15 Essentials for Guest Bed and Bathrooms

By Pro.com

Having guests stay at your home is always a delight, and it’s fun to share your home with loved ones and friends. Sometimes, these house guests come unexpectedly, other times they stay for an extended amount of time. Either way, we know that even though we love having them over, sometimes planning for a guest can cause stress because not only do you want their stay to be pleasant, but you know they don’t want to feel like they’re placing a burden on you.

(Credit: nednapa/Shutterstock)
(Credit: nednapa/Shutterstock)

To make their visit easier on everyone, we’ve put together 15 essentials to make visitors feel at home and help you enjoy their stay.

1. Clear Closets and Drawers

When vacant, guest rooms often become a catch-all for the rest of the household. That’s fine! But, before you have a guest over, it’s thoughtful to clear out a space in the closet and empty some drawers. They may have traveled far and would like to remove their clothes from their suitcases. It’s a nice gesture, and you can put it all back when they leave.

(Credit: Greg K__ca/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Greg K__ca/Shutterstock)

2. Get a Luggage Rack

Having a luggage rack for guests to put their suitcases on not only makes them feel like you’ve anticipated and thought ahead of their stay, but it also keeps their suitcases and shoes off of your furniture. It’s a win-win.

(Credit: Mejini Neskah/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Mejini Neskah/Shutterstock)

3. Lots of Pillows

One thing we love about staying in hotels is all of the fluffy pillows. They also come in handy if your guest room is on the smaller side and the bed will be doubling as a couch or chair. The extra pillows allow guests to properly prop themselves up for whatever they need to do, or however they like to sleep, and will add a lot of comfort. Just make sure to have a place or tell guests where to put the pillows when they turn in.

(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)

4. Extra Bedding

As well as pillows, you should have extra bedding on hand. Keep at least another fitted sheet and several blankets of varying weight in the guest room so your visitor can sleep comfortably according to their preference. It’s not fun to tip-toe around your host’s home in search of an extra blanket.

(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)

5. Bedside Table

Also good to keep in your guest room is a bedside table. At the very least a smaller one with a drawer if your room is small. It helps make the room feel like home and keeps items on hand. It’s also a nice gesture to keep a book inside the table for your guests entertainment, or if your room features a lot of shelving, guest rooms can be a great place to store all of the books you’ve recently read.

(Credit: GoodMood Photo/Shutterstock)
(Credit: GoodMood Photo/Shutterstock)

6. Universal Charger

Probably the most forgotten item when we travel? Our chargers. Show your guests that you’re thinking about them and take some of the stress away from traveling by keeping a universal smartphone charger in the bedside table. After all, there’s nothing worse after a long day of traveling than a dead phone.

(Credit: Olga Popova/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Olga Popova/Shutterstock)

7. Blackout Curtains

Another hotel favorite. Sometimes it’s hard enough to sleep in a strange bed, but it can be especially hard when you’re in a different time zone or just sensitive to the sun. Let your guests rest and catch up on some shut-eye with blackout curtains.

(Credit: Julenochek/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Julenochek/Shutterstock)

8. Guest Tray

Setting a tray in the guest room or bathroom signifies a specific area that is just for guests apart from the room. You can add toiletries and the like onto the tray so they know they are welcomed to them, or leave it empty for them to place things like their jewelry, wallet or phone.

(Credit: Naphat_Jorjee/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Naphat_Jorjee/Shutterstock)

9. WiFi Password

In this day and age, it seems like “What’s the WiFi password” is the second question only to “How are you doing?” Anticipate your guests' digital needs by printing the WiFi password on a card and placing it inside a cute frame.

(Credit: Georgejmclittle/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Georgejmclittle/Shutterstock)

10. Amenity Basket

A lot of things can be difficult to pack—at least in the quantity you may need. And equally, things can be forgotten at home. Make a welcome basket for your guests with fresh towels, a disposable toothbrush, travel sized toiletries and some over the counter medications they may have forgotten. It will make your guests feel that much more welcome and saves them from feeling uncomfortable asking you for them.

(Credit: holbox/Shutterstock)
(Credit: holbox/Shutterstock)

11. Double Up On Tissues

It seems like a no-brainer to have tissues in the bathroom, but placing tissues in your guest’s room will save them from running down the hall in the middle of the night to blow their noses.

(Credit: liveostockimages/Shutterstock)
(Credit: liveostockimages/Shutterstock)

12. Water

The same goes for water. Add a pitcher of water or a couple of bottles to your guest room just in case they would like a glass when you’re unavailable. No one likes to go snooping around a friend’s kitchen when we’re thirsty.

(Credit: Carlos Yudica/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Carlos Yudica/Shutterstock)

13. Extra TP and Plunger

Nothing is more awkward than accidentally running out of toilet paper or clogging the toilet. It’s not even fun in your own home. Keep your guest, and yourself, from these awkward encounters by putting extra toilet paper in your drawers and a plunger in a conspicuous spot.

(Credit: Brooke Becker/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Brooke Becker/Shutterstock)

14. Hamper and Steamer

Not necessarily an essential, but if your guest is staying for an extended period of time, it's a nice touch. Clothes tend to wrinkle while traveling and a hamper will let guests keep their dirty clothes out of their suitcases and mingling with clean ones.

(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)

15. Slippers

One of the nicest ways to say "welcome to our home" is with slippers. It’s a touch almost no one thinks about, but everyone loves. There are several washable slippers available so you can make sure they’re clean for each guest. Even if they don’t end up using them, they’ll think you’re the host of the century!

(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)
(Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)
 
 

Pro.com is a website founded in 2013 by service industry entrepreneurs and former Amazon executives to simplify home services -- especially research on contractor fees and qualifications.

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