How To Organize A Spare Room For Overnight Guests

8 Key Factors Of Perfect Guest Room

Whether you decide to put your guest or guests on an air mattress, futon, or double mattress, the type of bedding is not your only concern, when hosting guests for an overnight stay. Here are a range of factors for you to ponder as you decide to make ‘mi casa es su casa’ come to life in reality, not just in word.

1. Space

Your guest or guests must have enough space in which to feel at home. Ensure that, as a minimum requirement, there are no shoes, clothes, or other items cluttering up their experience in your spare room, then give the room a good vacuuming and airing. They should have ample space in which to hang clothes so leave plenty of hangers available and ensure there is enough space for luggage and travel bags. Their bathroom, ensuite or not, should also be inviting; some cabinet space designated for your guest(s) would be a nice touch.

2. Air mattress

In the absence of a permanent bed or futon, consider purchasing a decent air mattress; they are not that expensive and will be very useful in years to come. It would be useful to place the mattresses’ head against a wall so that the pillow doesn’t fall off the end. Extra blankets and bedding might also come in handy because most air mattresses will get hotter in summer, colder in winter; there would be nothing worse than for your guest to have a miserable night of tossing and turning or shaking and shivering. You can find some tips on how to make an air mattress more comfortable and wether or not you should repair or replace when they develop holes.

3. Blankets

As mentioned, providing your guest(s) with a range of blankets and/or sheets is an excellent idea. Flannel sheets are ideal during colder months while linen or cotton are perfect in summer months. Pillows are also very important; the more the merrier. One’s pillow can be quite a personal choice so giving them a few pillows is thoughtful. If they don’t like them, at least they’ll have a blanket or blankets which, in a pinch, could be wrapped around to make their own pillows.

4. Ambiance

It’s not Feng shui, but placing your guest’s air mattress symmetrically and near a light source is a helpful thing to do, as well as ensuring that the curtains or blackout blinds are fit for purpose; nothing worse than sleeping in a room that gets completely light at 5 am! A white noise machine can ensure that no sudden noises will jar your guest awake, while an air purifier will reduce the chance of any breathing problems; it can take time to get used to someone else’s house and allergies are a common problem. These are valuable additions to any household and you’ll benefit from them yourself, over time.

5. Cleanliness

A bit of pampering never goes amiss. For your guest not to have to worry about such things as towels, toothbrushes, shower gel, deodorant, and a dozen other bathroom conveniences is a weight off their mind; they will surely reciprocate when you stay at theirs. When traveling anywhere it is a real pain to have to factor in all these little necessities for just one or two nights, so you’re actively reducing their stress.

6. Storage

If you live in an apartment and space is tight, consider deflating and stowing away the air mattress during the daytime, to create some space and avoid that claustrophobic feeling. Pillows, blankets, and sheets can all be put away so that your guest will feel as free as possible, in a more restricted space.

7. Refreshments

Stocking up on more groceries than usual isn’t going to break the bank and will definitely improve your guest’s stay with you. Extra fruit in the fruit bowl, plenty of milk, cereals, bagels, cheeses, and other goodies will be much appreciated, especially if you encourage them to help themselves. These are not luxury items and you want them not to feel trapped in a spare room, but at liberty to eat and drink whenever they want.

8. Connectivity

Ensure that your wi-fi connection reaches your spare room, so that your guest(s) can kick back and attend to emails, social messaging, or just book reading or internet surfing, as they wish. A bean bag would be a great way for them to lounge and enjoy a time-out. You won’t want to be chatting and hanging out the whole time, so facilitating some alone time will be much appreciated.

Overall, treat your guest(s) as you yourself would want to be treated, and where possible make their stay in your spare room close to a hotel experience in which all their needs are catered for. When you go to theirs you will feel that much more relaxed. You don’t want to be on tenterhooks during your stay, don’t want to be worrying about sleeping comfortably, don’t want to feel hungry or thirsty in the night, and don’t want to have anywhere to read a book or surf the web. Well, neither do they.