Love, love, love Miss Margo's Guest Room suggestions =}.

Our guest room is 10x10 with one window, no closet. An older house...LoL. My parents visited for four days in October and complimented us on how it was arranged. (We're still unboxing, settling from a cross-country retirement relo!)

Two twin beds we can arrange as one with headboard clip-on reading shades. Two end tables with "Oggs" colour-changing lights and towel & toiletries baskets. One coffee table with Keurig coffee maker & coffee tower and goodie basket. Two sets of old fashioned wooden accordion racks on the back of the door.

Eventually I want to turn the MBR into the Guest Suite ;-) It will be palatial at 14x14 with a private 3x5 bath.

Well, now, I have operated my bed and breakfast for 20 years now, and can tell many of you have the right attitude to make your guests feel warmly welcomed! Some of the things I offer my guests include bathrobes, extra comforters, both feather and hypoallergenic pillows, flat screen tv with remotes and listing of the channels it receives, clock radio with iPod dock, instructions for operating the clock radio and tv remotes, dimmer switches on lights, fireplaces set up with kindling and wood, (all set to light,) bathrobes, toiletries, extra toilet paper, toilet plunger (so they don't have to be embarrassed to ask for one if needed), plenty of towels, coffee/tea fixings in the room, ice bucket and tongs, wine bucket and opener, wine and water glasses and coffee mugs, some biscotti and small chocolates, the password for the wifi, some magazines and brochures on the area, including maps (we are located in a great tourist area), their own key, room-darkening shades, cold bottled water and seltzer in a guest refrigerator (not in-room, but in dining room), trash can in room plus one in bathroom, hair dryer, plenty of nice wood and padded hangers, fly swatter, room journal and pen, luggage racks and drawer and hanging space, a note with my cell number if they need to reach me, and of course, I give them choices for breakfast as well as what time they would like to dine. I think it is important at home to give your guests a tour of the house, clue them in on where to find light switches, etc., and what to expect as far as when you will be getting together and when you might be off tending to your responsibilities. Free time for them to wander, relax, etc., on their own makes the stay better for guest and host, I think. Scheduling "let's meet for a glass of wine at 6 then go out for dinner" works well for me for personal guests. I included some pictures of my guest rooms. The inn dates back to 1799.

We are just building a brand new home and I had a cheater door installed between the guest bedroom & bath, I think it is nice if company doesn't have to go out in to the hall to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night. We don't have a limo, but anyone arriving by any other means then their own car, we pick up. :)

I always have fresh bedding and a clean room and bathroom. Usually fresh flowers. Nightlight. Water. All the extras in the bathroom such as toothpast, extra toothbrushes, blowdryer, shampoo, conditioner, etc.

Anyone who comes to stay at my house is considered family. Of course, everything is clean and fresh when they arrive; there is a carafe with inverted glass on top on the nightstand along with an alarm clock; there is a nightstand lamp and an assortment of magazines and books that can be taken home with them. The general rule is that for the duration of the stay, this is their home. They are encouraged to help themselves to whatever they need, to participate in cooking and cleanup if they so desire, even to hog the remote if they get it first!

Before a guest arrives, I ask if there are any food allergies, likes and dislikes; any sights or activities they would enjoy. Then when they arrive, I just relax and enjoy their company.

After cleaning the house, food is a priority.

We always make a pot of soup, have an assortment of lunchmeats, cheese and bread/rolls, large bowl of fresh fruit, some sort of homemade cookies or brownies and cut up fresh veggies in the fridge. We want our family/friends to know there way around the kitchen & feel comfortable enough to help themselves to food/beverages even if it's in the middle of the night.

@ iluvdiy, how charming your guest rooms are!. Love the wall colors.

For donlouise who was asking about bed size, my answer is it depends on the size of your house guests! I opted to put a queen bed in my small guest room with a tiny nightstand on either side. Guests appreciate having the roomier bed. I know when I travel, I prefer sharing a queen bed with my hubby rather than a double - especially when one is used to a king size at home. Just my two cents (:-D

Where do your guests put their suitcases to unpack and where after unpacking? Are the lights good enough to read by at night, and can they be reached from the bed? Also, I leave a stack of book/magazines in the bedroom for guests to read and they are encouraged to take them when they leave.

Thank you LB Interiors! For me the paint is one of the more inexpensive ways to "furnish" a room and it doesn't clutter spaces for the guests. Although my B&B is very colorful, my private home is really neutral - mostly taupe and off white. I would actually find it difficult to live 24/7 in "too" much color...

I just wanted to say - be careful with using scented products like air fresheners and laundry detergent/fabric softener. I don't know how common it is, but I know for me running into a strong fragrance like that can often totally ruin my day because it will trigger a migraine, and I do know other folks who get migraines who are scent sensitive. (So while it might not set one off, it will make one worse.) So use a light hand unless you know your guests share your preference for home scents.

I live in NYC and get frequent visits from non-nyc buddies. I have it pretty much down to a science at this point. Scrub the bathroom. Put out clean sheets (sadly all they get is a couch), pillows and towels. Leave the spare set of apartment keys with the security desk (they always seem to arrive during work hours). Write down the WIFI password on a welcome note. Most importantly, however, is I make sure the fridge is stocked with a couple of their fav things. It's a touch that everybody seems to love. Voila - happy guests.

Aside for the basic clean linens, place for suitcases, travel toiletries, towels, etc, ...for guests who come the first time, I like to include a small basket of locally produced items and brochures that give our guest some insight to our northern California town.

I also provide a fan. Not only for cooling, but more for white noise. This helps to cover up the strange sounds that all new locations have.

I put a framed picture of the guests on their bedside table--a highlight of their last visit, an old picture of us together (for example, college days). Guests love it!!

Looks like everyone has covered the bases. Totally agree about the scented air fresheners. Flowers or even scented candles can trigger headaches for those of us who are "scent" sensitive. Most of us would be reluctant to tell our hosts that the lovely flowers they so thoughtfully purchased for our benefit are making us ill. Wrapped chocolates or mints on the pillow can also be a nice touch. Sorry, but for me, the limo seems a bit over the top. Would much rather spend the time with my hosts (if possible) and visit during the ride from the airport.

Hello Margo I want to stay at your place.

I just had guests and they commented how nice it was that I had placed plastic glasses in the bathroom. They said that most people don't think to do that. After reading all these comments I need to step it up a bit. My sister always has a little goodie basket on the bed for us when we visit. I think that is nice.

This has got me thinking - some nice hotels provide bathrobes. Would you do that for your guests? I'm kind of tempted if I can find something nice but kind of one-size-fits-all, because the guest room doesn't have an attached bath - there's one very close, but both rooms are also fairly close to the living and dining rooms so I can see someone maybe feeling a bit uncomfortable going to the bathroom in just pajamas.

(It's not a normal place to have the main guest room, I suppose, but I decided to locate it there because of friends and family with mobility issues. The house isn't entirely accessible - steps to get in - but this way once you're in then everything is pretty easy to get to.)

I think it is wonderful that we all have friends or guest that we care enough about and can't wait for their company. NOW our guest room is 8x8 and is the computer room and files as well. My husband has his clothes in all 3 of our bedrooms, full up.All 3 of mt closets are like 20 inches deep by 3 1/2 feet long. My last friends that came were my extra good friends,She is lovely but a little bigger than I she is about 190lb he is a vary big man his calfs are as big as my waist. He is about 6'5' 275lbs. My rooms are very small and there is no place for luggage or clothes. I do try and make it welcoming though by turning down the bed and putting something special on their pillow. I try to remember something they have mentioned when we were talking ppreviously. My girlfriend loved my earrings that were cosmetics jewelry. I went and bought those for her and put them on her pillow. TOP that Margo (Just kidding). For him I found a magazine that he likes but doesn't run across in his area.Hemmings Motors for the men. For breakfast I remember their favorites and do yogurt parfaits with fresh fruit ,mimosa's, tortillia wraps with prosciito ham ans special brie cheese. Our home is not big but our hearts are!!!!!

One of the best things friends supplied us when we visited them were terry cloth bathrobes. No semi-naked dashes from bath to bedroom. We feltt like we were at a spa.

We live in NZ, and our UV levels are high. I put a small pot of sunscreen in the bathroom. Also I just changed from a queen bed to two singles as we don't always have "couples" to stay. It's working much better for mother/ daughter, two girlfriend visitors etc.
I prepare a spare key and a current ferry timetable.
We recently had a youngish male guest who simply sat and expected me to wait on him. He stayed for over a week and never made a coffee or his own toast, despite me setting the table and leaving the toaster and a selection of breads, bagels, crumpets out. I actually felt a bit put out by the end of his stay!

White Company White Lavender Pillow spray - makes the bed smell lovely when its bedtime. Such a treat.

I want to go to Margo's house!

Alarm clock, flowers, fluffy towels, ironed sheets, lots of personal care things in bath (preferably ensuite), something for music, books, magazines, wrapped candies, and a glass of wine delivered prior to dinner.

Some great ideas! I also leave in my guest room an extension cord.

I have just added night light to my "always take" travel stuff (great idea).

We have hosted some "highfalutin" guests here... but I insist on a personal touch. I personally pick them up in my cowboy cadillac if needed. They have either our guest apartment in the horsebarn ( fully equipped), or, our guest suite ( if they are close friends/fam). I prefer intimate settings to large blowouts * those are in spring/summer/early fall. Usually include a memento.... ( Most guests * and fish, smell after three days....

If you have one, a spare charging cable is probably also a welcome addition to a guest supplies basket. (Most phones use the same type of USB connector these days, I think, with the exception of the iPhone. Plus even if you don't have the right thing, it indicates that you were thinking of their needs, right?)

I stay in the room to see what amenities it needs.

Several people have mentioned an alarm clock. Funny that... Mom & Dad noted how relaxed they felt because there was no clock in the room. o_O didn't even think of a clock!

'm blushing writing this LoL as there's only one clock in the house. Yes, the entire house. It's on the kitchen microwave. Maybe I'll treat the guest room to a Regulator style clock or something equally vintage. Maybe something kitcheyish!

Definitely going to get DD and her Bestie monogrammed robes when they come for Christmas. Wish I'd thought of that for The Folks.

Margo and Margaret B, I am curious. What do you serve your limousine ferried guests for breakfasts? :)

Prune Danish;)

@locrian - If some of your guests have specifically mentioned liking that there isn't a clock, then I'd probably go with something easily tucked away or moved to another room when they're the ones visiting. Or just pick up a nice travel sized alarm clock and put it in the basket of guest goodies. Then people can set it out or not depending on preference.

(Plus, so many people now use some personal device as an alarm clock, which is much easier than fiddling with setting something that's unfamiliar. Most of the reason I have an alarm clock in my own room is because it has a sleep setting so I put my ipod on it and play a falling rain track if I'm having trouble getting to sleep - and bonus my ipod is charged in the morning.)

What a great article and very timely with the holidays here, some fantastic suggestions. I don't have many overnight guests but when I do, I will remember many of these great ideas. Making my guests feel welcome and comfortable is my top goal. The times my brother and s-I-l have stayed, they have told me how welcome and special we make them feel, that says it all for me.

We have a second story guest room and have a collapsible fire ladder near a window in case of a fire. May not be pretty but would rather be safe than sorry. Also have a working smoke alarm.

My daughter has nice fluffy bathrobes in her guest room closet, one white and one grey. I love using one when we visit, because it saves luggage space not having to bring my own. I also appreciate space to hang clothing and nice hangers.

Bottle of wine/port & glasses, chocolates & travel sized essentials. Also if we are taking them out a schedule of what we're doing and meal times etc so they can be ready on time without feeling rushed.

We are in our 60's and just finished building a guest-friendly home in FL. Friends and family seem to be lining up on the visitors schedule. The home is handicapped-friendly, with wider doorways and lipless large shower stalls. 3B/3B. Each bedroom has its own bath, with one accessible to the great room also. Guest room sizes are 14x14 and 12x15. I love all the suggestions offered and plan to incorporate many of them. We want all our guests to feel peace and serenity during their stay. I appreciate the bed advice. We could not decide on size, but based on the comments it looks like we'll do twin beds that we can put together for couples and separate for others. I also found ottomans that turn into twin beds, so I plan to use these with a comfy reading chair or two, in case they are needed. There's an outdoor shower with sprayer on an adjustable rod for tall or short in the fenced in garden. We joke about posting a daily schedule of activities in the great room: bingo at 9, cards at 10, nap time, board games... The kitchen has a lot of open shelving so guests can find breakfast selections and other eats whenever they want. We thought this way we don't have to wait on everyone and they can feel "at home." Like a lot of our guests, we participate in sporty activities. We will have kayaks at canal's edge at the dock along with fishing equipment, bikes, golf clubs etc. For our guests who use wheelchairs, they will find lots to do, and lots of reading materials too. I will keep on following this discussion. It has been very informative. Thanks everyone!

@marytbates - if you haven't already I would look into installing grab bars in the showers also - one of the bath fittings companies (I think Moen) has some that don't look nearly as horribly institutional as what you tend to see, and I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that they're just a good thing for everyone. It's pretty easy to slip in the shower even if you're able-bodied, and even a single well-placed grab bar can mean the difference between not falling and ending up with bruises or worse. I'm glad that companies are starting to branch out in the designs so it's easier to have them installed without making your bathroom look like you got all the fixtures from a hospital.

Also, if the bathrooms are to be disabled-friendly, does that mean toilet height, too? Some toilet designs are really quite low and that can be a problem if you have any kind of knee issues, and if you're trying to transfer from/to a wheelchair. So that'd be something else I would double check. (My late husband used a wheelchair and my mother has some health problems including awful arthritis in both knees, so these are just things that have come up for me while helping them.)

Love this stuff:-)) especially with holidays season nearby.. I am going to have my sisters and brothers come over to my new home. They all have kids/babies. I do have enough room and proper bedding arrangement for them, got an idea of setting up a guest caddy(from you all here:-)).. but I don't know where I can get some temporary items for kids.. something that is new yet temporary. We don't have kids so we dnt have anything for kids comfort. Any ideas?

@sweetadobe
Grab a pad of paper (thicker for drawing or painting). Check out the dollar store for cheap sets of paints and a couple of brushes. (and a plastic tablecloth). If you don't want the mess of paints (and it's summer) have a paintbrush and bucket - they can paint the house/concrete with water. Add a packet of 36+ non permanent markers (Crayola has some great fun options) or pencils. Print out some colouring pages (lots of free sites - can do simple to complex mandalas that even older kids will enjoy. Get some blocks (paint up offcuts of wood for a cheap version) or grab a heap of cardboard boxes and cut them into sheets (leave a couple with flaps attached.) (A friend went to the hardware and got a stack of their cardboard packing pieces.) Kids quickly learn how to build 'card' houses with them if demonstrated and they aren't heavy when they collapse. Or a small pop up tent makes a great kid space indoors. Or even a quilt over a broomstick between two chairs. Anything that gives kids their own space is good. Grab a couple of favourite bedtime stories books. A small tea set (or a picnic set) is a good play tool. Babies don't need much that their parent's wouldn't bring anyway - have a quilt to throw on the floor, a soft ball (bigger than a tennis ball) and maybe a teething toy that can be washed between visits.

Good stuff! I would only add that we have to remember to show our guests how their shower works. The diverter is in the bathtub's faucet (the actual downspout) and has to be pulled down to, er, divert the water to the shower head. It's not at all obvious or intuitive if you aren't used to it.

@ivandavgv - oh, good point! Also show people where light switches are in the common areas, if they aren't super obvious. (Sometimes, particularly with a house that's been remodeled, the light switches can end up in REALLY ODD places.) Power outlets too - if the one in the guest room is awkward to get to, perhaps just install a short extension cord to be used while your guests are staying. I know my mom appreciates having an outlet right there on a table to use - even accessible wall outlets are a little low for her to use comfortably due to mobility issues. (Every so often I try to decide if having a lamp like they do in hotels with an outlet built in would be handy, or make the room look a little too much like a hotel... :) )

Definitely reinforce the idea of having photos of your guests with you. Change these out for each new guest(s).

Personalize scents if you know in advance what they like.

Make sure the mattress is comfortable!

Having a flat screen TV with Skype capability is an awesome touch, so guests can see their locals back home.

I'm writing a manual for my guests - So many 'old house' quirks. Also the guest room is downstairs and self contained so not like they can just stick their head out of the room and yell.

I purchased a luggage rack for my guests to use. One of my guest rooms looks like the one shown here. Not a large amount of extra space. The luggage rack comes in handy. I'm actually thinking of getting a second one since two guests will most likely be staying in the same room.

Please, no scents, especially the sheets.

Clean linen, towels, new soap, seafood, salads and extra wine.

To rosecraft, sounds great, what's the address? LOL After reading other comments I need to do more for my guests. I like the idea of a small refrig with water and sodas, a radio or TV, and special bars in the showers...not just for the elderly. I always have clean sheets , towels, toiletries, OTC medications, and extra bathrobes. I love all the ideas. Thanks