Guest Room Essentials {tips and ideas to play the perfect host}

Guest Room Essentials: A list of items to include in a guest room that will make your guests feel comfortable and welcome.

Hello everyone! This is Peggy from The Decorating Files.

I’m so delighted to be guest posting for Shannon today.

One of the projects I’m looking forward to working on in my house this year is my guest room. In the meantime, I’m putting together a file with lots of beautiful design ideas for it. However, the thing to keep in mind when decorating a guest room is that that there is something more important than the design of the room. It’s all about comfort and making your guests feel welcome, so I thought I’d share a list of guest room essentials that will help you create an inviting place for your friends and family to stay.

GUEST ROOM ESSENTIALS

If you don’t have a dedicated bed for guests, a nice air mattress can be very comfortable, too. Keep the bed linens simple and layered. You don’t have to break your budget on the linens to make your guests feel special. You can create a designer look for a fraction of the price by shopping at discount specialty stores. Make sure the sheets are freshly cleaned, use a light weight blanket, and have fluffy bed pillows. Provide your guests with extra pillows and blankets for their comfort. Keep decorative throw pillows to no more than three, so that they don’t have to remove a bunch of them each night. Have a table or desk next to the bed with an alarm clock or clock radio and a light. A comfy chair and ottoman will give your guests a place to relax and have a moment to themselves. This would be a great spot to have a reading lamp and some reading material. Fill a basket with books and magazines that you’ve read and your guests can take with them when they leave.

Guest Room Essentials: Have a folding luggage rack or a dresser top cleared so your guests can place their suitcase on it. This will save them from having to bend over constantly to access the suitcase while it sits on the floor.

It would also be nice to have a folding luggage rack or a dresser top cleared so they can place their suitcase on it. This will save them from having to bend over constantly to access the suitcase while it sits on the floor. In the closet, provide them with space to hang their clothes and some extra hangers.

These are some other items to you might want to include in the room:

Full length mirror or wall mirror

TV with remote control

Universal charger

Telephone

Tray or dish to hold keys, loose change, and such

Ironing board & iron

Pencil and paper

Box of tissues

Waste basket

Guest Room Essentials: For the convenience of your guests, put together a basket of toiletries they may need. You can purchase travel sizes at most discount stores.

In the bathroom, have plenty of bath towels, hand towels, and facecloths available to them. You can find excellent quality towels for less at the same types of stores you find the sheets. Also, put together a basket of toiletries. You can purchase travel sizes at most discount stores. This will save your guests a trip to the store for any forgotten items.

Here are some things to include:

Soap and lotion
Shampoo and conditioner
Toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, and dental floss
Pain reliever
Disposable razors
Feminine products (You can tuck these discreetly away in a drawer or pouch)
Lint roller, sewing kit and safety pins
Shower cap

Also in the bathroom, it would be nice to include:
Night light
Hair dryer
Door hook for their robe
Unisex robe, XL
Disposable slippers

Nothing says welcome like a basket of treats. Your guests will appreciate having fresh fruits, packaged crackers, cookies and bottled water available to them in their room. If they like coffee, you could even set up a small coffee station with a single or two-cup coffee maker, cups, and all the fixings. If you’re a coffee lover with the then you would want to same treatment if you were staying at their house! It’s cheap and a great way to start your guests day. They may want to enjoy a cup in the morning before they come out to see everyone.

If your guests are staying a while and you really want to take the extra step, here are some special items you could have available to them:

A card with your address, home phone and cell phone numbers, emergency contacts, and WiFi access codes

An area map

A list of places in the neighborhood they may want/need to visit (24-hour pharmacy, churches, shops)

Brochures, guidebooks or local magazines that cover nearby activities or attractions

A disposable camera

Games, activity books or toys for kids

Something else that I always like to include in my house and guest room are fresh flowers. They brighten up any room. Though, you might want to find out if your guests have any allergies or breathing problems beforehand. If they don’t, find out which flower is their favorite. It would be a lovely touch to put those in their room.

I really enjoyed sharing these tips and ideas with you today.

I’d like to thank Shannon for asking me to do a guest post.

She made me feel right at home.

Stop by and visit me anytime at The Decorating Files!

Photo Credits: Southern Living, Improvements Catalog, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes & Gardens

Well, I know where I’m going to take my next vacation 😉

Get my room ready Peggy!

Wow, she really knows all the tips and tricks for making guests feel welcome.

If you want to see more of Peggy you can find her here;

on facebook, pinterest & twitter.

I’m sure she’d love to see you!

More Ideas & Inspiration

Comments

Jo May says

January 9, 2013 at 12:55 PM

Thanks for sharing Peggy.

Shannon I needed this,there is so much I want to do in the guest bedroom,I’ve moved the “office/computer” into the quest bedroom and now I need more storage,etc…hmmm.

~Jo @ LoblollyLane
Debbiedoo's says

January 9, 2013 at 1:08 AM

Excellent guest post Shannon. Hope you are having fun today. Pinning away here:)
Patty says

January 8, 2013 at 11:21 PM

This was very interesting to me, Shannon. I am working on my guest room and really appreciate these ideas! Thanks!