Welcoming summer guests
IN THE SUMMER, we always seem to have guests. I always try to be a great host, but particularly so when it comes to overnight guests. We have a designated guest room and I love playing hotelier. The mattress is top-notch, sheets are 100-per-cent cotton and pressed. There are several pillows to choose from and an extra blanket in the closet where I make sure there are good wooden hangers and space to hang clothes. There is a lamp for reading and the room is equipped with its own television and remote. Sometimes the “overnighters” are unscheduled (like when a dinner guest has had a bit too much wine!) so I always have my guest room well-stocked with fresh soap, towels and even basic grooming items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, a razor, shave cream and waffle robes. I even have a sleep mask, slippers and pajamas never used and left over from an overnight flight. When guests are visiting from out of town, I like to make them feel really welcome, even a bit pampered. I’ll always place fresh flowers by the bed and in the bathroom and provide a new bar of beautiful soap on a fresh stack of luscious towels. A lavender sachet is a nice touch to promote relaxation. A carafe or a bottle of water on the nightstand is important and a lovely hand cream is a nice touch, as is a “welcome” chocolate by the bedside to wish “sweet dreams.” Inexpensive rubber flip flops are particularly useful at a cottage and make a great take-away gift. Current magazines and a few interesting books to look at come in handy when a guest is burning the midnight oil, and a notepad and pen are also useful. Even for accommodations that may be no more than the living room sofa, little details add a feeling of luxury, and are a sure way to say: “We’re glad you’re here!”.