Ready to host overnight guests? Let’s say you have a bed (or air mattress) and all windows have coverings. It’s a great start! This list will help fill in all the small items your guests need if they want to have a comfortable night’s sleep. Things you won’t find here: season-specific décor, extra charging cables, books, and other optional extras that your guests might love, but can live without those. Instead, the focus is on multifunctional key components to keep your guest space up and running so that you can prepare your visitors, no matter when they arrive.
Needing a glass of water but not knowing where to go to get it can be frustrating and uncomfortable for guests. After traveling by car or plane, they may need to rehydrate. Prepare a glass bottle filled with water, and if you’re entertaining couples, add an extra glass bottle.
Since your guest bed is likely to be used much less frequently than your main bed, there’s no need to go all out with top-of-the-line bedding (unless you want to). But a good set of cale woven or cotton sateen sheets and a colour-coordinated quilt or duvet will make your guests feel well taken care of. Neutral tones are suitable for year-round wear.
Good lighting is the key to making your room feel warm. At the very least, place a lamp on each bedside table – a light with three settings is ideal so that guests can adjust the light level to their liking.
Your guests will love a simple full-length mirror against the wall or behind the door. If the mirror is located in a dark corner of the room, hanging a string of white flashing lights on it is a quick and inexpensive way to add a warm glow.
Provide your guests with some extra blankets and pillows to keep them comfortable. This is especially important on cold winter nights, but if you have central air conditioning, your guests may need extra blankets even in the summer!
It’s a small but important detail that will help your guests keep their rooms tidy without having to constantly go looking for trash cans elsewhere in the house. Whether you choose brass, mirrored, or braided, choose an attractive wastebasket to elevate your room style.
Do you have some spare toiletries in your drawers? Collect them in a nice bowl or basket and add a new toothbrush so guests don’t get nervous about forgetting something.
There is a stack of fluffy white bath towels on the bed, giving it a warm feeling. Please be sure to bring a towel, hand towel, and bath towel for each person.
Unless your guests are staying for a week or more, they probably don’t need an empty dresser to open their clothes. Some sturdy wall hooks can be used to hang wet towels and (plus one or two hangers) clothes that are prone to wrinkling.
Considerate guests won’t bother you if they wake up earlier than you. Having everything they need to make their morning tea on a small plate makes it clear that they’re welcome to do it themselves.
