If you love to travel, you know that the best hotels create incredible experiences for their guests. At the top of the list is Ritz-Carlton, which is known for its “Gold Standard” service. In fact, employees can spend up to $2,000 per day per guest to resolve problems. That translates into extraordinary service in everything from couriering an item left-behind to a guest to finding special food to accommodate a child’s food allergy.
If the Ritz can care for strangers this well, shouldn’t we care for our friends and family even better?
With little effort, we can create a well-designed, thoughtful space for those we love and know best.
Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography
4 Things Every Guest Room Should Include
High-quality bedding
One of the things that are most important to include in a spare room is inviting and comfy linens. You want your guests to feel luxurious and pampered in your guest room, so purchase high-quality, soft bed linens with a high thread count. And, keep an extra quilt or folded duvet at the end of the bed in case a guest gets cold. In warmer months, consider keeping a fan in the closet in case your guest gets hot.
Practical items
There are certain items that make every guest’s stay at your home easier. Start with a luggage rack so they can easily unpack their suitcase. Then, consider where your guest will put their clothes. Create a space for clothes to be hung and perhaps an empty drawer to store folded clothes.
Another must-have for your guests is plenty of electrical outlets and spare chargers. You can plug in a power strip exclusively for guest use, and buy a couple of extra chargers that work with Android and iOS devices. And, display your wifi information in a visible place so your guests can stay connected while away from home.
Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography
Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography
Small touches
If you want to create a Ritz-Carlton-level experience, you have to pay attention to the small touches. Consider some of these ideas:
- Place a pretty water carafe and glasses on the nightstand or dresser.
- Add a vase of fresh flowers to the room.
- Put a notepad and pen on the nightstand or desk so your guests can write a quick note.
- Keep a few books or magazines in the room that guests can browse.
- Gather a few travel brochures so guests can plan things they would like to do while in town.
- If you host frequently, leave a guest book for people to sign and read others’ well wishes and love.
Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography
Test it out.
The best way to know what could make your guest space even better is to spend the night in the room. It can be easy to forget things that would enhance your guests’ experience unless you sleep there yourself. This extends to testing the guest bath as well. What amenities would make your space even better?
Lisa Gilmore Design / Seamus Payne Photography
When we travel, whether for business or pleasure, we all long for a break from our normal routine. It’s nice to have a change of pace and let someone else take care of us for a few days. You can give your loved ones the respite that they are longing for by creating a retreat within your home.
Give them a home away from home.
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