You don’t have to indulge in luxury hotel level amenities – just small additions that will stand out as thoughtful touches and make your guests feel welcomed.
These are my top nine things to add if you are hosting over the coming festive season.
Flower Power
A posy of seasonal blooms on the dresser (garden or hedgerow-foraged are always charming), will bring any room to life. If you are not green-fingered, I love Petalon for seasonal, British blooms grown on their regenerative farm in Cornwall.
Reading Material
Add a few well-chosen history books, tomes by local authors or walking guides to their nightstand for some bedtime reading. I love this inspiring volume by @the.travel.project. With 52 UK-based adventures to discover, it will help anyone fall back in love with our Fair Isles.
Love Local
When stocking their room or bathroom, choose soaps, a candle or even some snacks by local brands to give them a little flavour of your region. Some local candle brands I love are:
For The Cotswolds, I love the Cotswold Candle Co; in Cornwall, my go-to is St Eval; in London, it has to be Pott Candles; while up in Scotland, Cairn Candles do the job beautifully.
Let There Be Light
A good reading lamp can create an instantly cosy atmosphere for guests arriving late in the evening. Pooky’s rechargeable lamps are great for dotting around a room if you don’t want to be tied to plug socket locations, literally. We especially like the Amelia Rechargeable Table Lamp, £130.
Get Connected
A basket of tech accessories – chargers, headphones, adaptors – can be a godsend for guests. This was the most requested item when we lived in France (after the wifi password, that is!). A clever multi-head charger, it covers all manner of devices in one.
Cover All Bases
Everyone operates at a different body temperature, especially when they sleep. Regardless of the time of year, I always have a portable fan and a couple of extra blankets tucked in the wardrobe to help guests to feel comfortable. The White Company’s range of neutral blankets and throws are perfect for bed layering.
A Room of One’s Own
If space allows, create a corner they can retreat to. It might be a little hot drinks station with an armchair they can curl up in, or a radio and bookshelf of your favourite reads to share. When you’re a guest, sometimes it can be overwhelming to be sociable all the time, and having a little space of your own can help both guest and host in equal measures! I love the nostalgia of a proper Roberts Radio.
The bijou size of this Nespresso coffee machine is perfect for guest rooms, meanwhile.
Hang Time
It’s always courteous to clear space in a wardrobe for guests to unpack. No room for a full wardrobe? These back-of-the-door hooks are a great space-saving alternative.
Road Test
Finally, don’t forget to test the room for yourself at least once before guests stay. Are the curtains thick enough? Is the mattress comfortable? Do you need some extra pillows? Once you can give it the seal of the approval, you’re ready to play host to family and friends in style.
