Company is Calling
Time to make up your guest room
Whether it’s your mother-in-law from Michigan, your best friend from Buffalo or your daughter from Des Moines, they’re all looking for a comfortable room to stay in when they come to Southwest Florida. So what are some ideas you implement to make your guest room a little cozier for them?
“I set out stamped postcards and a pen,” says Virginia Browne of Matlacha. She notes that she also leaves a guest log book so her visitors can write about their stay—for the next guests to read.
“Think about your favorite hotel room,” advises Wrenda Goodwyn, a Southwest Florida interior decorator whose firm is called Spectacular Spaces. She is a certified gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network and an American Society of Interior Decorators associate.
Goodwyn suggests the following tips: Set up a luggage rack so guests are able to keep their items off the floor; leave a welcome note with your Wi-Fi password; provide an empty drawer in a dresser or an under-the-bed drawer, and offer closet space with hangers or an over-the-door hanger. And if possible, extend surface space and add a tray for items such as jewelry and watches.
Whether your guest, or guests, will be in town for a night or a week, they all appreciate these simple gestures, especially after a long trip to get here. “No matter how long they are staying, you can make them feel even more at home with a new set of towels, a robe, a small set of shampoo and conditioner, a hair dryer, nice soaps, and magazines that you know they like,” adds Goodwyn.
Scented candles and fresh flowers add a lovely touch, as does a pretty pitcher filled with water and lemon on the nightstand, along with drinking glasses. Nightlights are also appreciated because they help guests navigate their way around a bit easier, especially considering that many have come from a different time zone and may be up later in the evening.
“I also keep a mini flashlight in the nightstand,” Browne says. She adds that flashlights are especially handy when there is a power outage.
And don’t overlook the bathroom because there are ways to add inviting touches to it as well. A few of Goodwyn’s suggestions include providing extra toothbrushes, razors, toothpaste, cotton balls, cotton swabs and similar items that your guests may have forgotten—all while remembering to leave
“Think about your favorite hotel room.” —Wrenda Goodwyn, owner of Spectacular Spaces
Nightlights are also appreciated because they help guests navigate their way around a bit easier, especially considering that many have come from a different time zone and may be up later in the evening.
a little room for their personal items.
One final favorite touch of Goodwyn’s is to give guests a framed photo of their last trip to town, or even a retro shot. Remember to take a new photo so you can update the frame when they return some day.
“Lastly, you can also do a test run on the room,” adds Goodwyn. She explains that staying in the room yourself might help you consider the lighting, the comfort and the convenience—to see what else you can add to make it even cozier for your guests.