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?

I think I am a terrible host but people love coming to stay with me. I go for a relaxed 'my house is your house' approach. The bed rooms and bedding are clean as are the toilets. I feed them and point them in the direction of tea and coffee to help themselves. My aim is to have a chilled vibe.

My friends tend to end up pissed and falling into the spare rooms. A chocolate on the pillow would be melted into their hair come the morning.

Easy, crowd pleasing food. I do the water and tissues, clean bedding.

Always a good breakfast. Big dish of shakshuka, sourdough toast. A continental buffet. Or just good bacon butties. I have a brilliant coffee machine and they love that. Always a pot of tea on the go.

Immaculate house, clean bed sheets and towels. Plenty of alcohol and food that guest likes.

I never have overnight guests.I can't think of anything worse tbh.That makes me sound antisocial but I'm not I promise

We have friends coming to stay this weekend. Very good friends and their Dv, they’ve been here many times, just like we’ve been to theirs, and wee holidayed together many times. My point being that we are very comfortable with each other and have been for a long time.

There will be a warm welcome, plenty to eat and drink and free access to that, and a very relaxed approach. We will decide together what time to eat, what we fancy to drink etc. So we will decide the day together, which I think is far nicer than a host foisting a plan on guests. Clean bedding, towels and, in winter, enough blankets etc in case they feel cold at night.

But - along the lines of your choices - a clock at the bedside is always useful, as is a mirror in the bedroom they’re staying in.

@surreybound

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!

Please don't bring coffee into my room. I'd be mortified!

Similar to PPs, I always over cater because I love cooking - there’s always a homemade cake knocking about, massive breakfast provided, every type of tea possible in the drawer.

In the room itself, I usually light a couple of candles from This Works - makes sure there’s no residual smell of dog and is relaxing I also leave a pillow spray and charging cables on the bedside table, along with a couple of books I think the guest might like. Kids usually draw some sort of picture - again, dual purpose in that it looks nice and keeps kids occupied for half an hour.

Blimey. I don't do any of that. I clean the house, and provide clean bedding and towels. I make sure I have the food and drink in that my guests like.

I suppose the main thing I do is make sure that we have activities planned that my guests will enjoy. So MIL likes eating out and going for cocktails and not too much walking. Best friend has an autistic son who she rarely gets a break from, so I make sure we've got active, outdoor activities planned that will wear him out so he'll sleep and she and I can chat over a bottle of wine. SIL likes a walk and a BBQ, so that's what we do when she's here.

I serenade them in the morning.

Printed laminate tv instructions 😂

I'm a great host, but I mean party wise. I make sure we have tonnes and tonnes of food, drink, I make cocktails. I make sure everyone is relaxed and have everything they need. Dh is a fab host too.

I'd find it quite stressful in your house OP. That's so formal and OTT. I don't think I could invite you back either as you have set the bar so high. My pals stay over and we have a laugh _ clean bedding and towels, nice food and drink (takeaway mostly) is all we need to have a good time. We all work so like to relax at weekend

Leave them the WiFi password and put a picture of us together in a frame somewhere on a shelf in the room. Chocs on the pillow is a bit to twee for me, but will have a box of chocs to share during the day/evening probably ☺️

You need to run a B&B, OP.

I'd feel quite stressed in your house, I think. It feels very formal and as though I am a paying guest.

My adult children stay occasionally but I would not enjoy anyone else staying. I'm in awe, OP! I'm in the hoover round, clean kitchen/bathroom/sheets brigade. Along with snack food and we'd eat out!
I love visitors dropping in, but an hour or two max
I do return that favour if I go visiting too, I'm not a monster

I wouldn’t like a host bringing coffee into the room! I’ll get up and have a coffee or make it myself and take it back to bed.

Are you a professional? Sounds it!

When we have guests I like to make sure any food is ready to go so I'm not away in the kitchen flapping. So things you can make in advance. Moussaka, lasagne etc.

Have snacks out on arrival. A selection of drinks. Somewhere for everyone to sit comfortably.

I’ve never had anyone stay overnight and I’ve never stayed overnight at someone’s house thank goodness. I’d hate it and wouldn’t invite anyone to stay.

I’m a great host though when people come over. Loads of drinks, loads of food and a chilled out atmosphere

Chilled vibe here too. As a guest, what I find stressful is when the house is running around cooking/cleaning/preparing stuff. I know it comes from a good place, but I would much rather spend time with them than get an elaborate dinner or a fancy room. So my hosting reflects that.

I clean the house, put fresh sheets on the bed and give them clean towels. There is usually a nice bunch of flowers somewhere downstairs.
Like one of the other posters said, I make sure there is stuff to do that they will enjoy, if that's what they fancy doing.Otherwise it might be long dog walk, again if they fancy it. Would provide a really good evening meal with plenty to drink and a cooked breakfast and papers the following day. I can't imagine my guests needing to use the TV with me not being there. I would be there seeing them. Definitely no to chocolates on the pillow. My friends would tease me mercilessly for being naff.

Do you have a job and children as well?
Sounds like you are doing it professionally.

being myself.

Everyone knows what to expect, clearly they like it as they keep coming back😁

@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?

Is that you, Hyacinth?

You do make it sound like you're preparing for a(n) hotel inspector rather than friends visiting.

I love laminating things so I am going to have to incorporate that more into any guest visits. Thus far it's been clean bedlinen, towels, extra food and snacks for the journey home.

My preference would be for pillow-adjacent chocolates in case the inevitable happened and you end up with chocolate everywhere but your mouth.

Jo