14 Essentials for a Welcoming Guest Room

I love to entertain guests. Maybe it’s a throwback to my girlhood and sleepovers but hosting people in our home turns friends into family. Therefore, one of our top priorities when moving into our new home, was to create a space for guests. These 14 essentials for a welcoming guest room will make your guests want to return.

14 Essentials for a Welcoming Guest Room

When gathering things for your guest room, these will make your guests feel at home.

1. Freshen the space, vacuum, and dust. Find a softly scented candle or diffuser.  If the weather is cooperative, I like to open the windows, too.
2. Plants will add cheery decor, bring the outside in, and freshen the air.  If you live in a dry climate, like I do, they also help humidify the air.  Since our guest room isn’t used constantly, I keep the plants in the family room, otherwise I won’t remember to water them.  Then right before guests arrive, I’ll move the plants into the guest room.
3. Treat them to quality, high thread-count cotton, or sustainable bamboo sheets, a cozy quilt, and fluffy pillows. A couple of large pillows, in addition to sleeping pillows, are nice to lean against while reading in bed. Nothing feels more luxurious than super soft sheets.  They don’t have to be expensive and can be found at any discount home store. I typically store my guest room sheets in the bottom drawer of a small dresser in the room.
4. An extra blanket or throw draped at the foot of the bed makes a nice decorative touch and helps ward against cold nights. We keep our house on the cool side in the winter. Perhaps you do too.
5. Leave some empty drawer space, clear room in the closet, and don’t forget hangers. Guests will appreciate being able to unpack and store their suitcase out of the way.
6. Bedside tables with reading lamps, and current magazines or books will help guests wind down before sleeping. A small clock, and place to plug in a phone charger is a nice touch, too.
7. Don’t forget to block out early morning light with attractive shades and curtains. We have shades that provide privacy, but they don’t block a ton of light, so we also have black-out curtains for those friends who like a dark room.
8. Find an attractive way to display your wi-fi password so guests don’t have to ask.
9. Add a mirror for quick hair checks in the morning, or even a full-length dressing mirror if you have the space.
10. A small chair or bench is a great place to put on shoes, unpack a suitcase, or make a quick phone call.
11. Guests will appreciate a pitcher or thermos of fresh cold water, a glass, and a light snack to enjoy any time. If I have any fresh-baked cookies, I’ll leave a few of those.

12. Stock your bathroom with a hair dryer, a new toothbrush, and travel sized essentials your guests might have forgotten. In our dry climate, sunscreen, hand cream, and lip balm are appreciated.
13. If the bathroom is being shared with others, leave a basket in the bedroom with large fluffy towels so guests know which towels are theirs.  Hand towels, face cloths, and/or a new shower scrubby are also appreciated. Be sure to designate hooks or towel racks for after bath towel drying. Guests will want to feel comfortable that other household members aren’t using their bath towels for hand drying, for example.
14. A fun way to help visiting friends and family to feel loved is to decorate the room with framed photos of fun times you’ve had together. They’re sure to bring a smile!
15. BONUS ESSENTIAL: I’m updating this with a suggestion from a friend, and it’s totally a great one! Make sure you have a good mattress on the bed. Don’t just move your old mattress into the guest room. You want your visitors to sleep well. It will last a long time since it doesn’t get slept on 365 days each year. It’s well worth the investment. We’ve had two different couples go home and buy the same mattress we have in our guest room because they loved it so much.

Lay Out a Plan for Morning

Aside from the guest room, there are other things to consider.  We’re night owls, so we sleep later in the morning.  To help make early risers feel comfortable, we keep a well-stocked coffee and tea station so visitors can help themselves.  I typically leave a tray on the kitchen counter stacked with bowls, flatware, cereal, English muffins, peanut butter, honey, whole fruit, and anything else I have on hand for guests to grab a light breakfast.  If I’m planning to cook brunch, I’ll let them know this in advance. I wouldn’t want them to miss out on a great breakfast because they ate too much before everyone is up. LOL!

Point Out Areas of Interest

I like to make guests aware of other things of interest, as well.  We have several walking trails in our neighborhood for people to take a scenic walk or run in the morning or evening.  During the late Spring, Summer and early Fall, the pool is warm enough for a swim, and it provides a lovely view from the guest bed, year-round.  We will regularly serve happy-hour by the pool in the warm summer evenings, and we like to let people know this in advance so they can plan to be around to enjoy that with us.

With a little advance planning, and these essentials, you’ll have a welcoming guest room for your friends and family.

As you can see by our bedroom comfort space, our living room, and now our guest room, our new home is coming together. Now don’t you want to come visit? Let me know in the comments if there’s something special you really enjoy when staying with friends.