When your friends and family come to stay at your house, you want to create a welcoming space for them to unwind and relax, and have a memorable experience. Here are some tips to help you accomplish this.
1.) Less is more! Personalize the guest room with your own taste but do not overwhelm it with clutter and collections.
2.) Clean the room thoroughly, even under the bed and dresser, and in the closet. If a guest loses something under the bed and goes in search of it, you don’t want them to find anything else, like a well-chewed dog toy or lots of dust bunnies.
3.) A comfortable mattress and clean fresh sheets are essential, as well as multiple pillows. Euro squares are large pillows that are great for sinking into when reading in bed. Extra blankets are always important for guests who get cold.
4.) It is very considerate to have a place for luggage, so that your guests don’t need to lean down to the floor to get a pair of socks. A luggage rack is great but you can improvise with a bench or chair, too.
5.) Some people like to unpack their belongings instead of living out of a suitcase, so it is nice to have space in the closet for hanging clothes, and one or two drawers in a dresser.
6.) Lighting is very important, both for comfort and safety. When your guests enter the room at night they should be able to turn on a light right away, in order to see where they are going. Lamps on nightstands are great for reading in bed. Sometimes wall sconses work better, though, by keeping the nightstands clear for glasses, a cellphone or a glass of water. Also, a night light is a great idea! Remember, this is a strange house for your guests, and they don’t want to trip and fall if they get up in the middle of the night.
7.) Window treatments provide privacy and light control, especially important if your guests would like to sleep later in the morning. Shades, blinds or draperies can be utilized for this, depending on your style.
8.) Make sure that you share your wi-fi information with guests. Some hosts print this out and leave it on the night stand.
9.) If you can, add a TV in the room. Some people like to wind down alone at night, or quietly watch TV if they can’t sleep. It is also nice to see a local morning show when dressing, in order to find out news and weather.
10.) For some guests, a little private time is very restorative. Provide a comfortable chair with a lamp so that your guest can do some quiet reading.
11.) Other finishing touches show that you have really thought about the details that make your guests as comfortable as possible. Have bottled water or a carafe with fresh water and a drinking glass next to the bed. Extra chargers for electric devices will be very appreciated if a guest forgets theirs at home. A basket of toiletries, a clock and a hair dryer can come in handy, too.
For hosting guests in your home, these little details can make an extra-special experience.