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It’s that time of year—when friends and family come from all over to be together for the holidays. If you’ll be hosting out of town guests this season, you’ve probably started to put some thought into how to make sure your guests are as comfortable in your home as possible. What will they need? How will you entertain them? How can you go above and beyond to create a truly welcoming environment for them?
 
It’s not always easy to make room for more people, but with the right plan in place, your guest room will give your guests a comfortable and welcoming place to enjoy their trip. Here are some of our best tips for creating a welcoming guest room.
 

Designate a Space.

 
Have a space in mind before your guests arrive, so that you can prep it accordingly and avoid any last minute problems. Ideally, of course, this would be a guest room—a bedroom (preferably with its own bathroom) that is somewhat separate from the other bedrooms and gives guests plenty of space. Unfortunately, not everyone has a guest bedroom in their home. If you don’t, see what space you can clear up. Can you move your children into the same room for a couple nights? Can you set up a home office or playroom to be a makeshift guest room? If you’re really short on space, separating part of a living room or family room would suffice. The important thing is that there is a separate place for your guests to keep their things and have a little space to themselves. Make sure you designate a bathroom for them to use, too!
 

Clear out Clutter.

 
Has that guest room become a magnet for all the things in your house that don’t have a home elsewhere? If that spare room is all cluttered up, it isn’t going to be a very relaxing place for your guests to be. Take some time to clear away stacks of papers, unused items, old furniture, and other junk that might be detracting from the welcoming feeling in your guest room.
 

Make it Comfy.

 
Sleeping accommodations can make or break a stay away from home. Do your very best to make your guests comfortable by providing them with a comfortable mattress (even a good quality air mattress will do), real bedding, and good quality pillows. Don’t worry too much about your guests having any special needs (if they do, they’ll probably bring what they need themselves) but do consider having extra pillows and blankets available for them to use.
 

Take it a step Further.

 
While bedding is very important to your guests’ comfort, it’s really only one piece of the puzzle. If you want them to know you were thinking about their comfort, include touches like:
 

• A space heater or portable fan so they can adjust temperatures to their liking.
• A white noise machine.
• A light source (table or overhead lamp).
• Fresh towels.

 
If you’re really wanting to go the extra mile, you could include things like an inexpensive pair of slippers, water bottles in the room, and some nice toiletries (think: in-home hotel experience). Most guests will not be expecting this at all, but that just makes it all the more special.
 

Have a (rough) Itinerary.

 
Schedule out big events, and then fill in the blanks with other activities you could do together. Having a list for them to choose from will make entertaining much easier. You might want to also consider building some alone time into their stay, allowing them to spend some of their time however they choose. You probably know your guest better than we do, so take their preferences into account when determining how much scheduling to do.
 
Hosting at the holidays can be overwhelming, and many people who host out of town guests feel a lot of pressure to meet a certain standard. The most important thing you can do is be hospitable and thoughtful; your guests will appreciate that more than anything else!
 
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