Arrival instructions that get guests to the right door
The guest has the address, but the map stops at a service gate. The key box is on a different wall, and their phone has little signal. Good arrival instructions take the guest through the last few minutes of the journey, not just to a pin on a map.
Write the journey in the order a first-time guest experiences it: where to go, where to stop, how to enter and who can help if a step fails.
Start with the actual arrival point
Check the full address and map pin against the entrance guests should use. For a villa with several gates or a long access road, the street address may be correct while the final turn is not.
Name a landmark the guest can recognise from the road. Explain whether a navigation app leads to the vehicle entrance, pedestrian gate or a nearby street. If the last stretch is easy to miss, give one short instruction for it rather than a long paragraph of local directions.
Tell drivers where to stop safely and where cars may be parked. A parking instruction should identify the allowed space, not merely say “parking available”. Check any height, width or access limits before including them.
Walk through entry one step at a time
Describe the sequence as the guest will meet it: outer gate, path or drive, correct building, door, then key or lock. Distinguish doors that look alike. If a photograph helps, use one showing the guest's view as they approach, not a decorative property photo.
Use plain names for each point of access. “The small gate beside the stone wall” is more useful than “entrance B” if no sign says B. If the lock has a particular motion, explain it briefly after the guest knows which door is theirs.
Airbnb's guest check-in guidance lists the address, directions, access method, parking and host contact among the details a guest may need. It also suggests saving instructions offline before travel. That is a useful check for any arrival guide: could someone follow it with weak mobile reception?
Separate arrival plans from access details
Confirm the agreed check-in time and how entry will happen. If someone will meet the guests, say where that person will wait and how to report a delay. If entry is independent, explain when the instructions or code will be available through the agreed secure channel.
Do not leave an old code in a reused message or a public document. Check that the code, key or meeting arrangement belongs to this stay and this property. If a guest asks to arrive early, treat that as a separate request until the property and the access plan are ready.
Keep the essential access steps short enough to read while standing outside with luggage. Wi-Fi, house rules and recommendations can follow once the guest is inside.
Give guests a way through a problem
A useful guide says what to do if the first gate is shut, the code fails or the person meeting the guest is delayed. Give one contact method that will be answered during arrival, and a clear backup if that person cannot respond. Check that both contacts know they are on the plan.
Do not put private entry codes in general troubleshooting text. The backup contact can verify the booking and give the appropriate help through the agreed channel.
Here is an illustrative closing line to adapt: “If you reach the gate and cannot get in, message the arrival contact in your booking. If you do not receive a reply, call the backup number shown there. Please wait outside the property rather than trying another entrance.”
If a step fails in real life, record which step confused the guest. Fix that instruction before the next arrival instead of expecting the next person to discover the same problem.
Test the guide like a first-time guest
Walk the route from the street to the door with the latest version of the instructions. Check the map pin, photographs, gate labels, parking space, key location and contact number. Test the access method at the time guests are expected to use it, not only during office hours.
Ask someone who did not write the guide to follow it. Any question they have at the gate is a missing instruction. Then check the booking-specific details before sending: correct villa, dates, arrival time, access method and contact.
Keep one current version for the team so a corrected gate photo or changed lock is reflected everywhere guests receive instructions. The guide is ready when the next guest can arrive without needing the person who wrote it to explain the last step.
Written by the Isla team, who build AI employees for hospitality businesses. Our guides share practical approaches; the scope of each hire is agreed for your operation.
