Anyone can find a list of tourist attractions on Google. What guests can't find — and genuinely value — is the insider knowledge that comes from someone who actually knows the area. Your local recommendations are one of the most powerful differentiators your holiday let has.
Done well, the local area section of your guest guide does something a printed leaflet rack never can: it makes guests feel personally looked after.
Why Local Recommendations Matter for Reviews
Guests who have a great experience of the area associate that positive feeling with your property. When they leave a review, phrases like "the host's restaurant tips were spot on" or "we followed the walk they recommended and it was stunning" are common.
Conversely, guests who felt lost or didn't know where to go often describe the stay as "fine" — which on Airbnb translates to a four-star review.
Food and Drink
This is what guests ask about most. Be specific and personal — "we recommend" beats "there are several restaurants nearby" every time:
- Your favourite restaurant — include cuisine, price range, and why you love it. Mention if booking is needed.
- Best pub for a Sunday roast — essential for UK properties
- A good café for breakfast — especially useful for guests arriving tired
- The best spot for fish and chips / pizza / a casual dinner — cover different moods and budgets
- Where to avoid — guests genuinely appreciate honesty. A brief note like "the pub on the main square is a bit of a tourist trap — the one on Church Lane is much better" builds enormous trust.
Include opening hours where you can, and note seasonal closures — a Christmas visitor who drives to a closed attraction is an unhappy guest.
Supermarkets and Shopping
- Nearest supermarket (and whether it's a full-size store or a small express)
- Nearest petrol station
- Any local farm shops, delis, or markets worth visiting
- Nearest pharmacy and its opening hours
Activities and Attractions
Tailor these to your property's location and typical guests:
- Beaches — which ones are best for families vs. quieter/wilder, dog-friendly beaches, where to park
- Walks and cycle routes — short flat options (for families with young children) and longer routes (for walkers). Include rough durations.
- Family activities — soft play, aquariums, zoos, theme parks within driving distance
- Rainy day options — cinemas, museums, indoor activities. Rainy days produce the most "what do we do now?" messages.
- Hidden gems — the viewpoint most tourists miss, the best rock pooling spot, the Tuesday farmers' market
Practical Local Information
- Nearest A&E / hospital — always include this. Guests hope never to use it.
- Nearest GP or walk-in clinic
- Local taxi numbers — especially valuable for guests planning evenings out
- Nearest cash machine (still needed in many rural areas)
- Public transport — bus routes, nearest train station
How to Present It
A long list of links is hard to use on a phone. The best local guides are:
- Organised by category (Food, Activities, Practical)
- Written in first person ("We love this place because...")
- Brief per entry — one or two sentences, not a paragraph
- Kept up to date — an annual review before the season starts catches closures and openings
Making It Easy to Maintain
The biggest obstacle to a great local guide is keeping it current. GuestGuide lets you update your guide anytime and the changes are instantly live — no reprinting, no PDFs to resend. Your guests always see the latest version when they scan their QR code or follow their link.
Your local knowledge is genuinely valuable. Build a guide worthy of it.