Holiday planning: 4 creature comforts to offer guests

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Overnight guests can make the holiday season feel that much more special. Spending extra time with loved ones is part and parcel of the holiday season for millions of individuals, and hosting overnight guests ensures hosts get quality time with friends and family members they may not see much of throughout the rest of the year.

Holiday hosts may want to go the extra mile for their overnight guests who traveled long distances to see them. With that in mind, hosts can provide these four creature comforts to make overnight guests feel right at home during their stay.

1. Charging dock: Just about anyone who has traveled over the past two decades has forgotten to pack a phone charger or left one behind at one point or another. A charging dock on each guest room nightstand can ensure no such fate awaits hosts’ friends and family members.

2. Fresh bedding: It’s customary to wash sheets after overnight guests leave so the next time loved ones are welcomed into a home the bedding is clean. But if it’s been awhile since you’ve hosted an overnight guest, wash the bedding, including sheets, pillowcases, covers, and, if necessary, comforters or duvets, prior to guests’ arrival. The scent of freshly washed bedding can set a welcoming tone that guests will appreciate.

3. Toiletries: Stock up on extra toothbrushes and travel-sized accessories like mouthwash and hand sanitizer so guests who might have forgotten their own items don’t feel like they have to impose and ask for a ride to the store to purchase new items. If kids are coming, be sure to purchase some spare kids’ size toothbrushes.

4. Privacy: Privacy is perhaps the most significant creature comfort to offer overnight holiday guests. In homes with small children, hosts can check guest room door locks to ensure they still work and install replacements if they don’t. In addition, in homes where this is possible, designate one bathroom as “guests only” during their stay. Privacy also can extend to where guests spend their nights. If possible, pick a room away from the hustle and bustle of the house so guests can get some quiet time and rest during their stay. If that’s not possible, hosts can make sure the holiday festivities quiet down at a certain hour each night so overnight guests can rest if they so desire.

Holiday hosts can take their offer of hospitality to the next level by offering their overnight guests some creature comforts that can make their stay that much more enjoyable.