It’s no secret how much I enjoy gathering friends and family for a day or evening of food and fun. So having the opportunity to host overnight guests and love them up even longer? Well, that’s just next level!
We did a lot of hosting this summer, and I loved every minute of it. Scratch that. Do I love stripping the beds after everyone leaves? No. Absolutely not. Is it totally worth it? A resounding YES!
With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought I’d share some of the little things I do to make our home feel welcoming and comfortable for overnight guests. My approach to houseguests is really the same philosophy I use when entertaining for dinner or throwing a party: I want people to feel welcome, comfortable and at home.
After many, many years of opening our home to family and friends, I’ve learned that it usually isn’t the big things people remember. It’s the little touches that say, “We’re so happy you’re here.”
Now, before we go any further, a disclaimer. Fun-Size may have a slight “go big or go home” mentality when it comes to guests. 😂 Do I manage every single thing on this list every single time? Nope. Life happens. But rest assured: you will have clean sheets, fresh towels and a stocked bathroom. We have standards around here.
A lot of this list comes from being a guest myself—both in hotels and in other people’s homes. I pay attention to the things that make a stay especially comfortable…and the things that don’t. I’m also someone who hates bothering a host for something I need, so I try to anticipate what my guests may have forgotten or might need during their stay.
Whether you have an entire guest suite or you’re turning the kids’ room into temporary guest quarters, here are some of my favorite ways to say:
Welcome! Stay awhile. We’re happy you’re here.
Set the Stage
1. Bring the Season Into Their Room
If you’re hosting during a holiday, carry a little of the celebration into the guest room. It doesn’t need to be elaborate—a small holiday pillow, a festive little tree or a few seasonal touches are enough.
I especially love doing this at Christmas. If the rest of the house is feeling merry and bright, why should the guest room miss out on the fun?
2. Put the Wi-Fi Password Where They Can Find It
In our tech-filled world, nothing says “make yourself at home” quite like…
What’s your Wi-Fi password?
Save everyone the trouble and have it displayed in the guest room. Frame it on the bedside table or leave it on the desk where it’s easy to spot. Connected guests are happy guests. Literally.
3. Set Out Fresh Towels
Have a fresh set of towels waiting for each guest rather than making them hunt through the linen closet—or worse, ask you while you’re in the middle of making dinner.
HOT TIP: Before guests arrive, take an honest look at your towels. Are they still fluffy and inviting…or have they seen some things?
If they’re looking a little tired, guest season may be the perfect excuse to replenish them. New fluffy towels practically scream, “Welcome!”
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4. Add Fresh Flowers
This is such a small thing, but it makes a room feel instantly special.
You don’t need an elaborate arrangement. A flower or two clipped from the yard and tucked into a bud vase is enough to tell your guest, “I was thinking about you before you got here.” And really, that’s what all of these little touches are about.
5. Leave a Personal Note
One of my favorite—and probably most underused—welcoming touches is a handwritten note.
It can be as simple as telling your guests how happy you are that they’re visiting and how much you’re looking forward to your time together. Leave it on the bed, desk or nightstand for them to find when they arrive.
FUN-SIZE BONUS: I’m currently on a personal ‘Bring Back the Handwritten Note’ Campaign.
A text is nice. An email is nice. But there’s something about someone taking the time to sit down and actually write a card or note that feels different. More personal. More intentional. Don’t let it become a lost art!
6. Surprise Them With a Welcome Gift
For a recent Girls’ Weekend with some dear family friends, I wanted everyone to feel a little extra special. I found the cutest bags and had each one embroidered with the guest’s name. Then I filled them with a few fun treats: hand cream, Trader Joe’s room spray and a candle, Grace & Stella eye patches plus a sleep mask, candies and mints.
I wrapped each one up with a personalized welcome tag—color-coordinated with the bag, of course. 😉 They came out so cute and were waiting for everyone when they arrived. It was such a fun way to kick off the weekend and immediately say, “I’m so happy you’re here!”
Now, does every houseguest need a personalized embroidered welcome bag? Absolutely not.
But for a girls’ weekend, birthday, holiday visit or other special occasion, a small welcome gift can be such a fun touch. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive—even a favorite snack, little candle or something personal to your guest can make them feel celebrated.
And really…you know Fun-Size isn’t going to pass up an opportunity to put together a cute little gift.
Make Their Stay Comfortable
7. Give the Suitcase a Home
I always make sure there are empty drawers and some available closet space, but I’ve learned that plenty of people would rather live straight out of their suitcase.
Enter: the luggage rack.
It keeps their suitcase off the floor, makes packing and unpacking easier and saves your guests from performing suitcase yoga every time they need a clean pair of socks.
8. Think About the Little Things
💡 LIGHT IT UP
Make sure there’s a working bedside lamp within easy reach. I’ve stayed in guest rooms where the only light switch was across the room. Nothing like turning off the light and thinking, Well…good luck to me.
🔌 POWER UP
Most of us charge our phones overnight—and use them as an alarm—so make sure there’s an easily accessible outlet or power cord near the bed. No crawling behind the nightstand required.
📚 A LITTLE BEDSIDE READING
Leave out a few books or magazines your guest might enjoy. My bookshelves are loaded with favorites, and I fully support a little People magazine as a vacation guilty pleasure.
🌙 LIGHT THE WAY
A nightlight in the bedroom hallway and/or bathroom can be a lifesaver in an unfamiliar house. Your guests—and their toes—will thank you.
FUN-SIZE HOT TIP: Throw a nightlight in your suitcase when you travel. No more stubbing your toe on the hotel bed frame at 2 a.m. because you can’t see where you’re going. You’re welcome. 😉
Stock the Essentials
9. Create a Help-Yourself Snack Basket
I always give guests a little tour of the kitchen and fridge if they’re unfamiliar with our home and make sure they know they’re welcome to help themselves.
But let’s be honest: not everyone feels comfortable rummaging through someone else’s cabinets looking for a midnight snack.
Having a basket with a few sweet and savory options available for whenever they want a nibble has always been a hit at our house.
Bonus points for including a favorite snack you know they love.
10. Stock the Bathroom
We have one guest room with an attached bathroom and another that uses the adjacent bathroom. Either way, I stock them the same.
In the drawers: toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, makeup remover, razors, Q-tips, feminine products, a brush and a few other commonly forgotten necessities.
In the shower: shampoo, conditioner and soap or shower gel.
And yes—the good stuff. Your guests are not getting the mysterious bottle of shampoo that’s been sitting under the sink since 2019.
HOT TIP: Transfer shampoo, conditioner and body wash into attractive refillable bottles like these I purchased on Amazon. It’s an inexpensive way to care for your guests and elevate the look of the bathroom.
Make Mornings Easy
11. Set Up a Coffee (and/or Tea) Station
Not everyone wakes up at the same time—especially guests visiting from another time zone.
A pre-set coffee station means the early riser doesn’t have to wander around your kitchen wondering whether it’s socially acceptable to start opening cabinets at 6:00 a.m.
I set out the cups, spoons, sugar and everything else they’ll need. Then, if I’m not awake yet, all they have to do is press a button and coffee—or tea—is on its way.
Because sometimes the most hospitable thing you can do is make sure nobody has to talk before they’ve had caffeine.
The Part That Really Matters
Here’s where all those little preparations pay off.
Once everyone arrives, I don’t want to spend the visit worrying about towels, toiletries or whether someone knows where to find a snack. I want to enjoy the people who came to stay.
Because the flowers are pretty and the fluffy towels are lovely—but they aren’t the point.
This is.
12. Take—and Share—the Photos
During their stay, I try to take pictures of the things we do together.
Admittedly, this one isn’t entirely selfless. I want the pictures, too!
Whether we’re out on the water, sightseeing, having dinner or just hanging around the house, those photos become part of the memories we made while everyone was together.
After everyone gets home, I send some of my favorites along with a quick text telling them how much we enjoyed having them. It’s such an easy way to put a little bookend on the visit—and one last reminder that their time with you mattered.
The Most Important Part of Hosting
So there you have it: some of my favorite ways to welcome overnight guests.
Are all 12 necessary? Absolutely not.
In the frenzy of getting the house ready, washing sheets, fluffing towels, stocking snacks and wondering why you waited until 11:00 p.m. to clean the guest bathroom, don’t forget why you’re doing any of it. It’s about making the people you love feel welcome.
It’s about sitting around the table too long, laughing in the kitchen, catching up over coffee, staying up later than you planned and making memories together.
Thoughtful hospitality isn’t really about having the perfect guest room. It’s about anticipating the little things that allow your guests to relax, settle in and feel cared for.
That can happen without fresh flowers. It can happen without a welcome gift. It can even happen without a snack basket.
But clean towels? Those are non-negotiable. 😂
What little touches do you add when overnight guests come to stay? Share them in the comments—I’d love to hear your ideas and add a few new tricks to my hosting repertoire!
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You are my hostess go-to Goddess! Thank you for all these amazing tips!