...to ask you about guestrooms?

[Littlewhitedove]

Our two adult children have recently flown the nest so we have two double en suite rooms that are now spare rooms.
What makes a spare room into a lovely guest room? What added extras would make you, as a guest, feel welcomed and wanted?
I have ordered new towels and added some pretty decorative items but I'd really appreciate some other ideas so I can make the rooms feel extra special.
Thanks x

If I went to stay with a friend/ relative and had tea/ coffee making facilities in my bedroom I'd feel really unwelcome! Like I wasn't allowed to use the kitchen.

As a guest I like a clean, comfortable bed. Decent curtains. A window I can open if I'm too hot. A socket for my phone and a bedside light. That's all. If I'm coming to visit you it's because I want to see you.

If I've forgotten toiletries I'll ask if I can borrow some. I'll bring my own book to read. If I don't know the area and am doing day trips without you then I'll ask for places to go, or Google them.

So relieved to see the later posts!

Our spare room doubles as a study so guests get a bed, towels, a blind over the window and errrr that’s it. Well there’s a printer should they need one…

Black out blinds
Bedside lamp
wastepaper bin
waterglass and jug
spare toiletries
dressing gown
books - short stories etc, couple of local history books
smart magazines from the last couple months
A little tea tray and kettle, cafetières
maybe a little tin of biscuits and a few pieces of fruit
some leaflets of things to do in the area

Depending how involved you want to get with your credit card maybe a mini cooler for proper milk and coffee

What a lot of bonkers posts! Keep it simple.

Clean, comfortable bed with a bedside lamp. Nice bath towels and plenty of toilet paper.

No need for books as if I want to read I will bring my own. No need for tea and coffee making facilities, you presumably have a kitchen for that.

Disposable slippers are also a terrible Idea. Not at all environmentally responsible or friendly as they will go straight to landfill. I personally have a lightweight pair of my own slippers which I keep tucked in my travel bag for when I go away.

I probably wouldn't provide sanitary towels or tampons either, but maybe that's just me being a meanie.

A clean comfortable bed in a clean room, a door with a latch that works, curtains that close & block out the light, the ability to open a window (so if they are locked, leave a key by them) & a bedside lamp so they don't have to trip up trying to get from the light switch to the bed in an unfamiliar room.

Other than that I tend to leave a charging cable as it appears to be the thing most people forget then panic about not having.

I do have spare everything under the sun, but people hardly ever do forget their toothpaste/toothbrush etc... so I don't leave them out.

We don't bring food upstairs ever so I wouldn't leave bits of it lying around for a guest.
There is plenty in the kitchen & the pantry.

Extra pillows and blankets

a bin near the toilet, preferably one with a liner

plenty of toilet tissue so they don’t have to ask for more

a lamp next to the bed so they don’t have to traverse an unfamiliar room in the dark.

an accessible outlet for charging, preferably near a table or dresser

A good mattress, extra pillows, wardrobe/drawer space, bin, bedside lamps, blankets, tissues. Ours also have mini fridges but that might be a bit OTT. 😅 Shower gel, shampoo, towels and bin in the bathrooms

Dressing gown

Extra pillows, blankets and a TV.

I'd want at the very least a full le creuset range, several Dyptique candles, artisanal wood carvings adorning the four poster, fun fluorescent sex toys and a range of expensive fragrance samples.
To be honest, if I had to settle for anything less, I'd feel snubbed.
I'd hope the bath isn't free standing though, that would be way too 'aspirational working class'.

Flowers should depend on the guest - DH has terrible hay fever and MIL seems to forget this every time so he often ends up sneezing the whole time.

If the pillows could be synthetic rather than feathers that would also really help people like him! In a hotel he feels he can ask to switch pillows, but it's hard to ask at friends' houses.

Some spare toothpaste/shampoo etc is always useful.

I have all those things in my two guest rooms. It's not hard - and nothing's particularly fancy. Just simple & good quality. Plus very comfortable mattresses, and down duvets & really nice pure cotton bed linen. None of it is difficult - all my stuff is very simple, but all my friends & family who stay, say they have the best night's sleep.

A Corby trouser press and a Gideon bible.

I really wouldn’t want/need anything more than a comfortable bed if I was staying with a friend/family! Just a nice, clean uncluttered room with decent curtains to block out light, neutral decor, lamp, somewhere to charge my phone, a mirror. Quite basic & normal things really.

A clean towel to use is a bonus.

I certainly wouldn’t expect a kettle, chocolate on pillows or new slippers in my room! I would find it weird tbh.

A sign to hang outside the door to indicate that they want the room serviced., and another on the back of the door showing how to escape in the event of a fire.
A mini-fridge stocked with a bizarre range of drinks and a Toblerone priced at £8.00.

A cooler/mini fridge and some pieces of fruit?! Jesus wept.

Presumably if they’re a person you know well enough to stay in your home then you’d want them to feel welcome to use the kitchen. A cooler. Honestly!

Comfy pillows, warm duvet, fan in case it’s hot, fresh towels and plug sockets. A reminder of the WiFi code, because I’ll be using my phone, not using a puzzle book. A bin, and maybe a hairdryer because they’re always a pain to pack.

This! Here l had guest room all ready to go when ds changed jobs coming nearer to home and moved back into his old room for a while. Also they keep popping home for the weekend and would be shocked to not recognise their old room. Or to find chocolate on the pillow! Maybe yours have bought their own places.
My big need in any room l stay in is an extra blanket as it takes a lot for me not to have cold feet.

Extra blanket in case it gets cold
Books or magazines
Bottle of water and a glass
Little jar with a few biscuits
Charger
Basket with travel sized toiletries.

We are moving house and will have two spate rooms. I'm planning to put up nice curtains, buy decent bedding, towels etc and have bedside cupboards with a lamp on. I'll hang a mirror and put a hairdryer in each room.

I won't be buying travel kettles, mini fridges or slippers. Nor will I be putting chocolates on pillows. Completely unnecessary.

One of the spare rooms will be doing duty as the clothes drying room in winter, and also the ironing room. I'll put the clothes horse and the ironing board away if people are staying, but the ironing basket will have to sit in the corner as there's nowhere else to put it.

I save tester size cosmetics like perfume, face cream etc, as well as toothbrush sets, razors, cotton wool buds from hotels and store them in a box in their bathroom or bedroom. Obviously shower gel and shampoo in their bathroom. Might be OTT but it's free and convenient. I also take hotel slippers (unworn!) for guests.

Comfortable, big enough bed (I hate doubles), decent linens, enough pillows. I hate staying with my in-laws because their beds are SO OLD and small. I sleep really badly so just dread going and being tired.

I host weekend guests regularly and have 2 guest rooms.

A fold out luggage rack
Ample hangers in the closet
Bathrobes
Full length mirror
Tissues
Waste bin
Water/drinking glasses
Multi chargers on bedsides
Nice tubes of handcream
Little books and the latest magazines
A comfy chair or at the least somewhere to sit to put on shoes etc
A couple of extra pillows of different types/firmness etc. I don't put cases on them but clean pillow protectors, they can change the cases if they decide to swap pillows
An extra blanket if they are too hot/cool
Electric blanket on bed
Disposable ear plugs (we're in the country but sometimes the wind howls noisily)

I also have a guest bathroom where there are plenty of towels, face flannels, heaps of toilet paper, waste bin, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, face/makeup remover wipes. I also have a basket of all essential toiletries if someone forgets something. And a basket of sample packets of skin care etc that I get with purchases, and eye masks etc.

And of course a hair dryer in the bathroom, but most of my lady guests know I have a Dyson supersonic so usually ask to borrow it!

Dressing gown. They take up loads of room in packing, especially if the guest is from overseas.

Bedside lamp.

Books / magazine I would like, I don't sleep well but don't want to wake others up, I was pleasantly surprised to find a mini kettle in a relatives spare room.

Water. My spare room has a jug of tap water and a glass but a bottle would be OK.

When my dad stays he has the cat stay with him, but it might be a bit much to get a cat just for guests.

Some biscuits / crisps / snacks.

@sausage767 ·Can I come and stay?