Guest Room Prep ...

Aren't guests so much fun?  I get so excited when we are preparing to have company ... I love having people in the house.  I have a little routine.  Head out for fresh flowers, chocolates and snacks.  Grab a tiny bottle of champs, or two, and stock the coffee station.  Pick up a couple of new magazines and make sure everything is in order for our upcoming guests.  Honestly I am getting a little giddy talking about it and no one is currently on the books to pop in for a few weeks.  #hurryplease


I truly think there are some things that each guest room needs.  Some basic needs and then some that I really think make a difference in their stay.  My goal is they feel pampered and welcome in a space that is new to them.  And for me that means a lot of little details.

First, and most important, is a well dressed bed.  I dress the bed in our guest suite just as I would dress our own.  Amazing sheets, good pillows, monogrammed pillow cases, a coverlet and a fluffy duvet.  I want to make sure the bed provides a good nights rest.  For the most part our guest bedroom, which is in our basement, is very quiet and can be quite dark.  I want to make sure our guests sleep well and wake feeling refreshed. 

I always grab a few local and new magazines hoping it will be something that is new to our guests.  I love to lay in bed and flip through mags and I just assume our guests will do the same.  A local magazine gives them a little information of what is going on around them.  This collection is very regional since our guests that weekend weren't from the south.  And is there anything more southern than Garden & Gun and Southern Living?

pagoda coffee cups

I have a coffee bar set up in the guest area to make sure they don't have to rush upstairs in the morning.  Stocked with water, darling coffee cups, cream and sugar it is ready for a fabulous cup of coffee while they are adjusting to the new day.  I also stock it with snacks for any time of the day when they need a little something.  For me ... coffee at my beck and call is the best treat.  

A few more must haves for us ... a candle and a darling dish of matches.  How darling are these matches from Anne Chovie.  I have them all over the house and use them daily!

A bowl of chocolates by the bed ...

A place to sit if they need to, a luggage stand for their luggage and a darling notepad.  I know I always find a use for the notepad in a hotel, jotting down notes and numbers.

custom notepad

I also stock the bathroom with anything I can think of they may have left behind ... an extra toothbrush and toothpaste, a sewing kit for a lost button, first aid kit, pain relief, sleep aid, shampoo, body wash, a razor and even a hair tie or three.  As a girl with a need for a hair tie I seem to lose mine quite often.

And just to take it to the next level, I light the candles in the bathroom and bedroom before they arrive and set a stocked bar cart upstairs.  They are greeted with an amazing scent when they unload their luggage and then can join me on the porch for a drink.

For me preparing for guests is very important.  My goal is to make them feel at home with the bonus of some pampering.  I want them to come back and stay again.

I do love a repeat guest!

Happy Thursday lovies ...