The Ultimate Checklist for the Best Guestroom

Is your guest room currently doubling as a dumping ground? Are its only decorations a mountain of washing waiting to be sorted, a wardrobe stuffed full of old coats and a mattress lumpier than a gravel road? Is the only resident the cat sneaking in for a snooze? Then this article is for you (unless it’s all part of a cunning plan to get your loved ones to stay elsewhere)! We’ve even included a helpful Guestroom Checklist for you to print.

When arranging the room, consider your own pet peeves as a house-guest. Don’t you hate having to dig around your suitcase on the floor? And isn’t it a pain shoving wrappers into your handbag because there’s no bin? The art to hospitality is making visitors feel comfortable by anticipating their needs and it’s these little touches that will elevate their stay to one worthy of five-star reviews.

• Coat hooks
• A wastepaper bin
• Dimmable bedside lamps
• Full-length mirror
• Spare hangers
• A variety of plumped pillows (some firm, some squishy)
• Extra bedding and throws

Top Tip: An armchair or wooden bench at the foot of the bed gives guests a place to throw down a jacket, lace up their shoes or leave luggage.

Clearing the decks is probably the most daunting task when doing up your spare room, but once everything is in its right place, you’ll have plenty of leftover time this festive season for baking and basting (or snoozing and feasting). Plus, if you’re feeling charitable you can donate items that are no longer needed and free up some extra room for Santa’s next delivery.

• Ditch the clutter by putting odds and ends out of sight
• Vacuum the mattress (you'll be amazed how much dust sits in your mattress)
• Make the bathroom sparkle by wiping down the counters and clearing the vanity. Use a dash of vinegar for super sparkly taps.
• Swap out dead lightbulbs
• Freshen stored bedding sets by washing with baking soda
• Dress the bed in the just-laundered sheets
• Spritz linens with a lightly scented spray to keep them sweet
• Stockpile towels and washcloths (the nice, fluffy ones!)
• Open the windows and let the room breath

Top Tip: Hide household overflow in storage boxes and tuck under the bed. A valance works a treat at keeping those everyday eyesores out of sight and out of mind.

Once you’ve ticked off the essentials, why not go the extra mile and give your guests the royal treatment? There’s no need to be a Hyacinth Bucket about it, but stocking up on spare cosmetics, picking out a book they might enjoy or leaving a packet of paracetamol within easy reach if you’re planning to toast their arrival, will make their time at your home truly memorable.

• A bedside basket with toiletries and other easily-forgotten necessities
• An alarm clock (one without a noisy tick!)
• The Wi-Fi network and password
• A carafe of water
• A hairdryer
• A well-curated bookshelf
• A quick how-to on tricky household electronics
• A vase of freshly-cut flowers
• For little lodgers, colouring books and crayons don’t go amiss

Top Tip: Next time you stay somewhere swanky, swipe those hotel toiletries and save them up for your visitors. It’ll cut down on those early-morning corner shop dashes!

Let us know what little luxuries you think make the perfect guest room, we would love to hear from you. Happy hosting!

Lizzy