Hospitality: Making a Guest Feel at Home

"Hospitality is anticipating the needs of your guests."
- Pam Morton, my awesomely wise mother

Flashback Summer:  Hospitality- Making a Guest Feel at Home

Welcoming someone into your home can be one of the most vulnerable, loving, kind acts someone can do.  Thinking ahead of time and learning to "anticipate the needs of your guests" can ease any discomfort, ambiguity, or uncertainty they may experience and leave them with a fond memory of you and your home.

Especially when having a guest stay the night, there are a lot of questions that may be going through their mind.  Can I find my way into the kitchen in the dark to get my midnight glass of water?  Where are the towels?  Can I eat any of their snacks?

Many questions.

There is an easy way to answer these questions: a hospitality basket!  It's not just for hotels or special events.  Leave your guest a basket of items that will clear up ambiguity and show you care about them.  While you definitely don't have to include everything listed, here are some good items to consider:

Toiletry Items
- small shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (save these from your hotel stays and keep a stash for such moments)
- washcloth
- towel
- for women, tampons and pads (I'm sure we've all had desperate moments that we would have liked to avoided!)

Comfort Items
- aspirin/ pain reliever
- sleeping mask
- ear plugs
- comfy sleep socks

Food Items
- chocolate (it's just..... great.)
- snack bars/ fruit (in case they get the munchies between meals)
- bottle(s) of water (don't make them stumble in the dark to the kitchen at midnight!)
- beef jerky/ string cheese/ protein (I only add this because I know from experience of the wondrous benefits of protein on some people's moods)

Like I said, you don't have to include all these items, but thinking ahead and including a few of them in your guest's area will express proactive hospitality and love that they're sure to appreciate!

6 comments

  1. Can you imagine if you arrived at a home with a basket filled with these items? You would feel so loved and cared for! Really good ideas. Maybe a follow up post could be on "How to be a good houseguest." I also love it when airplanes provide sleep socks and earplugs. That might be an appreciated addition, too!

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    1. I actually thought of you in the "comfort" section when I put the earplugs and, especially, the socks! Especially if they got sick. They would HAVE to wear socks.

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  2. You already had them listed! How did I miss that?! Socks ARE a very nice thing to have...esp. when sick. : )

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  3. What wonderful tips - I adore the fact that you kicked off this great post with a quote from your own mom (so sweet!).

    ♥ Jessica

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