your trip?
- What would you tell a friend preparing for a stay in this area?
These prompts invite a personal memory without requiring names, addresses, travel plans, or contact details. There is no need to turn the journal into a guest-registration form.
A first-page invitation you can copy
Your stay, in your words
If you would like to, leave a favourite moment, a local discovery, or a sketch for the next guests. A sentence is plenty. Please share only information you are comfortable leaving in a book other visitors can read. There is no need to include contact details. Thank you for spending part of your trip here.
Keep participation optional. Do not add a journal entry to the checkout task list or suggest that writing one is part of being a considerate guest.
Put it somewhere inviting
A shared living-room table or reading shelf works better than a hidden drawer. Leave a working pen and a clear writing surface. Choose a durable book that opens comfortably, rather than one that needs to be held flat while someone writes.
A prompt on each page can help, but avoid filling every inch with questions. The journal should feel like an invitation, not a survey. Replace a damaged or full volume and store earlier books appropriately.
Keep practical feedback easy to report privately
Guests should not need to write in a public journal to tell you the shower is cold or a lamp is broken. Keep the host contact visible in the home guide and deal with reports during the stay.
If a journal entry reveals an issue afterward, use it as a maintenance lead rather than assuming every detail has been verified. Our issue-response guide covers the separate process for resolving problems.
Do not treat entries as automatic marketing permission
Ask before photographing or republishing a guest's writing, drawing, or name. If you show a journal in public property photos, use blank pages or remove identifying details. A note left for visitors in the home is not the same as a testimonial someone agreed to share publicly.
Does a journal replace an Airbnb review?
No. Keep a neutral platform-review request separate. Airbnb's Reviews Policy prohibits pressure and incentives that influence reviews. See our review-request templates for concise, honest wording.
Give memories and practical information their own space. Build a welcome-book preview for the home details guests need, then add a visitor journal if it suits your property.