The best Airbnb local recommendations answer a small, practical question: where should we go for breakfast tomorrow, and how do we get there? A useful shortlist gives guests a reason to choose each place, the effort involved, and one detail they would otherwise have to look up.
You do not need a directory of every business nearby. Start with the places you can describe honestly. Airbnb encourages hosts to share local tips through a guidebook in its guidance on helping guests explore the area.
Build your list around the guest's day
Consider the decisions guests face after arrival. Someone checking in late needs dinner or groceries. A family may want an easy outing. A guest without a car needs walkable choices. Organise the list around those needs.
- First evening: a convenient dinner option and a place to buy essentials.
- Next morning: coffee or breakfast close to the property.
- A free afternoon: a walk, viewpoint, museum, or other manageable activity.
- A rainy day: an indoor alternative.
- A special occasion: somewhere worth booking ahead.
- Getting around: verified transport information and relevant local restrictions.
A short list with alternatives is easier to use than twenty restaurants with identical descriptions. If a recommendation depends on having a car, say so before the guest plans their day around it.
A local recommendation template
[Place name] — [what it is good for]
Why we suggest it: [specific, honest reason].
Getting there: [verified route or approximate journey, with travel mode].
Budget: [current price guide, or omit if unverified].
Plan ahead: [booking, opening-day, or access detail to check].
Map or website: [link].
Last checked: [date].
Here is fictional example wording: “Harbour Kitchen is our pick for a relaxed breakfast. It is about a ten-minute walk along the waterfront from the apartment. Ask for a terrace table on a dry morning, and check their website for this week's opening days.” Replace every detail with information you have checked for your own property.
Be specific about the fit
“Great food” tells a guest very little. “Good for an early dinner with children; the courtyard has more space than the dining room” helps them decide. Describe the atmosphere, typical occasion, and any limits you can verify.
Do not claim that a place is wheelchair accessible, allergy-safe, or suitable for a particular dietary need based on an old review. Link to the venue's current information and encourage guests to confirm their requirements directly. Describe the facts you know, such as the entrance steps you observed, without making broader promises.
Keep local tips separate from arrival directions
Your guide's first pages should help guests enter the home and settle in. Put sightseeing ideas after those essentials. Link to the local section from a short welcome message, so guests can find it when they are ready to make plans.
For hosts using more than one booking platform, keep a verified master shortlist and use it in each guest guide. Our Vrbo welcome-guide template includes a local-information section you can adapt.
Review the list when seasons change
Restaurants close, transport routes change, and seasonal attractions may stop operating. Check links and opening information before a busy season and after a guest reports an error. Record a review date so the next person maintaining the guide knows what needs attention.
How many recommendations should you include?
Start with six to ten useful choices across food, essentials, activities, and a weather alternative. That is an editorial starting point, not an Airbnb requirement. Add more only when they serve a different guest need.
Reference: Airbnb's local guidebook advice.
Share the places you would recommend to a friend. Build a welcome-book preview with your own local shortlist alongside the home's essential information.