The Airbnb Digital Guidebook That Earns You Money

Why PDFs and printed binders lose money

The old-school printed binder on the kitchen counter looks charming — but it is a dead asset. Guests do not read it. It cannot be updated. And every recommendation inside is free labour for the local business, not you.

An Airbnb digital guidebook fixes all three problems. It is delivered to the guest's phone before they arrive, links click through to bookings, and every link can carry your affiliate code.

What a great digital guidebook contains

• Check-in instructions, Wi-Fi, and house essentials up top
• Curated restaurants, cafés, and bars within walking distance
• Bookable experiences — tours, tastings, museums — with direct links
• Practical logistics — transport, groceries, pharmacy, nearest hospital
• House rules and checkout instructions at the end, not the start

Turning recommendations into affiliate income

Tour and experience platforms (Viator, GetYourGuide, Klook) all offer affiliate programs paying 5–10% commission. If your guest books a $200 wine tour through your guidebook link, you earn $10–$20 with zero extra work. Multiply that by every booking, every stay, every year.

Local businesses will often set up a direct referral fee — a flat $5–$20 per booking — which pays better than the big platforms once your guidebook has traffic.

Delivering it to guests without friction

The best delivery is a link in your Airbnb pre-arrival message. No app to install, no login. Guests tap once and it opens on their phone. A QR code inside the property catches guests who missed the message.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Recommending every restaurant in town — three great picks beat thirty
• Forgetting to update it when a business closes or moves
• Burying check-in details under marketing copy
• Not disclosing affiliate links (a short note is fine and required in most jurisdictions)

Tools that make it easy

Purpose-built guidebook tools like Hostfully, Touch Stay, and YourWelcome all work. Homsies takes a lighter approach: your guidebook lives alongside your income dashboard, so you can see exactly which recommendations earned you commission this month.

For more revenue ideas beyond the guidebook, read our guide on how to increase Airbnb revenue.