How to create local recommendations your guests will use

Organize recommendations around a need.

Start with the moments your guests are likely to encounter. They need groceries on arrival, coffee in the morning and a few options for the time in between. A short, well-chosen list is easier to use than twenty similar places.

The categories can work for a city apartment, a rural cottage or a beach house. Adjust the choices to the property and the kinds of trips guests take.

• First morning: coffee, breakfast or a bakery.
• Everyday essentials: groceries, pharmacy and transport.
• A meal out: a casual choice and a special-occasion option.
• Time outdoors: a walk, park, beach or suitable local outing.
• A change of plan: an indoor activity or rainy-day option.

Explain why each place made the list.

Replace broad praise such as “great food” or “a must-visit” with a useful reason. Does it work for an early breakfast? Is it an easy walk? Is the menu short and suited to a quick dinner?

Only claim a personal visit if you have been. You can still include a useful place you have researched; be clear about what you know and link guests to the operator for current details.

Include the detail that changes the decision.

A name and a map pin are a start. Add the piece of information that helps a guest decide whether the recommendation fits their day. Keep it to a sentence or two.

Check travel estimates from the property and name the mode of transport. “Ten minutes away” can mean very different things on foot and by car. Avoid presenting an estimate as a guarantee.

Link to the business’s own website for changing details such as opening hours, prices and booking arrangements. For access needs, give specific verified information or a direct contact; do not use “accessible” as a catch-all description.

• What the place is useful for.
• Its location and a checked map link.
• How guests would usually get there.
• Whether advance planning or booking is worth checking.
• An official link for the latest details.

Offer a choice without overwhelming people.

Include a mix of budgets, indoor and outdoor plans, and options that do not depend on having a car where that is realistic. Think about guests arriving late or staying on a day when some businesses close.

Do not assume every guest wants the same holiday you would choose. A family, a couple and someone visiting for work may use the same property very differently. Descriptive labels help people find their own fit.

Keep the list worth trusting.

Review your recommendations before a busy season and whenever you learn that something has changed. Check that the business still exists, the link opens the right page and your description remains accurate.

Invite guests to tell you when a detail is wrong or a place deserves another look. Use that feedback to improve the selection, rather than making the list longer every time.

Give your local section a visible update date. Keep the guide’s online and printed versions aligned, and use links for details that change too often to promise in print.