The holidays are here and now its time to prepare for all those guests who might be visiting overnight or (gulp!) longer. With a little planning you can stay cool, calm, and collected with a house full of guests ….no, you can’t move to a hotel and leave them in your home. However, at the risk of sounding like a “certain Martha”, here are some ways to make your guestroom more comfortable, hospitable, and inviting.
Clean out that guest room!
The biggest problem with most guest rooms is that they double as a storage space for our junk. If you have to use your guest closet for your own things, conceal clothes neatly in a hanging bag and leave room for hangers for your guests. An empty drawer would also be nice. Don’t crowd every square inch of a guestroom with knick-knacks. Make sure there is room for your guests’ luggage, coats, and personal items. Even those of us who have to fit guests in a library or home office can make them feel comfortable. A screen or well-placed drape will provide privacy.
Room Service
Supply everything that guests might ask for, so that they don’t have to ask.
- A basket of amenities such as you would find in a boutique hotel (admit it, you have a collection of all those cute little shampoos and soaps you took from the hotel every time you went somewhere…here’s your chance to show off where you’ve been!)
- A bath towel, a hand towel, and a facecloth for each guest.
- A tray with a flask of cold water, and as many glasses as there are guests.
- A small bowl of fruit and a couple of packages of nuts or a granola bar (we all get the munchies in the middle of the night)
- Fresh flowers or a bud in a bud vase.
- A basic alarm clock is a necessity. A phone, or at least a jack for a laptop, is a nice addition as well. Be sure to put a pad of paper and a pen next to it.
Concierge Service
Now that you’ve covered the basics, other things you might consider could be:
- A list of useful nearby services or sites. You might include a local map, some tourist brochures, and directions to your home. Keep a list in your computer and update it regularly.
- A set of keys to your home. Make the set available to your houseguests so that they will feel free to come and go as they please without disturbing you.
- Provide security instructions for houseguests on any security systems, gate codes, or other procedures that may be required by your neighborhood. Type them up and make photocopies if these instructions are detailed. Also note any pool rules, parking restrictions, snow emergency laws, etc.
- Some good (decorating!) magazines, book classics, or a newspaper…. current editions, of course.
Good Housekeeping
Some guests would never think of changing the sheets. Fortunately, not everyone is averse to some light housekeeping. Keep another set of clean sheets available for guests who insist on leaving the room as clean as they found it. (And make sure to invite them over again soon!).
5 Star Rating!
With just a few of these extra touches, your guests will feel as if they are vacationing in the lap of luxury, and you will minimize your stress at having to provide for their every need; leaving you to enjoy and cherish all the fond memories of gathering and kinship. However, just remember; when you provide such a warm and inviting place to stay, everyone will want to return again next year!
