How to Make Your Guests Comfortable

Are you expecting company this holiday season? We live five hours away from my husband’s side of the family, so I’m sure we will have guests this holiday season. The major thing I want for people to feel when they come over is comfortable. I want to extend hospitality and have them feel right at home. With our first guests arriving next week, I thought it was a perfect time to share with you how to make your guests comfortable when they come to visit. Check out these 15 must do things to make your house feel welcoming to guests.

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But Why? Because They’re Company!

When I was a kid, I always knew when company was coming because my mom would declare it an “outside” day. This meant we were to stay out of the house except to go to the bathroom. Lunch would be served on the patio and Mom would spend the day cleaning the house. Outside days were some of my favorite days anyways. In fact it was unusual to have an inside day. We would climb trees in the woods, build castles in the sandbox, and make up all sorts of games to play.

The only time I didn’t like having company over was when it meant I got kicked out of my bedroom. My brother drooled when he slept, so his “Feel Good Blanky” always stunk. Plus who wants to share a bed with their little brother anyways. I remember asking why I always got kicked out of my bed. My mom told me it was because I had a trundle bed too, which made it big enough for adults. That answer was never enough for me, so I followed up with the dreaded, “But whyyyyyy?” although the answer was always the same. “Because they’re company!” she would say. I would take my grumpy self to my brother’s room and try to convince him to get rid of the blanket.

But I learned some good lessons. One is that you never get between a boy and his blanky. Two was that it was important for the guests to be comfortable in your home.

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How to Make Your Guests Comfortable: Bedroom

Pillow Options: Nothing is worse than going over to spend the night somewhere and not having the perfect pillow. I’ve been to places where I was given one very flat pancake pillow and others where it was so tall my head barely reached. A pillow can make or break your night’s sleep. Offer guests a variety of pillows, so that they can get comfortable.

Extra Blankets: I like to sleep under all the blankets. My husband is good with just one thin blanket. When making the bed be sure to put on a flat sheet, blanket, and quilt or comforter. Put an extra blanket across the foot of the bed, on a quilt rack, or folded up on a chair.. This allows your company to pick out what works best for them. I found my quilt rack at Goodwill and was over the moon excited to add it to my guest bedroom. Something about displaying homemade quilts makes the room feel cozy.

Lamp: Nobody likes trying to navigate an unfamiliar space in the dark. Put a lamp in the bedroom, so that it is easily accessible. Ours is hooked to the Alexa, so that company can turn it on and off from the bed. If needed, add a n i ght light to the hallway and bathroom as well.

Easy Charging Access: If possible leave an outlet open near the bed or nightstand. It should be easy to find and access. If that’s not possible, put in a power strip and extension cord. Use both if necessary. I’ve had my eye on this charging station for awhile.

Empty Space: Having some empty space is a good thing. It keeps the room from looking cluttered, but it also gives guests space for their things. When I go places, I always need somewhere to take care of my contacts. I do not like to do it in the bathroom because I’m afraid one will fall in the sink. My husband needs a place for his phones, keys, and wallet. Empty drawer, closet, or shelf space is also nice to have although not as essential. Having them allows guests to unpack their clothing, which is nice if they are staying more than a couple nights.

How to Make Your Guests Comfortable: Bathroom

Easy to Find Towels: The hardest part about spending the night somewhere is showering. You must find the towels, figure out the faucet, and then adjust the temperature. Make the towels, wash clothes, and hand towels easy to find. I like to put them out in the open, so there’s no searching involved. Make sure there’s enough of them for all of your guests.

Bathroom Spray: Make it less awkward for everybody and provide some spray. I keep some toilet bowl spray and room spray on the shelf above the toilet. A candle and some matches would also work. Our guest bath doesn’t have an exhaust fan, so this is extra important.

Extra Toiletries: It never fails that you forget something when going out of town. I keep some feminen hygiene products, lotion, and hotel soaps in the guest bathroom just in case. When I get free toothbrushes from the dentist or health fairs, I tuck them away in there as well. You never know what might come in handy. Bandaids and ibuprofen are also a nice touch.

Extra Toilet Paper: Nobody ever wants to be the one to use the last square of toilet paper on the roll. You either have to shout loud enough and hope they can hear you or text somebody and pray they come to the rescue. My toilet paper holder has storage for extra rolls. I make sure to fill it up before guests arrive and check on it while they are here. A basket also makes a good place to store some extra rolls. While on the topic, make sure to put a plunger in the bathroom in case somebody uses too much toilet paper. Nobody wants to have to come asking for one when they need it.

Hooks to Hang Towels: If your guests will be staying more than one night, provide a place to hang up wet towels. My over the door hook does not fit on the bathroom door, but it does fit on the closet door in the bedroom. If you can’t provide a place to hang the wet towels be prepared to toss them in the dryer or have extras on hand.

Other Ways to Make Your Guests Comfortable

Wifi Password: Next to food, the wifi password is probably the most important thing for guests. We live in a screen filled world. I put a picture frame with our network name and password in the guestroom. I found a free printable on Pinterest.

Snacks & Drinks: Make sure to keep some drinks and snacks out where guests can easily find the. Put some drinks in the fridge right up front so they can be seen. Lay out some tea or coffee near the coffee pot. Fill a basket with snacks to keep on the counter. By having them out in the open guests don’t feel weird digging through your cabinets. Even if you are ok with them doing so, most people won’t do it anyways. Put them out in the open, so that a guest will feel comfortable grabbing something if they are hungry.

Plan Meals Ahead of Time: I hate being asked, “What’s for dinner?” because it means I have to make something and clearly have no plans in place. Make sure that you have some easy meals to make when company is over. You don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen, so keep it simple. Prepare as much as possible ahead too. Slice the veggies, thaw the meat, peel the potatoes or whatever can be done early. Talk ahead of time about dietary restrictions and preferences. Nobody wants to go hungry.

Clean Up: Tidy up the house and scrub the toilets. A cluttered house makes it feel as though you don’t care enough to tidy up for company. Put the shoes away and get the pile of mail off the counter. The other part of this is to clean the house. Pay special attention to the bathrooms and kitchen. If your kitchen is dirty, then nobody wants to eat the food that comes from it. Wipe down the counters, scrub the sink, and take out the trash. The bathroom is another important room to clean. Wipe the counter, scrub the toilet, and rinse out the shower. Nobody wants to see your yuck.

Entertainment: If company is coming over then they obviously are there to talk to you. That means having everybody looking at a phone screen defeats the purpose. Have a few things on hand to entertain your guests. If the weather is nice take a hike or build a fire. Board games are always an easy thing to fall back on if it rains or gets dark outside. We love Apples to Apples and Bananagrams. If children are coming, have some toys or books out for them to play with. My mom always kept a puzzle on the coffee table. When company came they would help us work on the puzzle. Just be prepared with some ideas and maybe a deck of cards.