Airbnb Breakfast: What All Hosts Should Know About Serving Food to Guests

As an Airbnb host, you are always looking for ways to offer better service to guests. One idea that you’ve probably thought about is to offer Airbnb breakfast. Serving breakfast is a great way to make your Airbnb guests feel welcome but offering this service does come along with some potential challenges.

Here is the scoop on how to offer Airbnb breakfast to your guests so that you can decide if it is the right option for your Airbnb business.

Do I need to serve breakfast?

The decision as to whether or not you should serve Airbnb breakfast really comes down to the type of experience that you want to provide as an Airbnb host. Take for instance some of the advice offered by these Airbnb hosts:

“My place is only $70 per night, less than Motel 6. I provide muffins and oj, and complete use of the kitchen to prepare whatever my guests may want to eat. I have spent over $30 picking stuff up from the store, only to have to guests not eat it, and it goes to total waste. I no longer provide a spread. Waste of money.” says Eric Pearson, Airbnb host, in a post on Facebook.

While this host prefers to offer a level of breakfast service that matches his basic accommodations, other hosts opt to take it a bit further:

“We always offer a “Continental” style breakfast. Cereal, Milk, Yogurt, OJ, Fruit, sometimes toast, jam etc.” says Rick Mosher, Airbnb host, in a post on Facebook. “However, we always ask the guest before bedtime if they even want breakfast and if they need it at a specific time. Most guests take us up on it, but some don’t. We try to be as accommodating as possible.”

If your Airbnb guests are traveling for leisure, then they likely won’t care much about eating at your place. That’s because they’ve really come to check out all of that your area has to offer, including the restaurants. However, if your property attracts a lot of business travelers, then they’ll like find having Airbnb breakfast to be a time-saving and convenient benefit of staying at your property.

What are some ideas for Airbnb breakfast?

The best ideas for Airbnb breakfast really depend on your location. Also, it might a better idea to just ask your guests. In some cases, a standard Western “Continental” style Airbnb breakfast works.

However, if these foods aren’t typical for your region, then you should go with what you think your guests might eat. If your property attracts a lot of tourists, then your Airbnb breakfast might consist of local fare in order to deliver a truly immersive cultural experience for your guests.

The bottom line is that whatever you offer to your Airbnb guests, it shouldn’t take too much effort on your part to prepare. In addition, you always want to make sure that the food you are offering looks fresh and professionally prepared. The best idea would be to order some local cooking services if you have those in your area.

Picking up packaged items from the local grocery store or market can be another comfortable option for serving an Airbnb breakfast. Unless your guests are okay with you making food for them, save your homemade creations for your own family and friends.

How do I receive payment from guests for the breakfast service?

When a guest makes an inquiry or request, you can use the special offer function to add the cost of the Airbnb breakfast service into the total price of the reservation. However, to make things simple, it would probably be best to just include the cost of the Airbnb breakfast service in your overall listing price from the beginning.

That way your guests pay for the food regardless of whether they decide to eat it or not. Then you also don’t have to worry about having to make an alteration or resolution request after the guest has already booked your property.

What are the problems that hosts may face when serving meals?

Cuisine preferences. It can be difficult to gauge whether or not the breakfast options will satisfy your guests’ tastes. This can be an even bigger problem if your guests are arriving from foreign countries where your local cuisine might be quite different than what they are used to.

An easy rule to follow to keep guests happy is to simply keep things simple. You can choose options that are similar to what a guest might receive for breakfast in a local hotel in your area. Offer breakfast as an option and let them know upfront what’s on the menu so that there are no surprises when they arrive.

Food allergies. Food allergies are a serious and potentially deadly concern for some people. As a result, you need to make sure that you are aware of any and all food allergies your guests might have. If you plan to serve breakfast, this could be a major risk that might make you want to reconsider offering meals.

Scheduling concerns. Your guests’ schedule might not align with your own or what you think are typical hours for eating breakfast. Therefore, don’t make your guests feel like they are forced to eat whatever you are offering them for breakfast. Make sure that there are self-serve options available so that guests can choose to eat breakfast when they want to.