Reviews

Small touches guests remember

You've been chosen, priced fairly and welcomed without friction. Now the stay itself has to earn the next booking. Expensive furniture is easy to forget; a note with your name on it, a plug where the phone charges at night and a bowl of fruit from the market are not. This guide is about small touches that cost little, and how to make them happen for every guest, not only when you remember.

The short answer

Choose a few small touches that suit your place and the guests you actually host. Start with a personal welcome note, something local to eat or drink, a printed neighbourhood map and a short list of your own favourite places. Then get the basics right: good pillows, dark bedrooms, hooks and a plug by every bed. Cost each touch per stay, and put all of them on your cleaner's checklist so every guest gets the same welcome. These are our suggestions, not rules: pick what you can keep up.

Start with the welcome

A welcome note

• The guest's name, two or three warm lines and your signature
• Wi-Fi name and password, and how to reach you through the booking platform's messages
• Not a list of house rules: those belong in the listing

Something local

• Armenian coffee with a small pot, or local herbal tea
• Seasonal fruit from the market, washed and ready
• Sealed, labelled items are safer for guests with allergies

A printed neighbourhood map

• One page, with your place clearly marked
• The nearest pharmacy, supermarket, cash machine and bus or metro stop
• A bakery and somewhere open late

Your own recommendations

• Five to eight places you really go to, one line each on why
• A breakfast café, a dinner place, a walk and a day trip
• Recheck it every season: places close and change

Write the note in the languages your guests read. In 2025 the Statistical Committee counted 921,704 visitors from Russia, the largest group by citizenship, followed by Armenian citizens and visitors from Georgia and Iran, so a Russian and an English version is a sensible start. If you use Customer Journey in the Revamp dashboard, it can send the welcome message automatically before arrival; the printed note then says the same thing in person. The check-in guide covers what to send and when.

Get the basics right

Small comforts that guests notice at night and in the morning often matter more than decoration.

• Pillows. Two per guest, ideally one firmer and one softer.
• Dark bedrooms. Blackout curtains or blinds, so nobody wakes at sunrise in summer.
• Hooks. By the door for coats and bags, and in the bathroom for towels.
• A plug by each bed. Guests charge their phones overnight; an extension lead solves it if the socket is across the room.
• A reading light on each side of the bed.
• Spares in sight. Toilet roll, bin bags, a few hangers, a second set of towels for longer stays.

Our suggestion: sleep one night in your own place every season. You'll find the squeaky door, the light that's too bright and the missing plug faster than any review will.

Touches for the guests you host

Look at who books you and add touches for them, not for everyone.

Families

• Travel cot or high chair available on request
• Plastic cups and plates, socket covers
• A few children's books or a board game

Remote workers

• A real table and a comfortable chair
• Wi-Fi speed you've tested yourself, written in the note
• A desk lamp and a plug within reach

Long stays

• Washing powder and a drying rack
• A usable kitchen: a sharp knife, a chopping board, oil and salt
• Fresh towels and linen offered midway

Only mention a touch in your listing if it's there every time. The listing guide explains how to describe your place honestly.

Seasonal touches

Changing a few things with the seasons keeps the place feeling looked after.

• Summer. Cold water in the fridge, a fan, summer fruit, and a tip on where to find shade.
• Winter. A warm blanket, slippers, tea, and a clear note on how the heating works.
• Rainy weeks. An umbrella by the door, and a couple of indoor ideas on your recommendations list.
• Holidays. A small decoration around New Year goes a long way. Check busy dates in Armenia so you stock up before the rush.

Avoid anything that has to be refreshed every day, unless you or your cleaner can really do it.

Cost them per stay

Small touches are a cost per stay, like cleaning and laundry. Treat them that way.

1. List every touch. Note, coffee or tea, fruit, printing, and the odd replacement of things guests take or break.
2. Work out the cost of one stay. Divide bulk purchases by the number of stays they cover.
3. Add it to your costs per stay. Put the total into the "What you keep from a booking" calculator to see what each booking really leaves you.
4. Keep what guests notice. If a touch comes up in messages or reviews, keep it. If nobody ever mentions it, try dropping it for a season.

Buy things that keep, like coffee and tea, in bulk. Leave fresh fruit for stays where someone can buy it the day before.

Keep it consistent

A touch that happens only when you remember isn't a touch, it's luck. Make it part of the turnover.

1. Write every touch into the cleaner's checklist, in the order they'll be set out.
2. Keep a stock box with notes, maps, coffee, tea and spares, and a simple rule for restocking, such as "tell me when two of anything are left".
3. Ask for a photo of the finished set-up after each turnover, so you can check it without visiting.
4. Review the list once a month alongside your other numbers.

If you need help with cleaning, hosts with a live Revamp listing can find cleaning services in the trusted services list in their dashboard.

Small-touch mistakes to avoid

• Spending on decoration before fixing pillows, curtains and plugs
• Leaving food that spoils, or homemade food with no label
• A welcome note that reads like a list of rules
• Recommending places you haven't been to in a year
• Promising touches in the listing that aren't always there
• Relying on memory instead of the cleaner's checklist
• Inviting guests to book direct next time: keep bookings on the platform

Your checklist

Before the next guest

• Welcome note template ready
• Neighbourhood map printed
• Recommendations list written

At every turnover

• Note with the guest's name
• Welcome set-up photographed
• Stock box checked

Every season

• Seasonal touches swapped
• Recommendations rechecked
• Cost per stay updated

Questions hosts ask

Do guests expect a welcome gift?
Not as a rule. A small, thoughtful touch says more than an expensive one, and the basics, like a good bed and a dark room, matter first.

How much should I spend?
There's no right amount. Cost your touches per stay, run a typical booking through the booking calculator, and keep the total small enough that you'll never be tempted to skip it.

What if a guest has allergies?
Choose sealed, labelled items and avoid homemade food unless you list the ingredients. If a guest mentions an allergy, ask what to leave out before they arrive.

Will small touches get me better reviews?
Nothing guarantees a review. But a stay that feels cared for gives guests something specific to write about. The reviews guide covers what to do after check-out.