We seem to have more overnight visitors in the winter than the summer. In fact, in the past two months both of my siblings have visited with their spouses and it’s been great to have them. In preparation for guests, I like to make a few little changes in the guest room to help them settle in and feel comfortable.
I like to place fresh flowers on a night table, but if I don’t get a chance to pick them up, at the very least, I add some greenery from outside or move a plant from another area into the room. It adds some life to the space. I also tend to include a few dvds next to the tv and some magazines to look through.
I’ve recently added a new bedroom amenity: a welcome tray with a candle, refreshments, and a few snacks.
The guest bathroom is tiny and doesn’t have space for linens so we normally store towels in the hallway linen closet. Since the towels aren’t in the bathroom, I take them out of the closet and place them in a basket placed in the guest room for easy access.
In the bathroom itself though, I have a small basket of toiletries on the open shelves. In the basket, there’s everything from shampoo and conditioner, to mouthwash and cotton balls.
How do you prepare for overnight guests? Do you leave any notes, instructions, or helpful hints?
-J
MC and I have a ball with our guest room. We have named it, with a name plate on the door, Epiphany Suite, in honor of my Blog, Patty’s Epiphanies. I don’t have the capability for TV, but we have lots of other treats….a basket of toiletries, candy on a ceramic pillow on a real pillow, we print a personal welcome note for each guest, hair dryer, water pitcher and two water glasses, ice bucket, bottle of wine and two wine glasses, a framed description (in fun of course) describing their dinner in our dining room with a meal prepared by our in house Master Chef….etc. etc. LOADS OF FUN!!!
Oh wow! That’s fabulous!!! I love the menu idea! I will have to use that one.
Nice tips/ideas, especially naming the space:-) I have to keep a list of the things to check out before allowing anyone to occupy our guest space (learned this the hard way when I discovered after the fact that the shower curtain needed to be replaced). Y-I-K-E-S !! Good thing it was just my brother. It’s a lower level guest suite, so I don’t frequently go there except when I need to switch out some wardrobe pieces(I use some of the closet space for seasonal storage). Guests have a full bath and kitchen space, so no need to provide edibles or linens in the bedroom, but I do need to make sure things are fresh and usable…lotions, soaps, bedding (it’s clean, but is it fresh smelling, same with towels that have been sitting in the closet for a while). Replenish the basket of toiletries on the bath vanity,(including terrycloth slippers I’ve collected from various B&B stays over the years..I travel with my own, so I collect and keep the complimentary ones for my guest space). Check the fridge and pantry to be sure there’s fresh juice, milk, coffee, creamer, sugar, guests favorite snacks/beverages, etc.,and make sure the coffeemaker is cleaned. Always books and mags on the shelf. I decided against the idea of putting a TV in the bedroom, as guests have access to one in a small living room space just outside the bedroom, so tidy up there. There is music in the bedroom though, and a clock (make sure batteries are not dead). Also, if I have some extras on hand, a small gift of scented oil/soap from my favorite spot in Savannah is a nice touch, and adds aroma to the entire space. If I don’t have extras, freshen the space a bit by spraying a light bulb with a nice light scent of lavender or gardenia. I want to spend the night with myself!!
Great ideas! Good reminder about the disposable slippers. I save them too but always forget to put them out for guests!
I need to freshen up the color scheme in the space. Love your selection of colors and patterns.
This is beautiful! What an inviting way to make people feel welcome! Will have to keep this in mind for my own home!