Hospitality

As the holiday season approaches, guest rooms come into their own, as do couches, sleep-outs and other horizontal surfaces where friends and relatives can stay.

If you are about to be faced with an influx of visitors, here are a few tips to make them feel welcome.

Have a tidy up

This is actually a great opportunity to do a sort out – remove any piles of ‘stuff’ from guest rooms, straighten book shelves and organise your coffee table. Decluttering is a wonderful thing – you may even be able to donate some things to charity while you are making your own home look better.

Have a bed set up

Make your guest feel welcome by having a sleeping spot ready for them. If the bed hasn’t been slept in for a while, fresh sheets are a must. Add a vase of flowers from your garden and leave a towel on the bed. If you have a collection of extra soaps, sit one on top, hotel-style.

Check that the bed side light works, and you might like to get a small carafe for water beside the bed.

Stock the bathroom

It’s always a good idea to have a spare toothbrush on hand, along with extra toilet paper, shampoo and basics like a disposable razor, moisturiser and deodorant.

If you have a spare bathrobe, hang it in the bathroom for your guest to use.

Have house tips ready

If you have a long wifi password, print it out for your guest. If they are staying for several days, have a spare key and alarm code ready, so they can come and go with ease. Let them know any idiosyncrasies of your home (the bathroom door jams for example), or general house rules they may need to know.

Get a few treats

Having a few of of your guests favourites snacks or treats is an easy way to make them feel at home. A bit of preparation makes people feel like their presence is welcome.

No matter what gestures you do or don’t make, remember that hosting friends and family is an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with them, so once they arrive, make time to just be with them.