When you are too nice to your guests and treat them like family, the problem is that, without your wanting them to, they can become your family. Only use the following suggestions if you really like your houseguests and are positive that even after three days they won’t smell as that old adage warns. Proceed, however, at your own risk.
Give them the Ritz treatment. This does not mean stacking the VCR with old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’s movies, although they are certainly not a bad choice on most occasions and are sure not to offend. Provide terry robes and “guest only” hairdryers in the bathroom. Tell your guests ahead of time they don’t need to pack these things and provide them with their own television if it is at all possible. This is far from an altruistic move, as it will come in handy when you want to watch PBS and your guest prefers MTV.
Smells of all sorts tend to linger in rooms that are seldom used. Air out your guest room and fill it with fragrant flowers like lilacs, gardenias or roses before your guests arrive. Keep the flower arrangement on the bedside table low and compact so it doesn’t get knocked over when guests grope for the alarm clock. Find out what your guests like to read and buy some books at a second-hand bookstore. It is a very thoughtful gesture and paperbacks are easy to transport to the beach, park or that most desired location, back on the plane headed for home.
Little things mean a lot. Flourishes like a small, pretty bowl on the dresser or nightstand for jewelry or a watch and a baby pillow for a nice little neck roll are very thoughtful and most guests appreciate them. (If the one you are entertaining doesn’t, then don’t read this at all.) One final touch that is sure to please involves overlaying existing framed photos with snapshots of the visiting guest, if you have them. Slip in suitable replacements when the next guest arrives, making sure not to include photos of former spouses, ex friends and the like.
Small gestures make people feel welcomed and cared for and are more important than elaborate meals and furnishings. Just remember to make sure you really like the person for whom you are going to all this trouble.
If things get out of hand, make a reservation at a nearby motel and come back home a few days later.
Related Reading:
“Whimsical touches for Plain bedding and Fabrics”
“Flowers In The Home: An Old Thought”
http://forums.families.com/kitchen-baths-amp-bedrooms,f392