Guest Room Hospitality Tips
Simple Steps to Ensure Your Visitors Have a Restful Stay
Creating a haven for guests in your home is not complicated. By following a few simple guidelines, you can provide your friends with a lovely and gracious place to rest.
Inviting guests into your home for an overnight stay is one of the greatest examples of hospitality. Here are some simple ways you can make sure their stay is peaceful and enjoyable.
The Bed and Nightstand
In some ways, it is all about the bed. Provide your guests with an attractive bed including a comfortable mattress. The mattress should be neither too firm nor too soft. Dress the bed with quality sheets and blankets. If possible, have a variety of pillows on hand ranging from soft to firm so your guests can find the ones that are just right. Tuck a few extra blankets in the closet or a drawer.
Place a nightstand next to the bed. If you don’t have a nightstand, a small table or even a chair can work. Add a lamp and alarm clock. Tune the radio in to a station you think they would like. If you are able to purchase a clock radio that also plays CDs, put a few peaceful CDs in the drawer.
A Place for Everything
Closet space is important in a guest room. Make sure your guests have plenty of room to unpack and hang their clothes. Provide a variety of padded hangers, skirt/pants hangers and wooden hangers to meet whatever needs they may have. If your budget runs to something more economical, purchase a package or two of inexpensive white plastic hangers so all of the hangers will match.
If possible, equip your guest room with a dresser or chest of drawers. Line the drawers with pretty paper. If you don’t wish to purchase drawer liner, leftover wallpaper also works well and will generally lie flat in the bottom of the drawers. In a pinch, a pretty contact paper will work as well and should lie flat without needing to use the adhesive side.
Bathroom
Think "spa-like" and your guests will love you forever! Even if your bathroom doesn’t look like a spa but rather 1950s America, you can still add the little touches that will make it a restful place to be.
Provide your guests with plenty of soft towels and be sure to add fresh ones every day. A bath mat is also helpful. A small basket of quality bathroom items is always appreciated. Scented soaps, bubble bath, hand lotions and such can be purchased very inexpensively at both supermarkets and specialty shops. You can even leave a small note in the basket inviting them to take the items home with them – including the basket! A candle with matches and a small bouquet of flowers in a pretty vase will also contribute to making the bathroom inviting. Music is also appreciated whether it is a small radio or CD player.
The Extra Little Touches
- When deciding what extra touches to add, think about what your guests would most appreciate. Do they like coffee or tea in the morning or evening? If so, equip the room with a small coffee maker and leave a tray with a basket of coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, and spoons with tea cups or mugs. A small basket of snacks that complement their favorite beverage would certainly be enjoyed.
- A telephone for private conversations and local telephone book will be important to some guests as will books and travel information that would be related to their interests and plans while visiting you.
- Most importantly, remember that an enjoyable stay for your guests is primarily dependent on a thoughtful and peaceful hostess. If you have planned ahead and are enjoying yourself, then chances are your guests will, too!
You might also enjoy this article I wrote: Simple Holiday Meal Planning
