Free template: the local places to share with your guests

Copy it into whatever you prefer (a document, a spreadsheet, a note on your phone) and fill it in over a few weeks. You don't need to complete it in one go: a first version with six or seven places you're sure of beats a complete list written in a hurry.

Each row matches a need your guests really have during a stay: eating out, getting a coffee, shopping, going out, walking, finding a pharmacy. If a row doesn't apply to your property, leave it empty. A remote chalet has no tram, and a city flat has no trail starting at the front door.

Select the table and paste it into a spreadsheet or document: the columns are kept. The last column gives an example of the kind of tip to write, to be replaced with your own.

Restaurants: three different moments

Rather than three similar restaurants, think of three situations: dinner on the first evening, when everyone is tired; the simple, cheap meal; the table for an occasion. Guests choose depending on their mood, and you cover every budget.

Cafés and breakfast

It's often the first question of the morning, especially in a rental. A café and a bakery within walking distance are enough; mention the hours if they open late or close on an unusual day.

Shopping

The nearest supermarket, with its Sunday hours, saves a lot of messages on arrival night. A local grocer or market adds the touch your guests wouldn't find on their own.

Activities

A must-see, an idea for a rainy day and something suitable for children cover most stays. If you mostly host couples or business travellers, swap the family row for something that suits them.

Walks

A short walk you can fit in before dinner, and a longer outing for a free day. Give the duration and the level: "one hour, flat" helps more than "lovely walk".

Practical

The pharmacy, public transport and, if your guests come by car, parking. These are the places we forget because they seem obvious to us, yet they're the first ones a guest looks for.

Here's what three rows look like once filled in, for a made-up flat by a lake. The names are invented; only the tone matters.

It's the most important column, and the one people tend to rush. "Good restaurant" tells a guest nothing. Say exactly what you like: a dish, a view, an atmosphere, the time of day to go.

• Write as you'd talk to a friend, in the first person.
• One or two sentences is enough on a phone screen.
• Mention what might disappoint: noise, waiting, price.
• Only recommend what you've tried.

For more on choosing and presenting places, our guide to the best local spots to recommend to your guests covers how many to include, how to find them when you're starting out and how to adapt them to the seasons.

You can keep this list in a document or turn it into a free HerePicks guide that guests open with a QR code. A document works if your places rarely change; an online guide means nothing to resend or reprint when a place closes.

To weigh the two options, our comparison of PDF, Google Maps, WhatsApp or QR code goes through each one. If you choose a guide, the page on local recommendations shows how each row of the template becomes a place card, with the address, photo and travel time filled in automatically.

The Discovery plan is free for one property and up to 10 recommendations; the other plans are on the pricing page. You can create your guide for free from this template.