Tips on getting your guest room ready for holiday company

buzzz worthy. . .

The holiday season is here and family gatherings with overnight guests are plentiful. But before your guests arrive, consider making a few additions to your guest room to make your overnighters feel welcome and comfortable. There are so many small yet meaningful things you can add to your guest room to make it inviting and like a home away from home. Most ideas can be done without having to spend a lot of money or requiring much work. 




Interior Design Expert Maria Samuels of InStyleModern has collected her favorite guest room updates to help you prep for your holiday guests.


Tips for a Welcoming & Comfortable Guest Bedroom
 

• Framed Photos—place a framed photo of the family/guest staying with you in their room to make them feel right at home. If you do not have any photos of the guests, check out their Facebook page and print a few off.

• Room Service—leave a bottle of wine with glasses in the guest room for the first night along with a personalized welcome note.

• Personalize It—purchase monogrammed/personalized towels for the bathroom that the guests will be using. This gives the feeling of a spa or resort getaway. Or instead of just leaving out a towel for your guests in the bathroom, fill a basket in the guest room with bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths. Then your guest won’t feel bad for requesting more towels if they need them. Putting a nice fluffy robe in the room is a welcoming addition as well. Most people do not travel with a robe due to the amount of space it takes up in a suitcase, so this will allow them to run to the bathroom during the night covered up.
   
• For the Kids—If your guests have kids with them, make sure there are plenty of fun board games on-hand in the guest room. Put together a basket of other items kids love like crayons and color books, card games and DVD’s of kid favorites.

•  In-Room Holiday Entertainment–place a television with some favorite holiday movies (‘White Christmas’, ‘Home Alone’, ‘It's a Wonderful Life’, etc.) in the guest room. Your visitors will appreciate being able to retreat to their room and pop in a holiday favorite.

• Local Goodies & Snacks—fill a basket with snacks and gifts that are local to the area, and place the basket in the guest room with a nice welcoming note. Nothing says welcome like local artisan chocolate. You can also tuck a few snacks in a side table drawer. Small packs of trail mix, granola bars, or even sweets are a nice touch for your guests. Put a bowl of fresh fruit like apples or bananas on the dresser too. If they get the munchies or if they are hungry before bedtime, they will have something they can easily grab without having to ask you or make noise in the kitchen.
   
• Assemble a Box of Goodies—keep a small storage container in the guest room filled with travel/sample size items, such as shampoo/conditioner, razors, pain reliever, a shower cap, facial cleanser, lotion, toothpaste and toothbrush, etc. These items can be purchased in the travel section of most big box stores or they might be complementary items you collect from your hotel stays. Your guests will appreciate having the items they may have forgotten at home.

• Light the Path--keeping a small nightlight in the guest room on top of the dresser or side table will help the guest feel comfortable. You can plug it in where it is needed most. As you know, getting around in the dark in a different home can be challenging. Your guest may want to have it plugged in the hallway, bathroom, or guest room.

• Wake-up Call—a nice clock radio/CD player/mp3 or iPod player is also helpful for guest rooms. Your guests won’t have to ask for a wake-up call (especially if it’s earlier than you rise!) and they can put on music to help them fall asleep. Falling asleep in someone else’s home can sometimes be difficult.

• Light the Path--keeping a small nightlight in the guest room on top of the dresser or side table will help the guest feel comfortable. You can plug it in where it is needed most. As you know, getting around in the dark in a different home can be challenging. Your guest may want to have it plugged in the hallway, bathroom, or guest room.

• Good Night, Sleep Tight—create an environment that promotes a great night's sleep like high-thread-count, 100 percent cotton sheets with thick, soft blankets and fluffy pillows.

• Add Some Light—put an adjustable desk lamp or nightstand lamp beside the bed. This will allow your guest to enjoy a good book or catch up on emails without disturbing the rest of the house.

• Sleep Appeal—make sure the windows have room darkening blinds or shades in them. Some people like to wake up to sunlight but others prefer to keep a completely darkened room. It also helps create a buffer from street traffic outside.

For more info and a look at stylish furnishings visit InStyleModern.com.