I’ve lived in Northeast Ohio for over 8 years now, and in
that time I’ve had friends and family come stay with me several times, at least
once a year. More people have come to visit me since I moved to Cleveland than
when I lived in Tucson, which is an actual vacation destination. When I lived
in Pennsylvania, I had exactly zero visitors – zero and I lived there for 3
years.
That said, Cleveland has been my most popular city of
residence and I’m loving it. My most frequent visitors are my sister and brother-in-law.
They’ve stayed with me a few times in the two years I’ve lived at Redwood and
at least once before that. Prior to moving into this apartment, I didn’t think
of hosting guests as anything to make a fuss over. The visitors aren’t
strangers. They’re people who you know and usually very well, so why make a big
deal (give them some clean sheets and a towel and move on with it).
Well, maybe it’s the fact of having a second bedroom and
bathroom (actual accommodations for guests), or the fact that I’ve matured a
bit in the past few years (read: I watch a ton of YouTube décor videos). Either
way, I now see the value in making actual preparations for guests and in doing
so, I’ve discovered a few essential items for when company is coming.
The Essentials
When hosting overnight guests, try to imagine the entire
experience they will have from a perspective of 3 of your 5 senses – what will
they taste, touch and smell in your guest bedroom.
I use my second bedroom as an office, so when guests visit
me, I turn my bedroom (the master bedroom) into a guest suite. This is the
easiest way for me to provide my guests with a comfortable experience, without
having to rearrange furniture. The fortunate thing about using my room as the
guest room is that whatever experience I provide for my guests, I also get to
experience.
Tastes: This might seem like an odd sense to consider for a
guest bedroom, but I always like to provide my guests with something to snack
on in their room. If you’d like, you can make a snack basket of local treats,
things they can only find in your city. You can also do the reverse and provide
them with a taste of their own home town. If you want to get extra fancy, you
could turn a dresser top into a snack bar with a Keurig – allowing them to make
whatever beverage fits their fancy. The sense of taste is where you get to add
the extra touch of luxury that makes your guest feel like they’re staying at a
Bed & Breakfast, not just at their sister’s place.
Touches: The most tactile experience in a bedroom will be
the bed itself. If you can, it’s a good idea to provide your guests with a
couple of pillow & blanket options. Some people like hard pillows and light
blankets, others like soft pillows and heavy comforters. I like to dress the
bed in removable (and coordinating) layers, so that my guests can cover or
uncover to their personal comfort.
Scents: Smell can be a tricky thing. When you stay in a
luxury hotel, one thing you’ll notice is that the rooms always smell quite
neutral – not overly fragrant. This is actually a good rule to stick with in a
guest room, but I like to augment the neutral smell experience by providing my
guests with candles and scented air fresheners they can use at their leisure. It
allows them to set their own ambiance, not be forced into one I’ve selected for
them.
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ll know that I’m
not a fan of going nuts on décor purchases and entertaining. I am always a
little concerned that people are using money as a way to attempt to impress
people, but that it rarely adds to anyone’s enjoyment of the experience. But,
in the case of hosting overnight guests, if the money is being spent in the
pursuit of comfort and enjoyment for your guests – go all out! It’s like buying
a gift, it’s an experience they’ll get to enjoy and remember. It’s also a gift
that is reusable – if you trick out your guest room once, all of those
amenities are available for future guests.
*Written by Lindsay S., holiday host and Redwood resident.
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