From cheesy films to mulled wine round a fire, Christmas is a time for celebration and family as we visit loved ones to spread the festive cheer. This year, nearly 10 million Brits will spend time away from home visiting friends and loved ones, travelling over 56 billion miles this festive season.
If you’re expecting a revolving door of guests this Christmas, Jonathan Warren, director and bed specialist at Time4Sleep shares 5 top tips with us to help you prepare your guest room for the festive season. From scented candles, Christmas bedscaping and passing the ‘hotel test’, find out how you can create a cosy winter-inspired space for your guests.
1. Spritz and spray your headboard and mattress
Jonathan says: “The first step in preparing your guest room for visitors is to make sure it’s clean, tidy and dust free. We often use our spare bedroom as a storage space or an office, but just because you’ve removed the extra piles of clothes and tidied away your tech doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily guest ready.
“If you haven’t used or cleaned your spare bed in some time, the sleep space can harbour a build-up of dirt and dust – particularly on the headboard and the mattress, and it should be thoroughly cleaned before your guests arrive.
“Run a hoover along the headboard before giving any tough stains a quick once over with a homemade cleaning spray. Mix lukewarm water with a small amount of washing detergent and spray onto those stubborn stains to have it guest-ready in no time.
“To refresh your mattress, sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda (baking soda to the rest of us) over your mattress and leave it to rest for up to 24 hours before hoovering it up. The bicarb will soak up any lingering odours and leave your mattress smelling like new for your guests.”
2. Do you pass the hotel test?
Jonathan says: “Surrounding yourself with friends and family at Christmas time is a great way to celebrate, but there’s nothing quite like home, so it’s important to make sure your guests feel comfortable in your space – with some festive cheer sprinkled in. A simple way to make sure you’re hitting the mark is to do the hotel test: does your guest bedroom have all the items and amenities you’d expect to find in a hotel?
“When asked what Brits do to prepare their home for visitors, only 1-in-3 hosts put out fresh towels. Prove to guests that your hosting is a step above the rest by placing some clean towels on the bed alongside a toothbrush, toothpaste and any shower essentials to make their visit stress-free and memorable.”
3. Scent scape your space
Jonathan says: “Scent is often overlooked when decorating a room but it can have a major impact on the ambience. Find out what your guests’ favourite scent is and add a candle or two to your guest room, light it just before they arrive so they are met with familiarity as soon as they get settled in.
“Not only will your guests feel like they’re at home but they’re sure to appreciate it and recognise that you’ve gone the extra mile!”
4. Free up storage space
Jonathan says: “Guests will need somewhere to put their belongings, and when they’re visiting during the Christmas months they’re likely to arrive with more gifts and items than usual.
“You might be tight on space with a spare room so look to your bed for storage instead of squeezing in a spare wardrobe or chest of drawers. A storage bed or ottoman bed is a great way to provide hidden storage space for your guests that’s effectively the same size as your bed.”
5. Lean into Christmas bedscaping
Jonathan says: “You don’t have to get the paint brushes out and refurbish your guest room to add elements of Christmas cheer. Try out Christmas bedscaping and place some festive themed cushions on the bed – why not adorn the headboard with your guests’ favourite colour tinsel too?
“If you want to go big with your bedscape, you can decorate it with a garland, paper chains and even add some baubles. Scale up your simple fairy lights or add a line of tinsel with some added extras to really make it your own.”
