Host tips
Our hosts with the most (treats for you)
OK, we admit we’re shallow, but we love getting a little something extra when we stay somewhere. So we asked our hosts to tell us how they treat their 9flats.com guests when they arrive. What little personal touches do they add to make you really feel at home?
From the flood of replies, it seems like our guests are the most spoiled in the world, especially in Italy (why this is we’re not sure, the country of amore?). We also found out that chocolates on the pillow are so last year. Here are our favourites…
“Sweets and biscuits are something that people already take for granted. I prefer to give my guests new and unique experiences. I give them a welcome basket of vegetables from my garden and breakfast with freshly laid eggs from my chickens.”
Giovanni S, Italy
“We treat our guests with a breakfast treat of homemade pancakes and waffles with honey.”
Doretta K, Greece
“Although we’re a 200-bed hostel, we still make a big effort to pamper our guests. On Sundays and Mondays we’ve got free pancakes for guests who get up late and miss breakfast, Tuesdays is free pasta, Wednesdays free pizza, Thursday is a free barbecue.”
Ronan B, Ireland.
“As well as a chocolate on the bedside table, I offer my guests a little painting I’ve made, like a rustic terracotta tile painted with Mount Etna, prickly pears, or the sun and the moon. Last Christmas I gave them little angels.”
“We give our guests a bottle of wine when they arrive, extra virgin olive oil we’ve made and sometimes a basket with fresh eggs from our hens.”
Patrizia, Italy.
And our 9 best of the rest…
“To surprise our guests, we always give them an aperitif on our terrace. It looks over Marseille and at night it’s a real picture postcard.”
Michel D, France.
“We give our guests milk, tea and sugar on arrival and a TV listing for the week. If there is fresh fruit in the garden we give them some, as well as plenty of books and games and tourist information.”
Liz, UK.
“We offer a platter full of Croatian specialties (cheese, sausages, Dalmatian smoked ham…) and also a bottle of wine to make them feel like at home… We want them to take back memories of the unforgettable beauty of Dubrovnik and we are proud if we are responsible for at least 1% of that feeling…”
Luksa Hanza, Croatia.
“We give freshly cut flowers and some tasty treats from the local bakery to make them feel at home. Our US home is in Hawaii so we add a little aloha as well.”
Richard A, Japan.
“The first thing we give our guests is a warm, friendly welcome, so they feel immediately at home. In the bedroom, there are flowers and fresh fruit. We also give them a book that we prepare in advance, depending on what they told us they would like to do. But do not tell everyone in Marseille. Our travelers are pampered and special, we love them!”
Michel L, France.
“Mostly, we give away fresh fruit or freshly baked organic bread. We think that’s better than chocolates beside the bed.”
Gert S, Germany.
“I have an organic vegetable garden and invite guests to help themselves to fresh herbs and offer them fresh lettuce, cabbage, courgettes etc and fruit in season – strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, apples and even figs.”
Marilyn F, UK.
“I give my guests a small assortment of local products: cheese, quince jam, homemade bread, Albariño wine and some local brandy.”
Josefina C.
“I always make sure I have homemade cake served with tea/coffee waiting to greet them when they arrive. Little treats like that are so appreciated after fighting your way on a busy motorway.”
Ann H, UK.
A big thanks to our hosts for sending these in.
Do you offer something special too? Let us know >