What's in a perfect guest room?

[NotAMammy]

I'm putting together the spare bedroom in our new house. I want it to be a really nice guest room, our families stay for long weekends when they visit so it'll probably be used a few times a year to start with. As well as the standard furniture: a bed, drawers, wardrobe and a chair I'm looking to add wee details to make it a bit more welcoming and luxurious. So spare blankets, water and glasses, spare toiletries and toothbrush... What else would you include in the room?

[Japonicathehorseygirl]

Selection of books

[FinallyHere]

A light that can be switched off from the bed

A range of pillows

Water

Somewhere to put cases once unpacked.

Lovely idea for a thread, I'm sure your guests will be very comfortable.

[wellhonestly]

Sounds lovely!

Ours also has a wee kettle and some tea things. Wish we could afford a tiny fridge for milk ...

Definitely decent bedside lamps and maybe a few "light-reading" books?

My DH also always puts a radio in there for guests grr it's our bathroom radio

[NoCapes]

A photo frame with the code for the wi-fi in it

[Ragwort]

Make sure the bed is comfortable - nothing else matters - I try and avoid staying with family and friends now as it is always seems to be a cast off bed that is lumpy and uncomfortable. My DH often ends up sleeping on the floor or sneaking off to a sofa for a decent night's sleep .

[Hallamoo]

Mirrors, preferably a full length mirror and one to dry hair in front of, put on make up, near to an electric socket.

[ArriettyClock1]

An en suite

A TV

A really good bed and good quality bedding.

[Justmuddlingalong]

If you put in a clock, make sure it ticks silently.

[NotAMammy]

I'm struggling with a silent ticking clock, I keep looking like a loon in shops holding up alarm clocks to my ear and then realising they've no bloody battery in them!
I think I'll add a couple of light books and possibly a few magazines.
We're getting the same mattress as we have (one of the IKEA sprung ones) which I've found comfortable and, bonus, reasonably priced.
Unfortunately we can't make an ensuite, they'll just have to walk the few feet to the bathroom!
I think I'll add in some socks and slippers too.
My Mum and two of my sisters tend to be the people who visit most often so I'm trying to keep what they'd like in mind too. One has asked me to leave all my makeup, lotions and potions in there and that's all!
DH has joked about whether I was going to put a kettle in there and started calling it the 'hotel room' as he thinks I'm going overboard. But in our rented flat we just had one spare room that was mostly storage space with a bed so I'm looking forward to having a lovely place to show off and have them.

I've seen those wifi framed prints, but knowing our lot they'll completely miss it and still come and ask!

wellhonestly do your guests make tea in the room then? I would kind of expect them to make it in the kitchen and not be going light on their tea round! It's immediate family that would mostly be staying, and we're the kind of family that makes themselves at home in each others' houses.

[Pestilentialone]

A big towelling dressing gown, just like in posh hotels.

[PurpleDaisies]

You need to look for "silent sweep" clocks (I have one in my guest room).

I've got a basket with toiletries for the ensuite, spare toothbrush etc and we leave one wardrobe empty for clothes to be hung up/unpacked if guests want to.

I don't like the idea of the kettle in the room. That's a step too far towards hotel for me. We tell them to help themselves to anything in the kitchen.

[INeedNewShoes]

Its important to have a decent bed (a really horrid uncomfortable camp bed is starting to put me off staying at one of my friends' houses.)

I really really appreciate a bedside light (that you can reach the switch from the bed).

I think these two things are pretty basic but I've stayed at so many places (including a B&B) where there's no bedside light.

And a hot water bottle available for use is gratefully received if your house is prone to being chilly.

Ooh and a few coathangers (it sounds like you've already got that covered with the wardrobe)

[MakeItStopNeville]

We live abroad and have regular visitors so this is what I have done...

Great bed. It was actually ours and still had plenty of life left so we upgraded our own instead of buying a new guest bed. Everyone always comments on how comfortable it is.
Big fluffy duvet with a box of clean blankets at the end of the bed as not everyone likes being air con cool.
Lamps on either side of the bed with a nightstand
A big pile of fluffy towels so they don't need to hunt them out
Closet and hangers and dresser space for clothes
We also have a shelf of books in the closet (it's a huge closet!)
And make sure the bathroom they use is fully stocked, a hairdryer available and spare toothbrushes if they need them. I have a little hostess trolley in the guest bathroom filled with everything they may need.
Bottles of water
Finally, give them the wifi password and show them how to work the tv and where the teabags are.

[20thCenturyGirl]

A charging station.
A bowl of jelly beans.
We are just redoing our guest room too so this is a great thread!

[20thCenturyGirl]

Oh yes, proper curtains or blinds that actually keep the light out.

[MrsJamin]

Definitely yes to: a light next to the bed with an obvious switch. Easy access to a plug socket for a phone charger too. Thick curtains so it doesn't let the light in (any tiny chink of light wakes me up and is always a bugbear if we stay anywhere away from home). Somewhere to hang a few items up - even if it's just a few hooks and hangers.

[NotAMammy]

Do you mean alongside them zzzzz? Because my Mum snores like mad so I'd rather keep the wall between us!
I'm planning on blinds and curtains so it will have all the light blocked out and hopefully a bit extra noise insulation as it's to the front of the house.
Also some packs of earplugs - see previous comment about snorer!
MakeitstopNeville good point about hairdryer, I have a travel one that I can put in there. They can use my proper one too, but just in case I'm not around at the time.

[NotAMammy]

I know, I know, it just tickled me since that's how I read it at first. Definitely need to get the bedside lockers with lamps sorted from the sound of it. There's plug sockets right behind where they'd go so once I get the mattress in I can measure up for the best size ones.

[OlennasWimple]

Obvious sockets that aren't already being used for lamps

Make sure the door closes firmly

A choice of pillows (some people hate synthetic, some people are allergic to feathers)

[starsinyourpies]

iPhone charger in bedside table drawer, and an easy to reach socket for charging stuff.

[coffeeneeded]

All of the above.

And most importantly....

A BIN!

I've stayed in far too many places without a bin. It really annoys me!

[Pestilentialone]

[Iamastonished]

IMO the most important thing is the bed. King-size not double. And one without a foot-board. Most couples I know have king-size or super-king sized beds and really struggle to sleep in a double bed. And OH and I are tall so a foot-board is a no-no. Any guest coming to stay always brings their own stuff and I'm not sure they would use any toiletries/toothbrushes I left out for them.

I would also like a chair to put my clothes on, somewhere to put my case, a bedside cabinet with a light, somewhere to charge electronic devices and spare blankets.

I have slept in rooms with ticking clocks and had to put them on the landing.