What makes you an excellent host?

[surreybound]

When we have guests to stay, I obviously ensure that the house is immaculate and they have freshly laundered towels and bed linen. But I also like to go above and beyond with some nice little touches. For example, I'll pop a chocolate on each guest's pillow ahead of their arrival, and ensure that there's a water jug and glasses, a selection of current newspapers and magazines, a box of tissues, make-up pads, ear buds, spare toothbrushes and a scented candle in the spare room.

I also have printed, laminated instructions on how to use the television in case they want to watch a programme or DVD when I'm not around (our television is rather complicated!)

I'll be sure to fill a couple of vases with fresh flowers and dot them around the house, and if I have time, bake a cake.

Do you consider yourself to be a good host and if so, how do you go above and beyond to make sure your guests are comfortable?

We haven't had guests stay in a long time (for obvious reasons) but I used to run the Hoover round, clean the bathroom and stock up on wine.

My friends would think I was having a laugh if I put chocolate on their pillows!

I just clean and make sure there are enough towels and so on. Tell them my home is their home and to use any shampoo / body lotion / face cream they fancy in bathroom and eat what they want from the kitchen. Very informal. But to be fair, we wouldn’t be spending much time in the house anyway and guests would really just be sleeping in the bedroom for a few hours so fresh flowers wouldn’t get appreciated.

I consider myself a good host but the chocolates and laminated stuff is on the niche side of entertaining I'd have said.

Try to make them feel like they're sharing my home and feel comfortable, not like they're staying in a hotel.

We live overseas so pre-Covid had a lot of visitors. I just always made sure the house was clean and tidy, that they had clean sheets and plenty of towels, and that the fridge was fully stocked with lots of nice food and drink.

I also make sure the WiFi code and other useful phone numbers are visible on the fridge door and that’s about it!

I think if I put a chocolate on their pillow, my friends would think I had lost the plot but each to their own!

“Being an excellent host” loads of booze, snacks and letting guests relax as they’re on holiday

Chocolate on pillows is silly. Instructions for TV sillier. Tissues etc also silly.

Just make sure there's plenty to eat and drink and that you are good company. Anything else is just window dressing and anything 'hotel like' is a bit odd imo.

I wouldn't be as formal as you, OP. Your description sounds like something from a magazine or newspaper (You're not William Hanson from the DM, are you...? ) It sounds too much like a guest house and I'd find it harder to relax in case I left a speck of dust anywhere. I'd love to read all the newspapers but obviously spending time with friends is more important.

I would certainly clean well enough and hide any clutter, but 'immaculate' is unrealistic. Fresh bed linen, of course, but I wouldn't be popping any chocolates anywhere. No scented candles as I don't like artificial scents. I'd do plenty of nice food, wine, extra blanket, but no fussy extras.

I’m a good host but what you do isn’t my style, that’s more like running an B&B!

I just make sure everything is clean and presentable and there’s plenty of good food and drink. It’s good to be a bit chilled to make people feel relaxed in your home.

Gosh. I think all that would make me feel quite uncomfortable!
Clean house, fresh bedding, full fridge and relaxed company. If I wanted a hotel, I'd book one!!

Booze, great food, clean sheets, run the hoover round? Maybe some nice new soap and obvs clean towels.

Laminated tv instructions and chocolates on the pillow?? Oh OP, bless you, it sounds like a Groupon deal

I do bacon butties in the morning.

I don't hit DH's best friend's new wife who handed me back her bacon butty and told me that clearly she needed to teach me how to eat more healthily.

[this is a true story]

OP, do these guests pay you £80 a night including breakfast?

Charging plugs and cables
Coffee brought upstairs in the morning.

Well stocked bathroom cupboard.

time and space to chill out.

I also point them in the direction of snack drawer, magazines/papers.

OP it sounds like you really care about being a good host, the ‘extra touches’ you choose are up to you so don’t listen to anyone putting you down for it.

I like to do scented candles, fresh bed linen and nice breakfasts/evening meals with lots of good wine.

Oh, I do leave earplugs, because in the spare room I have a window bird feeder. Birds wake up early.

Clean bedding, very thorough clean of the whole house prior to arrival and lots of clean towels left out in bedroom. Other than that I think it's about making sure they have enough to eat and feel relaxed and at ease.
Chocolates on the pillow and printed instructions for TV is a bit OTT, I would only really expect that in a paid guest house or B&B.

Changing the pillowcases after guests have fallen asleep on top of the chocolates?

I'd be thrilled to find ear plugs though, I can never sleep properly the first night away and ear plugs would be a massive help.

Are you joshing us OP 🤔

Lol, all that fussing would make me feel uncomfortable. I like clean sheets and towels but apart from that I don’t a mind. I like to feel relaxed.

Nothing, I'm a rubbish host but mainly because I find it very stressful and hate hosting!

Charging plugs and cables

Oh yes, I always leave two of these in the spare room too!

Coffee brought up in the morning is also a nice touch - maybe I will add that to my repertoire!

mainly because I find it very stressful and hate hosting!

I love it - possibly a little too much?

I'm not a confident host at all, but I have stayed with some amazing hosts. The one thing that I think they all have in common is that they make the guest feel like they've really enjoyed hosting - like the guest is the one who has done the host a favour, when it is actually the other way around!

I consider myself a good host because I always over cater and there is always food and drink available.

We’ve honestly cut down staying over at my parents because food is always so lacking. My DP is a 6ft sportsman, he can’t have a BBQ at 2pm and then not eat again until the next morning. We do take snacks but it feels a bit naughty eating in someone else’s spare room.