How To Prep for Summer Guests
With summer travel heating up, now is the time to think about planning the perfect guest room retreat. These ideas will help you go beyond the basic comforts and identify those extra touches that make guests feel at home.
“Your home is the place where you share the best of yourself with others. When your home is open and inviting it creates a mood and emotion that nurture all who enter,” says Jane Schwab, co-author with Cindy Smith of “The Welcoming House: the Art of Living Graciously” (Rizzoli, 2013). Schwab and Smith run the decorating firm Circa Interiors & Antiques, with stores in Charlotte, N.C. and Birmingham, Ala., and were encouraged to write the book by a friend.
The design duo’s philosophy: “A house with an open door is like a friend with an open heart: inviting, generous of spirit, and constant to the core.”
So what should a proper guest room include? They say it is important to remember, “No matter the size of your guest room, just remember that comfort is key and preparation essential.”
Schwab and Smith are fans of those details that make a person feel welcome. “Chocolate and flowers are a special treat for your guest.”
During the summer as temperatures rise, they also recommend “bedside ice and extra water, plenty of towels, a portable fan and the option to control the thermostat.”
In the book, they cover “Guest Room Essentials” which include the basics. “You want to provide your guest with as many comforts of home as possible. Comfortable bed linens with extra pillows, a space to stow a suitcase and a place to hang clothes, a bottle of water, shampoo & lotion, a lamp for reading, and a place to charge electronics.”
This last consideration is becoming increasingly important. Your home’s Wi-Fi password printed on a card on the nightstand can be a thoughtful touch.
Jim Goslin, director of sales and marketing at the Snow King Resort Hotel and Grand View Lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyo., knows this first hand. A frequent business traveler, Goslin says an inviting guest room is one that provides what he terms “normal comforts” such as “a comfortable bed, a useful desk with lots of space for electronics, and a place to charge a laptop.”
When planning a guest room, taking cues from a favorite hotel can be a wise strategy. At the Snow King Resort, Goslin says, “The key thing we try to create is a real experience, a local experience.”
Giving guests a taste of local history can help make a visit memorable. Printing out a list of nearby activities can be a way to give guests a sense of place.