Beyond the Guest Room: How to Prepare Your Home for Overnight Guests
In this post: Welcoming guests starts with the guest room but is so much more. Here are 5 ways to prepare your home for overnight guests. ⇒
One of the nicest things a person can do is open their home to you.
Especially for an overnight stay.
But that invitation can also bring with it a bit of stress. Will the room be comfortable? Will you have enough privacy? What are their expectations of time spent together?
I’ve had the pleasure of staying at many a friend’s home and the best of them have taught me what kind of host I aspire to be.
It certainly does begin with the guest room and anticipating your guests’ needs, but a true host knows how to make guests feel welcome in the entire home. Today I’d like to look at 5 ways to prepare your home for overnight guests and how to make your spaces accommodating.
A Welcome Drink
If you want to be a great host, it’s not a bad idea to take your cues from the finest hotels. Think about the places where you’ve gotten the best service and borrow ideas from those little extras that they provide.
A wonderful way to welcome guests when they first arrive is with a welcome drink. Whether they traveled from far away or came after a long day of work, greeting them at the door with something cool and refreshing is a lovely touch.
Serving Bar Cart | Pastel Blue Dinnerware | Indigo Goblets | Striped Paper Straws | Plaid Napkins
Keep a bar cart standing by with spirits if you choose, or a signature drink, or even simply ice-cold bottled water. Add a few munchable snacks like olives, nuts or raisins and you’ve started the visit off right.
Bonus points for a pretty dish with chilled hand towels tinged with essential oils.
Bedside Carafe Set | Calm Candle | Small Textured Vase | Seagrass & Rope Baskets – Set of 2 | Premium Cotton Towels | White Linen Duver Cover | Lightweight Sateen Sheets
A Comfortable Guest Room
Once you’ve welcomed your guests and given them a chance to unwind, it’s time to show them to their guest quarters. At the very least they should have a comfortable bed with fresh crisp sheets and a choice of blankets so they can be as warm or cool as they like.
Providing bath towels in baskets at the foot of the bed, as well as extra pillows, is a way to ensure they have exactly what they need.
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Other amenities you might want to offer in the guest room include:
- Water carafe on the nightstand
- Reading lamps
- Wifi password
- Soothing aromatic candle
- Fresh flowers
- Empty bureau drawer and hangers in the closet
- Folding luggage rack
- Individual coffee maker
Seagrass Wicker Baskets – Set of 2 | Plaid Napkins | Calm Candle | Glass Pitcher Set – Set of 2 | Loofah Sponge Pads | Shea Butter Hand Cream | Body Lotion Cream | Bath & Shower Gel | Premium Cotton Towels
A Convenient Guest Bath
After the bedroom, access to a convenient bath is of primary importance to any guest. An en suite bath is ideal, of course, so that guests are guaranteed privacy and don’t have to wander the hallways not fully dressed.
But that’s not always possible.
In those cases, it’s nice to include a clean terry robe, prominently displayed on a hook in the bedroom, for those who didn’t pack for communal living.
In any case, a well lit bath with plenty of toilet tissue, fresh soap and new shampoo is a must. A makeup mirror is a plus, as is an individual shower cap and fluffy bathmat underfoot.
One of my favorite tips is to leave a basket of luxury bath products for guests to try out to enhance the pleasure of their stay.
Some suggestions for these elite bath essentials are:
- Body Lotion
- Hand cream
- Shower gel
- Loofah sponges
- Lip balm
- Cologne
As long as the items come in individual packets or have pump dispensers for sanitary purposes, they will be well appreciated.
In addition to these hand-picked luxe items, you can also supply more common comfort items like aspirin, band-aids and stain remover.
Pastel Dinnerware | Rattan Chargers | Indigo Goblets | Striped Paper Straws | Plaid Napkins | Glass Pitcher Set – Set of 2 | Small Textured Vase
Set a Casual but Inviting Dinner Table
If the purpose of the stay does not include dinner out, it’s lovely to host a casual dinner at home and set a pretty table for your guests.
It can be as simple as using melamine outdoor dishes with natural rattan chargers on a bare table with a linen runner. Just use plenty of fresh flowers, chic cloth napkins and handsome wine goblets.
An easy cleanup guarantees a gracious host.
Leave Out Healthy Breakfast Options
After a restful night in your comfortable home, your guests will be ready for an easy morning meal. There’s no need to sweat over a full English breakfast. You can leave out simple, healthy options for guests to grab as they rise.
Some ideas for the counter:
- High protein breakfast bars
- Oatmeal packets
- Gluten free muffins
- Protein powder for breakfast shakes
and for those who’d like to indulge:
- Fresh croissants
In addition you can keep yogurt and pre-cut fruit front and center in the fridge, along with greens for the smoothies.
NutriBullet | Plaid Napkins | Glass Pitcher Set – Set of 2 | Small Textured Vase
When you open your home for visiting guests and do you best to accommodate their every need, you’re creating a stay that will generate pleasant memories for a long time to come.
Just don’t be surprised if they want to come back… 😉
Resource Guide
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Great post and inspirational for a guest room redo! I am in the process of updating a guest room and loved these tips!
Thank you so much, Bonnie!!
Great ideas! I never thought of placing the towels at the end of the bed in a basket. That would save me cabinet space.
Love my NutriBullet but boy is it noisy! ha!
Hi, Planning ahead is so important and you have a well orginazed plan.