How to make your overnight holiday guests feel right at home.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Take hosting overnight guests off your list of stressful items this holiday season. Follow our tips to make your overnight guests feel right at home.
1. Provide the essentials
The first step to making sure your guests feel comfortable is supplying them with essential items like fresh sheets, towels and plenty of toiletries. If you have available space, clear off a closet shelf or a couple of drawers so they can stow their belongings. They'll likely need to charge cell phones and other devices, so make sure there is an outlet or power strip available.
Bonus: You can even supply them with books and magazines for some relaxing entertainment. A take-home postcard would also add a nice touch to help them remember their trip.
2. Give them privacy
Sleeping in a new environment is hard enough for some people, so make sure your guests have adequate privacy to allow them to relax. Add a few window coverings and check that bedrooms and baths are equipped with locking knobs or levers. With Schlage Custom™ Combined Interior, you can easily switch between locking and non-locking functions on any door depending on whether you have guests staying with you.
3. Make them feel at home
Show your guests where they can find all items they may need like food, drinks, tea and coffee. There's nothing more uncomfortable for a guest than to have to ask every time they need a glass of water. Also make sure there are a few simple snacks for when hunger strikes. Keep things easy for yourself by providing grab-and-go breakfast items like bagels, fruit and granola bars. When it comes time for dinner, let your guests help you with food prep. This is a great time for conversation and makes them feel comfortable and useful rather than like a burden.
4. Make it easy to come and go
Unless you plan on spending every minute with your guests, it's a good idea to make sure they have access to come and go from your home. Either provide a spare key or consider a keyless solution. With a smart lock, you can create a unique access code for each of your guests and not worry about them waiting in the driveway if they arrive before you get home from work, losing a spare key or getting locked out. At the end of their visit, simply delete the code. Try our Get Help Deciding tool to find out which of our smart locks is right for you.
5. Give “Santa” secure storage
This tip is based on a true story from one of our employees. If your guests or Santa need to hide presents, you may actually want to consider a smart lock for an interior door. It might sound extravagant or overkill, but a lock like the Schlage Encode™ Smart WiFi Deadbolt or the electronic keypad lever work great for interior rooms that need extra security like a home office, wine closet or basement where you might also store paint or toxic materials within reach of curious kids and pets.
6. Leave a list of best local spots
If you're not able to give your guests the local tour, provide a list of your favorite spots for various activities, stores and restaurants. This gesture is thoughtful and will help make sure they're having a great time in your city.
7. Provide important numbers and WiFi password
You may find yourself needing to head in to the office or can't always be around to help your guests. Leave a handy list of numbers should they need to reach you along with any other information like WiFi or device passwords.