Summer vacations are in full swing and most of us will be on both sides of the coin when it comes to being guests or hosting them. Most people think that preparing for your guests with basic guest room essentials is about keeping the guests happy. It’s more than that. I think when entertaining, a large part of the host’s comfort depends on the well being of her guest.
Guest Room Essentials:
As a guest, if I have to keep going up to my host and asking for something or the other, it is awkward and I feel terrible about constantly troubling the host. As a host, there is already more to do when you have visitors. If they are constantly in need it can get irritating and throw your schedule for a toss.
So I’ve realised, that having these basic guest room essentials ready for your guests when they arrive makes for happier guests and hosts. You preempt their needs and save yourself confusion later on, and they feel welcome and at home.
Here’s what I look for when I step out of my home, and that’s a great way to start making this list.
(1) A Place For Luggage
Sounds completely obvious, doesn’t it? But how often have you entered a room and then wondered where to open your suitcase? If space is a constraint, a folding luggage rack like this one is a great idea which you can open out when required. I love that it has a little rack for a couple of shoes below too.
I also like to give a little wardrobe or drawer space to my guests into which they can unpack their belongings. This is especially useful for longer visits. You certainly wouldn’t want to live out of a suitcase for more than a couple of days.
My guest room is the tiniest room in our home and also doubles as our TV room. Since we didn’t have too much space for storage, we built in cabinets above the side tables, one on either side. These have a couple of shelves and hanging space on top for clothes. The drawers in the side table are good to keep the smaller things. (Click here to see how we planned our guest room)
A great idea with a small space is to keep a chest of drawers. The top can be used to keep the suitcase, and your guest can unpack his belongings into the drawers.
(2) Basic Toiletries
Remember the time you went on a holiday and forgot to carry your toothpaste? Or your conditioner? Yup, it happens.
So making sure your guest has a ready supply of these already lined up in the bathroom is a great way of making him feel at home. It would be the same way in his own bathroom at home, right?
Keep a set of small sized bottles of every day toiletries handy. Shampoo, conditioner, bath gel are basics. Some toothpaste and fresh toothbrushes in case your guest forgot to carry his. You can always add to this list of basics if you like.
Arrange them all at one place, in a tray or a basket so that your guest knows exactly where to look for them.
Remember to keep some extra tissue rolls too. It is quite embarrassing to have to ask your host for those.
(3) Fresh Towels
These are another basic guest room essential. Make sure you have at least one for every guest visiting. This includes the hand towels too. If you have a larger family visiting, you could keep extra hand napkins on your bathroom counter too.
If you can organise an extra pair of bath slippers that’s an added bonus. I very often forget to pack those.. or skip packing them because of lack of space.
You could also hang a bathrobe in the bathroom, especially if it is not attached to the bedroom.
(4) Mirror
Whether it’s to comb your hair, get your make up on or to take one last look at yourself before you step out for the day, you do need a mirror in a bedroom. I would preferably provide a full length mirror. It could be behind the bedroom door if you have no other space. In our guest room pic above you’ll see we provided the mirror on the shutters of the cabinets since there was no other place in the room for it.
If not, at least a small sized mirror to be able to see the face is an essential. Again, if space is a constraint, you can provide it over the bedside table. This will have the additional advantage of being able to use the side table as a dressing table.
(5) Comfortable Bedding
The next on our list of guest room essentials is the bedding. How happy could we possibly be without a good night’s sleep?
Make sure you lay fresh sheets the day your guests will arrive. Keep extra pillows and cushions. Some people sleep comfortably with one pillow, some can’t sleep at all without that extra cushion under the arm or below the knee.
Also keep some options for what they will cover themselves with. Different people can tolerate different temperature levels. A simple cotton sheet works for those who like it cool while an AC comforter is perfect for those who like to snuggle in to bed.
We stock all our extra cushions and blankets in the sofa-cum-bed itself and pull them out when we are expecting friends.
(6) Water
You retire at night after a long day and realise you want a glass of water in the middle of the night. Do you knock on your friend’s door to ask or go and start rummaging through her kitchen for glasses?
Another essential that will keep your guest comfortable is the provision of water. A simple bottle and glass in a tray by the bedside should do the trick.
You want to make your guest feel pampered? Add a slice of lime and some fresh mint sprigs to the water. It makes the water look, smell and taste so much more delicious!
(7) Night Light
If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night in a strange room and lost your bearings with no idea where to go, you’ll realise the importance of this. We have foot lights in all our bedrooms, including our guest room. But an easy way to add a night light if you don’t already have a provision, is to add one of these plug ins into any plug point in the room.
(8) WiFi Password
What was considered a luxury not so long ago, is now a necessity, and so makes it to our list of guest room essentials. We run our lives on our cellphones, laptops and tablets now, which makes WiFi indispensable. I loved the idea of these little placards in the guest room with the WiFi password on them.
You could download one of these many printable options and frame it.
Or use a chalkboard placard like this one.
Either way, your guest doesn’t need to come looking for you every time he wants to log in with another device.
(9) Tray for Knick Knacks
And then there are the add on guest room essentials. The little things that say you care enough to have put in that extra thought. A little tray or bowl on the bedside table, for instance. For the watch, chain, earrings or whatever else you might want to keep for the night.
A little decorative box serves the same purpose and is just as useful.
(10) A Little Something To Read
An assortment of books and magazines kept handy is a great idea. A little something to keep you busy while you wait, or to read before bed.
(11) Fresh Flowers
And last, but not the least, the greens. A bunch of fresh flowers always adds colour and makes the room more warm and welcoming. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It could be a bunch of flowers you pick off the road side or from your garden, and stick into a bottle. No one better than Raina to show us how to do that!
And if you have to do it my way, it will be be a few greens to make the room look fresh. A larger one in the corner, a couple of table top beauties, and your room is set.
That’s it, our list of 11 guest room essentials. They will not only make your guests feel warm and welcomed and completely pampered, but also help you feel organised as your guests transition smoothly into your home.
What are your favourite tips to give a loving welcome to your guests? Do share them with us in the comments below coz we’d love to know!
Have a wonderful vacation with your loved ones… happy holidays!
Until next time,
.
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