How to be the Perfect Host for Overnight Guests

Having guests come to stay at your home can be a little daunting, especially when you want to impress (or if it’s your in-laws). The experience can be equally as unsettling for your guests. We’ve all experienced a dreadful zed bed, smelly sheets and stale cornflakes at least once in our lives. By making a few small changes to your guest bedroom you will soon have them begging for a return visit. Our beautiful breakfast photographs were taken by Hannah, see all her photography here.

The best way to make your guests leave, wishing they had just a few more nights to stay, is to make sure they get a great nights sleep. Although you might not be sleeping in the spare room every night, you should always make sure there is a comfortable mattress ready for guests. This means no loose springs and steering away from any mattresses that feel either like a marshmallow or are as hard as concrete.

Always have good quality bedding on hand to make sure their stay is comfortable. Stick with a 10.5 tog duvet, this will keep them snug in the winter and cool in the summer. Round it all off with 4 plump, fluffy pillows.

Once you have the bedding sorted, you need to dress the bed with bed linen that is equally as cosy. Stick with cotton to make sure it’s soft on the skin with neutral colours to make a space that instantly relaxes your guests. Our Coastal Stripe Natural bed linen is a great option with its soft linen finish (and the underneath is even softer!). Stripes are always a crowd pleaser.

Everyone enjoys waking up to a delicious breakfast, so make sure you’re not leaving your guests with rumbling tummies. Always have plenty of supplies of the breakfast essentials (tea, coffee, milk, sugar, bread and cereal). Lets admit it though… soggy cereal and lukewarm tea isn’t going to blow your guests away. Pop out to get some fresh pastries and serve with freshly ground coffee. Add a few flowers from the garden into a small vase and you’ve instantly got the perfect tray for breakfast in bed.

If you’re unlikely to be home when your guests wake then create them a breakfast hamper. Leave it outside their bedroom door, full of delicious breakfast goodies to eat at their leisure. Include instructions on where to find tea and coffee and of course… always leave the Wi-Fi password.

If your guests aren’t local then it’s also a nice touch to put together a list of all your favourite places and things to do, that way they’ll enjoy their stay even more. How do you make your guests feel welcome, or perhaps you don’t want to? Let us know, as always… we love a chat.