A better Airbnb guidebook — one QR code, every answer

What Airbnb's guidebook can't do

Airbnb's guidebook is a nice place to pin restaurants, and that's roughly where it stops. It's tied to one platform, guests have to find it inside the app, and it deliberately keeps out the practical details — the very things guests message you about.

• Only Airbnb guests can see it
• No Wi-Fi password, door code or appliance instructions
• No house rules, check-out steps or emergency contacts
• No way to sell extras like late check-out or transfers
• No analytics — you never know if anyone opened it

What to put in your guidebook

Think of it as two halves: the house manual and the neighbourhood. Guests need the first half within minutes of arriving and the second half the next morning.

• Arrival: map pin, parking, entry code, key location
• Wi-Fi, heating, AC, appliances, TV and streaming
• House rules, quiet hours and check-out steps
• Coffee, dinner, groceries, beach or park, rainy-day option
• Transport: taxi apps, bus stops, airport routes
• Emergency contacts and nearest pharmacy

Local recommendations that get used

Guests ignore generic lists and act on personal ones. Give five to ten places with one honest sentence each — why you go, what to order, when it's busy. ScanStay puts each place on a map with walking distance so guests can decide in seconds, and can suggest starting points based on your address if you'd rather not start from a blank page.

One guidebook, every guest, every language

You write it once. Guests arriving from Booking.com see it, direct bookers see it, and a French family sees it in French. Update a recommendation after your favourite place closes and every future guest gets the correction — no reprint, no re-upload to any platform.