You don’t have to spend a fortune to outfit your guest bedroom; instead, opt for a few fresh, affordable pieces to make your guests feel at home when they visit. The rest is all about hospitality – i.e., how you make them feel while they’re staying in your house. In addition to the suggestions below, show your guests where to find everything they’ll need – water glasses, extra towels and coffee mugs – so they don’t have to look through all of your cabinets.
Arrange Something Fresh
If a female is going to stay in your guest room, she will appreciate a bouquet of fresh flowers on the nightstand to make her feel more relaxed. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a fresh arrangement with the following: three or five white roses mixed with baby’s breath, carnations, Gerber daisies cut short or hydrangeas from your yard. If your guest is male, he might appreciate a potted plant on the dresser.
Have Clean, Soft Linens
Wash the bed linens, including the duvet cover or bedspread of your guest bed. Try to make the bed with 350- or 400-thread count linens, which you can purchase for cheap at discount fashion stores, such as TJ Maxx or Home Goods, or warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club, Costco or BJ’s. Provide your guests with extra pillows and an extra blanket in case they get chilly during the night, and put one set of clean, folded towels per guest in the guest bedroom or, the guest bathroom -if you have one, so your company doesn’t have to search for them.
Make Space and Storage
Clean out at least one drawer and the top of the dresser if your guests are staying more than a few days. Clear space in the closet for them to hang clothes, and provide a few empty hangers. You can possibly find a used luggage rack at Goodwill or the Salvation Army to allow your guests to place their opened suitcase on top, which is more convenient than bending over to search through a bag on the floor.
Provide Appropriate Toiletries
In addition to the usual hand soap, bath soap and lotion in your guest bathroom, arrange shampoo and conditioner for normal hair, shower gel, unscented shaving cream, an extra razor, two new toothbrushes and toothpaste for your guests, just in case they forgot anything. You might also want to provide miniature packages of ibuprofen and a water glass, if their trip required long hours in a cramped car. Guests tend to use lots of toilet paper, so make sure there are extra rolls available in the bathroom they’re using.
Indulge in the Extras
Provide an alarm clock for your guests, and set it at the correct time before they arrive. If figuring out how to set the alarm on the clock is complicated, provide a set of instructions for them and place it under the alarm clock. If you have a television in your guest room, make sure the cable is hooked up, and lay the remote control on the bedside table so guests can easily locate it. Purchase an extra hamper for the guest bathroom or bedroom so they don’t wonder where to put their used towels, and make sure there is a trash can in the guest bedroom, bathroom or both. Make sure there’s a lamp on the bedside table, and turn it on before guests arrive so the room appears warm and soothing. And, of course, chocolates on guests’ pillows are always appreciated.
Prepare Something Homemade
You don’t have to whip up a four-course dinner to make your guests feel more comfortable. Instead, have a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies ready when they arrive, and tell them they can help themselves to them while they’re staying with you. If you’re not into cooking, you can always pop store bought cookie dough in the oven, or arrange a fruit and cheese platter with local cheeses and grapes.
