i don't know about you, but summer is our busiestseason for overnight guests. colorado issuch an amazing place that our friends love to visit, and of course, we love toshow off our great state. i thought i'd share sometips on how to make overnight guests feel welcome in your home.
mostof these tips i've learned through business travel, but before i get to thetips, i want to first share the most important lesson i've learned frombusiness travel. the non-traveling spouses/partners of many of my formercolleagues who travel frequently for business seemed to think that businesstravel was one big party--five-star hotels, expensive dinners, late nights atthe bars, etc.
whileit is true that those are components of business travel, i assure you that the majorityof business travel is work, not fun. you constantly are expected to be"on," there isn't any down time, and no matter how nice the hotel, itis difficult to sleep in a foreign bed with a used pillow, particularly whenyou know thousands have slept there before. with rare exception, most business travelers would much preferto be at home, sleeping in their beds with their own pillows, and eating peanutbutter sandwiches for dinner.
now, onto the tips..
thetips fall into four basic categories: (i) comfort; (ii) sustenance; (iii)organization; and (iv) bathroom necessities.
for comfort, start with laundering the bedding the dayof or day before the guest arrives. i used to launder the bedding after theprior guest left so it would be ready for the next guest, but then i thoughtabout how much i love getting into freshly laundered sheets and wanted myguests to have the same experience.
anothercomfort tip is to have a bedside table in your guest room with a reading lampand a box of tissues.
and ofcourse don't forget the reading materials. i keep about a years' worth of alocal magazine called 5280 in our guest room so that our guests can see whathas and is going on in denver.
next tip:sustenance. i have been on countless business trips where i've been too busy toeat during the day and end up in my hotel room starving. room service isoverpriced and creeps me out, so if i am desperate, i start picking through themini bar offerings. now, these items are overpriced, too, but usually not aspricey as room service and generally there are some healthy items in the minibar.
i create a mini bar inour guest room that includes bottled water, crystal light single-servingpackages, nuts, mojo bars, and assorted candies, cookies, and crackers. i placeeverything on the dresser in a nifty feathergrain wood bin that i purchased atthe container store.
nexttip: organization. every business traveler knows that there are never enoughconveniently-located outlets in a hotel room for all of the electronics thatare required for a business trip, i.e., laptop, blackberry/iphone, ipad, ipod,clarisonic, and bluetooth. i have been known to move furniture in my room justto get easy access to the outlets.
so that my guests can avoid the inconvenience of movingfurniture, i put a 6-outlet surge strip behind the sustenance box for theircharging needs.
inaddition to providing an item to organize electronic devices, it is importantto also provide items that the guest can use to organize their clothing, shoes,and other stuff. i purchased this chrome luggage rack at the container storefor $40, and it gets a lot of use.
italso is helpful to provide a number of different hanger types for your guests.
anddon't forget hooks for their purses/bags/belts/robes as well as a full-lengthmirror so they can get a head-to-toe view before venturing out for the day.
finaltip: bathroom necessities. this used to be less important prior to thepost-9/11 carry-on restrictions, but due to our new reality, i stock themedicine cabinet with toothpaste, dental floss, face wash, eye-makeup remover,sunscreen, lip balm, lotion, shaving cream, razors, toothbrushes, fingernailclippers, qtips, cotton balls, ibuprofen, tums, and bandaids.
i also make sure to plug a night light in the bathroomoutlet so that the guest can find the light switch in the middle of the night.
alsoimportant due to the post-9/11 carry-on restrictions are shampoo, conditioner,and liquid soap in the shower. ever since i encountered a "situation"when staying in a corporate apartment in chicago, i have refrained from puttingout bar soap for guests unless it is a new bar. while i won't go into details,let's just say that the prior occupant had left a piece of himself/herselfbehind on the soap bar.
theitems in this picture have nothing to do with the post-9/11 restrictions, butnonetheless are important for a guest's comfort--extra toilet paper so theydon't have to ask, matches and a candle when they might need to cover up anundesireable smell, a hairdryer, and extra washclothes.
and ofcourse a plunger. i know it doesn't look good, but i guarantee your guest wouldrather have it there than have to ask for one.
andfinally, i stock extra towels, kleenex, toilet paper, soap, and blankets in thelinen closet next to the guest room just in case.
those are my tips. i hope they were helpful.let me know if your guests get too comfortable, and you need me to give yousome tips on how to get them out of your house. i have some of those, too.
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