Master Holiday Hospitality: Tips for Wowing Your Guests
Holidays can be stressful enough, whether it’s the Christmas season or a long Memorial Day weekend, but add in hosting duties and some might be ready to wave the white flag! Preparing and hosting guests can be intimidating, but I’ve found that there are a few things you can do that will allow you to be more present during this special time and will help your guests feel comfortable in your home.
Communicate
Just like organizing, the key to hosting is to be proactive rather than reactive! Communicate before the visit.
Before her guests arrive, our CEO Christina likes to send a text like the one below:
“We’re so excited that you are coming to stay with us! I wanted to let you know that I have a few things on hand to make your travel super easy! We have a blow dryer and curling iron you can borrow if that lightens your suitcase load. We’ll also have extra snacks, phone chargers and a robe.
It makes us so happy when we can have the little things you enjoy on hand - a specific type of coffee, your favorite creamer or sweetener and any other special requests. Please let me know what you enjoy!
I have a few meals planned but we’d also love to show you around. Please let me know the specific type of food you might be craving and I’ll make reservations!”
PRO TIP: Save this text in your Notes, so that it is always handy when a hosting opportunity arises!
Share the Meal Plan. Once I have my guests’ requests, I can create a meal plan and post the schedule in a central location in the kitchen so that everyone is on the same page!
We love to do “build your own” style meals like pizzas, tacos, and loaded baked potatoes that can be easily adapted according to personal preferences and allergies. I also always have ingredients on hand for charcuterie boards for an effortless meal that still feels elevated!
PRO TIP: Have a list of suggested spots saved in Notes for a quick reference. Keep an alert on your phone to cancel within the cancellation window if other plans come up.
Help Them Feel At Home
Traveling can take a lot out of your guests, so there are a few things I like to do to make sure the guest suite is not only ready for their arrival, but also serves as a cozy retreat for them!
Stock a hospitality basket. My favorite way to welcome guests and ensure they feel at home is to create a “Help Yourself” hospitality basket stocked with everything they may need for their stay.
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Shaving Cream
Razor
Q-tips
Chargers
Hand Sanitizers
Travel tissues
Makeup removing wipes
Travel size face wash
Travel size deodorant
Sunscreen
Feminine products
Hair Ties
Lotion
Travel size Ibuprofen/Advil/Tylenol
Ready to make your own basket? Pin and save our complete list of our “Help Yourself” hospitality basket items for here!
If you have drawer space in a guest bathroom, a deep drawer is also a great location for guest essentials! We recommend using various sizes of the The Home Edit drawer organizers.
Go the extra mile
We like to include these items in the guest room to ensure visitors have a comfortable stay:
A welcome note with the WiFi password
A robe and slippers (especially if the bathroom they will be using is not attached to the bedroom or will be shared with others)
A small fan
A portable white noise machine
An extra phone charger
Snacks and water bottles (we asked what you would want to see in a guest room and this was the #1 answer!)
A blow dryer
Extra towels, including a Weezie towel (to ensure your white towels stay white!)
A simple flower arrangement or orchid
steps to achieve the perfect folded towel:
One of those little luxuries that goes a long way with guests!
This way of folding actually saves space! Store them in a cabinet or do we what do…store them in a cute basket next to the shower or bathtub.
Ready to bring in the experts?
Our teams in Austin and Charleston would love to help you curate a home you love and feel proud to host in. Click here to schedule a complimentary discovery call with our team!
