Guest Welcome Bags for Hotels and Serviced Apartments
A guest welcome bag is a printed cotton bag your guests receive at check-in, and it keeps working for your hotel or serviced apartment long after they have checked out.
Short answer: for most hotels and serviced apartments, a natural 140 g/m² cotton tote with long handles and a one-colour logo is the best place to start, from €7.47 per bag at 25 pieces and €2.60 at 100 pieces, excl. VAT, with free delivery in the EU.
For boutique hotels and longer stays, a heavier bag or a thick canvas shopper feels more like a gift, and a small printed drawstring pouch can hold keys, toiletries or a sweet treat.
In this guide I share which bag fits which kind of property, what to put inside, how many to order and what real hotel and apartment buyers asked us this autumn.
- Why give guests a welcome bag?
- Which bag fits which property?
- What to put inside
- Pouches for keys and amenities
- Serviced apartments and long stays
- How many bags to order
- What guest welcome bags cost
- A design guests want to carry
- More ways to use printed bags
- Welcome bags and your green story
- Delivery to one or more properties
- When to order
- FAQ
Why do hotels and serviced apartments give guests a welcome bag?
A welcome bag turns check-in into a small moment guests remember.
Most guests arrive tired, with a suitcase and a phone full of booking emails. A bag with a bottle of water, a local treat and a map of your favourite spots tells them right away that someone thought about them.
There is a practical side too. Guests need something to carry their things in when they go out to explore, shop at the market or head to the beach, and a cotton tote is exactly the right size for that.
And every time a guest carries your bag through the city, other travellers see your name.
That is why I like to call a good tote bag a walking business card: it works in the streets around your property, in photos guests share and at home after the trip.
For hotels and apartments, this matters.
Which guest welcome bag fits which kind of property?
The right welcome bag depends on your guests, your style and how many bags you hand out each month.
Here is how I would match the bags in our shop to the most common kinds of properties.
| Property | Bag I would start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| City hotel or hostel | Natural cotton tote 140 g/m², long handles | Light, low price per bag, easy to carry on the shoulder |
| Boutique hotel | Premium cotton tote 200 g/m² in navy or black | Thicker cotton that feels like a gift |
| Serviced apartments | Natural tote 140 g/m² plus a small pouch | A shopping bag for the stay and a pouch for keys |
| Design hotel or long stays | Thick canvas Camden shopper 407 g/m² | Structured shape, made to be used for years |
If you are not sure about fabric weight, our guide to cotton bag weights explains what 140, 200 and 340 g/m² feel like in the hand.
The page for hotels, cafés and concept stores shows more bag styles that work well in hospitality.
Colour matters too. Natural cotton looks fresh and fits almost every interior, while navy, black and dark green look calm and elegant in a design hotel or a city apartment.
Think also about how the bag looks in guests' photos, because a clean bag with a small logo appears in many holiday pictures.
My honest advice is to start simple and add a premium bag later for suites or returning guests.
Long handles for shoulder carry, natural colour that suits every logo colour.
What do hotels put inside a guest welcome bag?
The best welcome bag contents are small, local and useful during the stay.
Think about what your guests need in the first hour after check-in. Water, something to eat, a way to find their way around and a reason to feel at home.
- Something local to eat: pastries from the bakery around the corner, a small bag of local coffee or chocolate.
- Water: a reusable bottle or a glass bottle of local mineral water.
- A simple guide: your own map or a card with your five favourite places nearby.
- Practical small things: a phone charging cable, earplugs, a sewing kit.
- For longer stays: coffee or tea for the first morning, a dish cloth, a shopping list pad for the local market.
Keep printed papers short, because most guests check everything on their phone.
For a family room, a small treat for the children makes the bag a success with the whole family.
If you already make welcome kits for your own new team members, our post on corporate welcome kits has more ideas you can borrow for guests.
A welcome bag does not need to be full, it needs to feel chosen.
Can you use printed pouches for keys and amenities?
Yes, a small printed drawstring pouch is one of the most useful things a hotel or apartment can give a guest.
Our organic cotton drawstring pouches come in several sizes, and the small one (14 × 22 cm) holds a set of keys, a key card, earplugs or a few toiletries.
In serviced apartments, a pouch with your logo on the kitchen counter is an easy way to hand over keys and the welcome card in one go.
In hotels, the same pouch can hold slippers, a sleep mask or a small gift on the pillow.
A small pouch is easy to pack, so your logo can travel home with your guests.
A small organic cotton pouch for keys, amenities or a welcome treat.
What do serviced apartments and long-stay guests need?
Serviced apartment guests stay longer, so their welcome bag gets used every day.
A guest who stays two weeks or two months goes to the supermarket, the market and the laundry. A sturdy cotton bag at the door saves them buying plastic bags on day one.
In September a serviced apartment company in Prague wrote to us about bags as seasonal gifts for their guests. They first asked about a very light 100 g/m² bag, and I recommended our 140 g/m² natural tote with long handles instead, because guests carry it on the shoulder and it holds up better to daily shopping.
A flex-living operator with apartments in two EU capitals asked us for welcome kits at check-in. They were choosing between a 140 g/m² classic tote and a 200 g/m² premium tote in a neutral colour (natural white, black or navy).
Their two questions were very practical: is delivery to both cities free, and are there extra setup fees on small orders?
Delivery in the EU is free, and there are no setup or screen fees: the price per bag on the product page is what you pay.
How many guest welcome bags should you order?
Order for your arrivals, not for your rooms.
A simple way to estimate is to take the number of check-ins in a typical month and multiply by the number of months you want to cover. For example, a 40-room hotel with about 200 check-ins a month needs about 200 bags for one month of welcome bags.
You can also give one bag per room instead of one per guest, which keeps the number lower.
Our minimum is 25 bags per design, so you can start small and test the idea with one floor, your suites or your returning guests.
With a small order you see how guests react before you order for the whole year.
What do guest welcome bags cost?
Prices depend on the bag, the quantity and the number of print colours.
Here are the prices per bag with a one-colour print, excluding VAT, as shown on our product pages today.
| Bag | 25 pcs | 100 pcs | 200 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural cotton tote 140 g/m² | €7.47 | €2.60 | €2.00 |
| Navy premium tote 200 g/m² | €8.72 | €5.45 | €4.58 |
| Natural Camden shopper 407 g/m² | €11.72 | €7.98 | €7.05 |
| Organic pouch S 14 × 22 cm | €6.51 | €3.39 | €2.61 |
The price drops a lot between 25 and 100 pieces, so a bigger order is often cheaper per guest.
For example, 200 natural totes cost €400.00 in total, and 200 small pouches cost €522.00. Together that is €4.61 per guest for a printed bag and a printed pouch, excl. VAT.
A premium welcome for 100 suite guests with the navy 200 g/m² tote costs €545.00.
Our post on what custom printed tote bags cost explains the five things that set the price.
Delivery in the EU is included, so the price per bag is the price you plan with.
Thicker cotton in a deep navy that looks calm and elegant with a white logo.
How do you design a welcome bag guests want to carry?
Guests carry a bag that looks good, not a bag that looks like an advert.
A small logo, a simple illustration of your building or a short line about your city often works better than a big logo across the whole bag.
One print colour is enough on a natural or navy bag, and it keeps the price low. White on navy and dark green or black on natural are colours I see working again and again.
If you run several properties, you can give each one its own design, as long as each design reaches the 25-piece minimum. Our post on different designs in one tote bag order explains how that works.
We send you a digital proof before printing, so you see exactly how your design will look on the bag.
Where else can a hotel use printed bags?
Once you have a bag design, it can do more than welcome guests.
You can use the same bag in three or four places, which also makes larger quantities and lower prices easier to reach.
- Your hotel shop or reception: sell the bag for a few euros to guests who want a souvenir, next to local products.
- Spa and pool: a bag for a towel, a robe and sun cream that guests can take to the beach or the sauna.
- Weddings and events at your hotel: couples and planners often look for welcome bags for their guests, and you can offer your own bag as part of the package.
- Conferences and meetings: a bag for the programme, a notebook and a water bottle.
- Your own team: a bag for new staff on their first day, so they feel part of the house.
If you host weddings, our guide to wedding welcome bags for planners shows what couples usually ask for.
A bag that guests can buy at reception also tells you which design they like best.
One good design, used in several places, works harder for your brand.
How does a welcome bag fit your hotel's green story?
A cotton welcome bag replaces plastic bags guests would otherwise pick up during their stay.
Many hotels and apartment operators work on their sustainability, and some go for certifications such as the EU Ecolabel for tourist accommodation, which looks at waste management among other things.
A reusable bag is a small part of that bigger picture, not a certificate on its own.
If organic or Fairtrade cotton matters for your brand, the organic pouches and the Fairtrade Camden shopper are a good fit.
The most sustainable bag is the one guests keep using at home.
Thick Fairtrade cotton canvas with a gusset, a shopper that keeps its shape.
How does delivery work for one or more properties?
We deliver free of charge to any address in the EU, including your hotel, your apartment building or your head office.
Each order ships to one address. If you run properties in several cities, you can place one order per property, or write to us and we will help you plan it.
Our post on ordering printed bags across borders explains how delivery to a hotel or venue works when you order from another country.
If you work with travel agencies or tour operators, the page for travel and tourism businesses has ideas for bags you can hand out together.
Tell us the address and the date you need the bags, and we plan production around it.
When should hotels order guest welcome bags?
Plan your welcome bags about a month before you want to hand them out.
Production and delivery typically take 10 to 15 working days from artwork approval, and you can also give us a later delivery date if you prefer.
For seasonal gifts such as Christmas, the summer season or a reopening after renovation, I recommend ordering early, because autumn is the busiest printing period of the year.
You can order online on the product page, or send us your logo by email and we prepare the print file for you.
If you are not sure about the date yet, choose your bag and design first. When the date is fixed, the order can go into production straight away.
An early order gives you time to fill the bags before the first guests arrive.
Frequently asked questions about guest welcome bags
What is the minimum order for hotel welcome bags?
The minimum is 25 bags per design. Larger quantities cost less per bag, and the price for each quantity is shown on the product page.
Which bag is best for hotel guests?
For most hotels, a natural 140 g/m² cotton tote with long handles is the best start. Guests can carry it on the shoulder, and it is the lowest price per bag.
Are there setup fees for printing our logo?
No, there are no setup or screen fees. The price per bag on the product page includes the print and EU delivery.
Can we print different designs for each property?
Yes, each design needs at least 25 bags. Our post on different designs in one order explains how it works.
Can you deliver directly to our hotel or apartment building?
Yes, we deliver free of charge to any address in the EU. Each order ships to one address.
How long does it take to get our welcome bags?
Typically 10 to 15 working days from artwork approval. You can also choose a later delivery date.
Can we pay by invoice?
Yes, you can order online with a card, or ask us for an invoice for bank transfer. We need full payment before production starts.
What can we put in a serviced apartment welcome bag?
Coffee or tea for the first morning, water, a local treat and the keys in a small printed pouch. Guests then use the tote for shopping during their stay.
A welcome that guests take home
A guest welcome bag is one of the few gifts that guests use during their stay and long after it.
Start with a simple natural tote and a small pouch, test it with your next 25 or 100 arrivals, and add a premium bag when you see how guests react.
If you want help choosing, send us your logo, your number of rooms and your date, and we will suggest the right bag.
Ready to welcome your guests?
Printed in the EU from 25 pieces, with free delivery to your property.
Bags for hotels Natural tote from €7.47
Learn More About Custom Printed Bags
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Happy guests carry your name further than any advert.
About Prints & Bags
Prints & Bags is a European B2B supplier of custom-printed and embroidered pouches, jute bags and cotton tote bags, sold directly through our online catalogue. Choose a bag, upload your logo, and order online — from 25 pieces, with free EU shipping, a free digital proof, and production in 10–15 working days after approval.
