The holiday season is upon us which, for some of us, means hosting friends and family who are in town for the festivities. Make their stay with you comfortable and memorable with these simple tips for turning your spare bedroom into the perfect guest retreat.
1. Lounging in luxury
If you want to give your guest room a luxurious hotel atmosphere, pay close attention to the bedding. Ensure sheets, pillowcases and duvets are crisp and fresh, but also high quality. Feel free to add a cosy throw blanket or decorative cushions but keep them to a minimum to avoid crowding. On the bedside table, provide a lamp and an alarm clock, and not much more. Ask yourself what would be on offer in a hotel room, and stick to that.
2. All the necessities
Ensure your guest room has everything your visitors will need during their stay. Freshly washed bath towels, hand towels and a bathmat should be ready and waiting on arrival, along with soaps, lotions and even a few spare toothbrushes and other toiletries in case they’ve forgotten anything. Also, be sure to leave space in your guest room’s ample wardrobes for your guests’ things and provide coat hangers for them to hang their clothes.
3. Loving touches
Remember: it’s the little things that will ensure your guests’ have a memorable stay. Chocolates on pillows, a carafe of water or a fruit platter on the bedside table and fresh flowers are just some of the ways you can make them feel welcomed. A selection of your favourite books or magazines will make your guest feel like you have gone the extra mile to ensure their stay is enjoyable.
4. Keep it simple
No one likes feeling as though they are intruding in someone else’s home, so make your guest bedroom feel separate from the rest of the house. This means keeping the personal knickknacks and photographs to a minimum, and ensuring the space is free from any of your clutter. If you want to add a personal touch for a close friend or relative, a photo frame or two holding a picture of a special place or time spent together will always be appreciated. Make sure your guest’s space feels like their own.
5. Heavenly scents
Nothing makes a space more inviting than how it smells. If your guest room doesn’t get much use throughout the year, ensure that you open the windows and doors prior to your guests’ arrival so that it doesn’t feel stuffy when they walk in. An essential oil diffuser with a selection of oils – a fresh, daytime one and a calming sleep oil are two must-haves. – Drawer sachets will keep the room smelling luxurious throughout your guests’ stay and be sure to use a scented fabric softener to wash towels and linens before their arrival.
