The Perfect Guest Room

My husband and I have four children, and the older two are away at college nine months of the year. As happens so often when children begin to leave the nest, we found ourselves – finally! – with a room we could designate as our “guest room”. Preparing it for guests, I ran across a piece of advice that went something like this: Once you’ve set up a guest room in your home, spend a night in it, as if you were a guest, and see how well it ‘works’. Well, I thought this was great advice! Thus, one night when my husband was away on business, rather than sleeping on our own room, I slept in the new guest room. What follows is a checklist of things things I came away with. Perhaps in reviewing it, it will help you set up your own ‘perfect guest room’.

1) Is the bed comfortable?
In the case of my son’s room, he had a lumpy old mattress and I knew it. But, I reasoned, why buy a brand new mattress when he’s away most of the year? Besides, I knew from experience that teenagers can sleep – quite literally – anywhere! However, after my father complained about the mattress being horrible on his back, my husband I dutifully purchased a new set for our son’s room. The trouble is, new mattresses can be so deep these days that we unknowingly purchased one so high my father-in-law couldn’t even get up in it. This, we discovered after a recent visit from my in-laws. After spending a couple of hours visiting and catching up, we all retired at the same time. Imagine my surprise the next morning when I woke to find my father-in-law asleep on the family room couch! While my mother-in-law is still agile enough to climb up into a high bed, my father-in-law is not. So, make sure the bed is comfortable, and if you purchase one of the new deep mattresses, consider buying a set of bedsteps to go along with it.

2) When sleeping in the bed, is the temperature comfortable?
This one seems like a no-brainer; if you were cold in your guest room, chances are, your guests will be too. The reason I included this is because, chances are, you won't know if your guest room is overly cold or warm, unless you've spent the night in it. If its cold, add more blankets, a thicker quilt, or my personal favorite - a down-filled comforter. If you were too warm, go the other way and use lighter-weight bedding. Finally, if you suspect your guests will fall prey to the ‘Goldilocks Syndrome’ – i.e., this one thinks its too cold, that one thinks its too hot, and the third thinks its just right, fold a blanket or quilt across the bottom of the bed to be pulled up as necessary, and keep an additional one or two blankets handy in the closet. Beds, like people, are best dressed in layers that can be removed or added as preferences shift.

3) Is the somewhere – other than the floor – for your guests to put a suitcase?
I confess, this is my own pet peeve. There is nothing worse than having to live out of a suitcase, even for the weekend, that is sitting on the floor. Everything seems to spill out onto the surrounding floor, making a big mess. If you have a proper luggage rack, great! If not, consider putting a small backless stool or bench in the room that is large enough for a small suitcase to sit on. If your guests are staying for a longer visit, consider emptying a drawer or two for them.

4) Is there somewhere to hang hanging clothes?
This one is easy to address. Simply slide the clothing in the closet aside so that there is an 8”- 10” length of unused closet rod in the center, and hang some empty hangers in this spot. If you absolutely don’t have room in the closet, consider using attractive over-the-door hooks, and hang some empty hangers there.

5) Is there a decent mirror in the room?
No guest wants to come down to breakfast with his or her hair sticking out like a half-plucked chicken. Believe it or not, my son’s room did not have a mirror. He prefers to do all his personal grooming in the bathroom, where he has a big mirror and plenty of light, so he never needed one. I have since added a full-length mirror to the back of his door, where guests can not only check their hair, but their whole person as well.

6) Is there sufficient light in the room for your guests to read in bed?
Lots of people like to read before dropping off to sleep. Try doing this in your guest room. Is there a bedside lamp that is bright enough to read by, and close enough to turn off, without getting out of bed? If not, be sure to add one – to each side of the bed, if possible.

7) On the subject of reading in bed, have you provided anything to read?
Magazines are a common choice - they’re inexpensive and cover a wide range of topics – but they are quickly out of date. Its no fun to read about how to throw a perfect Halloween party when Easter is just a month away. Novels are another common choice, but they can impractical as most people don’t want to start something they won’t have time to finish. I prefer books with short stories or anecdotes; something from the “Chicken Soup” series or a collection of memoirs from famous people in history. Whatever your preference, supply something.

8) Is there an illuminated clock in the room?
I hate stumbling out of bed to fumble for my glasses so I can see where I put my cell phone, which I want to use to check the time – all without waking my husband. An illuminated clock on the bedside table – just like you’d find in any good hotel – is the answer!

9) Is there a handy place for guests to put small items?
It seemed that whenever my parents came to visit, my mother would remember to collect her earrings from the bedside table on her side of the bed, but not my fathers’ medicine from his. Or, my father would loose a handful of spare change from his pocket when he picked up his pants from their hem. Now, I keep a small ceramic decorative tray right on the dresser. As guests undress, they tend to automatically drop their small items into the tray. It’s as if its got some kind of magnetic draw, and it works like a charm!

10) Last but not least, do the window treatments do their job?
Bright and cheerful guest rooms are wonderfully inviting during the day, but it can be annoying to have the sun in your eyes at daybreak. In our case, we had a different issue. We had roller shades on the windows that we pulled up and down for light control and privacy, while the hanging panels on either side of the window were purely decorative. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention this to one guest. She went to pull the curtains closed with a swift and sturdy yank, and ended up pulling the whole curtain rod off the wall. Trust me – I was more embarrassed that she was!