With the holidays quickly approaching, we’re looking forward to spending some extra time with our family members!
And while we love seeing our family, the holidays do come with one stressor: travel. Because our family is split between Pittsburgh and Texas, seeing all of our family means somebody has to travel.
Even though we typically love traveling (especially when we’re living our van life), fighting holiday traffic on the road or at the airport is always tough.
And it’s even tougher for house guests.
After a long, cramped drive or flight, they’re tucked away into a strange room and expected to sleep well in preparation for long days packed with holiday festivities.
Don’t put them through that! Give them a space that’s truly welcoming and comfortable.
6 Tips For Setting Up A Guest Bedroom
If you’re planning to host family from out of town this holiday season, here are a few ways you can keep them comfortable in your home:
1. Short on rooms? Use a room divider.
Sure, your living room might have a couch and cozy easy chair for guests to sleep on, but this isn’t exactly the most private area for your houseguests.
Give them some extra privacy with a room divider.
These partitions can go up at night and quickly fold away during the day.
And while the partition is up, your guests will have plenty of privacy to change and get ready for the day—even when you’re cooking breakfast in the kitchen.
2. Buy a cot.
Camping cots can be surprisingly comfortable—and they cost much less than a typical mattress.
Because of their small size, you can easily slip an extra cot or two into a bedroom, potentially doubling how many people can sleep in one room of your home. If necessary, you can even slip a cot into an office, living room, or kitchen.
As an added bonus, a typical cot is elevated off the ground, which means your guests won’t need to climb up and down from the ground, as they would with an air mattress.
Plus, these cots conveniently fold away for easy storage when they’re not in use!
3. Use an air mattress.
Air mattresses require a little extra room than your typical cot, but they come with a few advantages:
They’re closer to a typical mattress.
They can accommodate typical sheets and blankets.
They store away easily when they’re not in use.
If you have the space in your living room or finished basement, an air mattress can be much more comfortable than crashing on a couch or sharing a bed with a family member.
4. Consider the amenities.
You want your house guests to be comfortable.
Help them out by imagining what it would be like to spend the night in your home. When setting up their bedroom or space for the evening, ask yourself:
Do they have a mirror? If there isn’t a mirror on the wall, even a handheld mirror can help them prepare for the day.
Do they have privacy? Remember: A simple partition can go a long way!
Do they have access to an outlet? No one likes to travel with a dead phone or laptop. Plus, outlets are helpful for curling irons, hair dryers, and other small appliances. Whenever possible, give your guests a power strip for more functionality and flexibility.
Do they have direct access to a bathroom? Having to step through someone’s bedroom to get to a bathroom isn’t ideal.
Comfort doesn’t just extend to sleeping and getting dressed, however. Prepare your guest quarters with the same amenities you’d find in your favorite hotel room. That includes:
The wi-fi password
Bottles of water
Simple snacks, like fruit or nuts
Towels
Shampoo and soap
A trash can
Extra phone chargers (You’ll get bonus points for this one!)
All of these can help make your guest area even more comfortable!
5. Give them control over the lighting.
Putting your guests into the spare room or living room could mean putting them into a room where you’ve never hung up good blinds and curtains.
And a lack of curtains or blinds could mean your guests will be subject to the morning sun whether they like it or not.
Before your guests arrive, check that your blinds and curtains are in working order. If necessary, make a quick run to the store to install blackout curtains that will help your guests sleep better in a foreign space.
Giving them control over the lighting also includes ceiling lights and lamps. If possible, give them a lamp close to the bed, even if it means setting up a coffee table and lamp next to a cot or air mattress.
6. Make it as comfortable as possible.
By this point, you’ve provided a mattress or cot, you’ve thought about lighting, you’ve given them privacy, and you’ve even provided some extra amenities.
Now it’s time to ensure they’re as comfortable as possible while they’re sleeping!
Extra sheets and blankets will help them control their temperature regardless of what temperature you set the heat to.
Tip: If you’re pulling a sheet or blanket out of storage for the first time in a year or two, throw it in the wash to remove that old storage smell.
In addition, be sure they have extra pillows, especially if they’re the type of person who enjoys having their head elevated or a pillow between their knees.
Finally, don’t forget to give them some sort of white noise machine. A white noise machine can help drown out street noise or simply fill the silence, helping your guests sleep better.
Happy Holidays!
While we’re on the topic of holidays, we’re wishing all of you a happy and safe holiday season! If you’re looking for something to do with your family, check out our board game recommendations!
If you’re traveling, be careful and have fun!
Cheers,
Julie & Ted