Lay My Hat

Hello!
Our most recent guests were owners of a lovely (according to their website) masion d´hotes in southern France. They were very nice and since they have been in business for 8 years we asked for suggestions. They shared that they give each departing guest a jar of their homemade lavender jam and a lavender sachet (they have a large lavender field on their farm/mas)...they suggested that we make/find some small item unique to our area, attach a tag with our name etc ....they insist that guests love this: last memory: a free gift and it brings them back. Anyone else do this??

Anyone else do this??

yes - did it this year and sad to report that not one thanks and 3 guests didn't bother to take it with them. 1 actually emptied the contents out because she wanted the tiny jar (quite cute I thought) to use for her expensive make up as her daughter had smashed the bottle or something

Won't bother this year.

mousie
x
p.s. I would appreciate it if someone gave me a departing gift.

Just the security deposit from me

I tried it once - little bunches of muguet (lily-of-the-valley) tied with a ribbon given away around May Day (traditional in France). Nobody wanted them.

Jude sometimes gives a pot of homemade jam, and we sometimes give gifts of seeds or plants from the garden - but only to people who've passed comment/compliments.

I can't see me asking Jude to make 200-odd pots of jam just so I can give a pot away to every party of guests

Phil

A hamper (or small food & wine gifts) on arrival which were often left unopened (so I don't continue with arrival 'gifts') brings us to a farewell gift! Yes, I give a small something to guests who stay a minimum of one week at full price. Although they seem charmed when I give it to them, they leave without opening it (small & light enough for the hand luggage) and I never get a thank you from them when they get home:(

I shall continue until my stock runs out. Then probably stop!

We leave a bottle of wine on arrival,and some chocolate/sweets for children. Nothing on departure.

Some guests do take toilet rolls and tea bags as a memento, especially if they're heading to a camp site.

I gave them a tin of fudge as they leave, but after they have returned the keys so they have no choice but to take it with them. Once empty it is the right size with the right kind of lid to use as a coffee jar or sugar.

Picture of my girls on the beach and my website on the front. From Farrahs of Harrogate. I think it is brilliant!

Homemade cake and wine on arrival - most people haven't got much room in their cars for anything on departure once they have stocked up with wine etc. from the supermarket.

In B&B as long as they have stayed at least four nights (or less if they are particularly nice or have brought us a gift) we give a small jar of jam or chutney made with our own figs as long as they are in a car. If they are travelling by air we give them a key ring with the Indalo Man - the symbol of the area which is supposed to bring good luck. In rental, where we are dealing often with three families, I have started to give a tortoise fridge magnet made in my pottery class (house is called Las Tortugas).

So far all seem to have been well appreciated.

i stock some attractive 'delft blue' tins with typical oldfashioned dutch sweets and 'speculaas' cookies for my foreign guests who stay more than 2 nights; they only cost me 2-3 euros each. attached is a nice card with my B&B info. always most appreciated!

if the jam i make is up to my guests' liking (small pots) and they stay longer than 2 nights, i usually give a pot, with a card, when they leave. i now have in store small pots of apple chutney and of 'chilli apple jelly' (yes, inspired by a LMH-forum discussion!) made from apples a returning guest brought me from his garden in normandy... it always gets a smile on people's face! i think guests DO remember such a small token of hospitality 'to take back home'.

the funniest thing i did last september, was buy a water cooker for a young spanish couple, as they loved mine so much! it has little 'delft blue' stickers of windmills and wooden shoes on it... of course they paid what it cost! but they appreciated it very much that i went to the local shop and had it nicely packed for them.

for next summer, i think of making small gift bags of fresh herbs, growing in a small community garden next to my house, the gift bags being less than 1 euro - and the herbs are free!

i see it as 'promotion' for my B&B, sometimes even get 'thank you' mails after people have returned home.

We don't give gifts on guests' departure at our B&B. We do leave a postcard of local a scene (with a postage stamp stuck on it) and some use/take them, some don't. At Easter/Christmas we will put chocs in rooms and when guests have mentioned how much they like a shower gel, moisturising lotion or a homemade jam we'll offer it. With gifts on departure it's usually the other way around and guests offer us wine, flowers and even money, which we feel embarrassed to accept, but will (and pass to a charity) if it's insisted we take it.

We leave a generous welcome box and fridge items on arrival so don't give on departure but if people have commented on our hens lovely eggs then I sometimes give them a box to take away and won't accept their payment.

We have a range of "freebies" to hand out to departing guests, pens, torch key rings, fridge magnets, mini notepads etc, all with our phone number and website details printed on them - all things people will (hopefully) keep and be reminded of their holiday and maybe book again

Along with white wine, milk & chocolate biscuits I started leaving quite large jars of local honey from very local hives with a tag saying to take it home as a souvenir. About 3/4 of them were left on the side. I now give nothing to be taken home.