The Ultimate Guide to Being a More Hospitable Host

As a host, you always are worried how your guests feel during their stay with you. What can you make their stay more pleasant? How do you make them more comfortable and feel like home?

Always remember little details show you care. There are many inexpensive details that will make a stay more pleasurable for your guests. They only take a few minutes to complete but make a huge difference. Make your guestroom soothing and enjoyable. Let your guests go home happy and wanting a little bit more of your kind hospitality. Follow these easy steps to make your ultimate guestroom.

Bedding: You don't need to invest in an expensive mattress but rather good-looking (matching) bedding to give a hotel-like appeal. Pick a color scheme for your bed and follow it by adding little accents in your room. For example, you have a yellow comforter, add some sunflowers in the room, put a little stuffed animal duck in the corner. Make the room match, make it yellow.

Pillows: Pillows offer comfort. Make sure you have plenty (with matching colors, of course) on the guest bed. If there are children staying over, add a teddy bear from your kids' collection and but it on the bed. It gives a more homely appeal.

Walls: It's easy to turn uninviting, abandoned guestrooms into a welcoming place just by decorating the walls with art. Art could be from artists or from your personal collection. For example, your scenery photographs or postcards could turn into instant art just by matting and framing. Pressed flowers and leaves make great pieces as well.

Mats and Rugs: Place a mat or rug at the entrance of our guest room so your guest can take off their shoes and really enjoy an at home experience.

Bathroom: Before your guest arrives, make sure there are plenty of toilet paper, shampoo and conditioner for their entire stay. Also put refills in a guest cabinet so they may help themselves.

Toiletries: In the cabinet, add anything that your guest may have forgotten. These essentials may include toothbrushes, toothpaste, plastic cups, hairbrush, hairdryers, painkillers, etc...the key here is to make sure everything is accessible to them.

Go the Distance, Add your personal touch: Do something special that your guests could only get when they stay at your home. Why not leave them a framed personalized message by the sink with a few kind words? The frame looks very nice and you can change the message every time you have a new guest at your home. A simple note will mean make everyone smile:

Dear Amy,

We're so excited to have you as our guest and hope you find everything you need If not, ask! We're only across the hall. We'll like you to join us for breakfast on the patio tomorrow morning. Sleep tight and sweet dreams!

Your Loving hosts,

Ben and Dana

You can leave snacks for them in case hunger starts to kick in late at night. This could be anything a bag of pretzels, some homemade cookies or a few pieces of fruit. But always remember to leave them bottles of spring water, that way they will have something to drink for the night.

Other little accents to consider would be magazines and easy reads for when they get bored or cannot fall asleep. Consider putting a deck of cards for the children to play. Give them a pair of slippers for extra comfort.

Remember, being a good host takes heart. Know your guests before they come in. Recall from past family gatherings or social events and use the information proactively. Are they vegetarians? Do they keep a kosher diet? Are they watching their weight? Are they diabetics? Do they have a sweet tooth? Now that you know their likes and dislikes it would be easier to prepare meals and order in food. Perhaps consider buying them the pistachio ice cream carton because you remember that that was you cousins' favorite back in the day. Make them feel loved, because you WANT them here.

Of course, having guests over at your home means you want (or they want) your company. Have items easily accessible to them does not mean that they do not need to come out of their room and enjoy your presence. There should be a balance between you having your own alone time and your guests' down time and the time you choose to interact with your guest; after all, if your guest does not want your company, they could have easily reserved a night at a hotel.

The key to being a good host is to keep your guest room clean and inviting. Make your guests feel important and appreciated by adding your personal touch. Make them want to come back for more of your kind hospitality. Happy Hosting!