Are you having overnight guests soon? Here are all the tips for hosting overnight guests you need!
Ahh, Christmas! There’s a lot to love about this season of the year. One thing that you might not look forward to about it, though, is hosting overnight guests. Even if it’s just your parents (especially if it’s your parents?), it can be stressful having other people staying at your house. You want to make sure they’re comfortable, they have everything that they need, and they’re enjoying themselves. You don’t want them to feel awkward or like they’re a burden. It can be a lot!
If you do a little prep in advance, though, hosting overnight guests doesn’t have to be so stressful. Make your life easier and your guests’ stay more comfortable with these tips for hosting overnight guests.
Tips for Hosting Overnight Guests
A fresh space
You know that thing everyone loves about a nice hotel room? The crisp sheets, the faint clean smell, the inviting atmosphere. You can recreate that in your home! In fact, I highly recommend recreating a hotel atmosphere when you’re hosting overnight guests. But how to pull it off in your guest room?
Sheets
Freshly wash the sheets. Even if they’re technically clean, give them a wash to freshen them right before your guests arrive.
Choose sheets that fit the season. By this I don’t mean that you need seasonally themed sheets the whole year round, just sheets in varying materials so you can ensure that your guests will be comfortable in the bed no matter the season of their visit. I like flannel sheets in the Fall and Winter and high quality cotton sheets in the Spring and Summer.
Vacuum
How many of us vacuum the guest room as regularly as we vacuum the rest of the house? Probably not many. Even if you do regularly vacuum the guest room, give the floors a quick pass with the vacuum right before your guests arrival. There is just something about freshly vacuumed carpet that feels good.
Declutter
If your guest space is anything like my guest space, it’s often where things that don’t have a home in your house get stashed until you figure out what to do with them. That means the guest room is often cluttered. And pretty severely. Before your guests arrive, make sure you’ve gone through and removed all this clutter from the guest room. You want your guests to relax when they’re staying with you, and no one can relax in a cluttered space.
Air
On the day of your guests’ arrival, air out the guest space. Yes, even if it’s snowing. Just open the window and let a little fresh air in. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. A little fresh air just makes a space feel better!
Extra linens
So, you’ve put freshly-washed, seasonally-appropriate sheets on the bed, that should be enough linen work, right? Wrong! While you’re in preparation mode for hosting overnight guests, go ahead and gather some extra linens to stash in the guest room too. An extra blanket or two, pillows of different varieties, and extra towels in the closet (or wardrobe) are a nice touch. Guests won’t want to ask for these sorts of items because they won’t want to bother you. Have them stocked and ready to go so they won’t have to even think about asking!
Essentials basket
A really easy way to make your overnight guests feel extra welcome is to fill a basket with essential items. These essentials are things that your guests may have forgotten to bring with them or that they might need during their stay. Here’s what I would have in my essentials basket when hosting overnight guests:
- Toothbrush/toothpaste/floss/mouthwash
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Body wash
- Lotion
- Deodorant
- Disposable razor/shaving cream
- Lip balm
- Feminine hygiene (if applicable)
- Bottled water
- Snacks (savory and sweet)
- Phone charger
WiFi
In today’s connected world, it’s imperative that you make it easy for your guests to stay connected when they’re staying at your house. Simply write your WiFi name and password on a card and stick it in the guest room so it’s easy for them to get connected as soon as they arrive.
Reading material
It’s always good to provide reading material when you’re hosting overnight guests. Don’t overthink this. Simply place a book or magazine you think your guests will like on the nightstand in the guest room. A simple gesture like this goes a long way to show your guests you’re glad they’ve come to visit. If you’re not sure what to offer, my dad’s old standby is The Reader’s Digest. Everyone can find something interesting in The Reader’s Digest.
Hangers
Another small touch that has an outsized impact is to provide hangers in the guest room closet ready for your guests’ things. Giving your guests a place to hang their clothes so they feel fresh and put-together is the sign of a great host or hostess.
Fan
If you have a ceiling fan in your guest space, then you can check this one off your list. If you don’t, I highly recommend having an oscillating fan available for your guests. This is especially true if your guests are visiting during the warmer months of the year or if your guests are perimenopausal or menopausal women. We get warm at night!
Key
Don’t expect your guests to be hostages to your schedule. Make them feel truly at home by giving them the ability to come and go as they please. Have a key and/or garage door opener ready for your guests to use. This will make your life easier too!
Recommendations
When my family stays at AirBnBs or VRBOs, I love it when we find a list of recommendations of local things to do in the area. Although your guests don’t expect you to act like an AirBnB host, it’s nice to provide a list of recommendations of your favorite things to do when you’re hosting overnight guests.
What to put on your list of recommendations? Don’t feel limited to one or two categories. Include anything you like to do or anywhere you like to go. Think favorite restaurants, hiking trails, shops, breweries, and gas stations. Admit it, you have a favorite gas station. Any information you can provide about your area will help your guests, so don’t be stingy!
Communication
Finally, my most important tip for hosting overnight guests is communication. Of course, you love having your loved ones in your home, but it will only be a successful visit if everyone is on the same page. Talk about meal times, dietary restrictions/preferences, kids’ schedules, special needs, etc. Although it’s important to share this information between host and guest, it’s even more important to communicate with kindness. This is not an invitation for host or guest to be demanding or rude. We’re setting expectations to make the visit go smoothly, not to ruin relationships.
Other posts
Are you interested in more homemaking tips? I’m certainly no expert, but I do have some tips to share in these posts:
Do you feel better about hosting overnight guests? Did I miss anything that you do when you’re hosting that makes the visit go more smoothly? Share your tips for hosting overnight guests down below or over on Instagram @sarainseason!