Whether you’re hosting guests during the holidays, a family gathering or a quick weekend visit, you want them to feel welcome, comfortable and well-rested. The easiest way to help guests feel taken care of is to create a guest bedroom that is equal parts sleep sanctuary and relaxing retreat. Since the bed is the focal point of a guest room, hosting visitors is a great excuse for upgrading the space’s mattress, bedding and linens. It’s also an opportunity to flex some creativity, designing the space to reflect your personal style or try something more experimental than you’d want in your everyday sleep space.

Once you create a welcoming, restful space for guests, stock it with all the essentials to help them feel right at home. Here are our tips on guest bedroom design ideas and supplies to ensure that your guests enjoy a great night’s sleep.

Design a Hotel Away From Home

Channel the vibes of a boutique hotel when designing your guest bedroom. Think: a bright, decluttered space where the centerpiece is a welcoming bed. Treat guests to sleep in luxurious bedding like crisp, high-quality sheets, quality sleeping pillows and a deluxe, all-season duvet.

From there, you can add thoughtful additional elements. Stock the room with a fluffy robe and ample towels, plus amenities to keep them comfortable and hydrated.

For a personal touch, leave a handwritten welcome note with the Wi-Fi info and add a small vase of fresh flowers and reading material on the bedside table. Spending a little extra time anticipating guests’ needs will not only make them feel taken care of, but it’ll also reduce hosting stress and let you focus on spending time together.

Guest Bedroom Essentials

To create an inviting and comfortable guest room, be sure to declutter and clean the space first. From there, consider adding these essentials to make your guests feel right at home. Simple touches go a long way!

• Bed Pillows for All Sleepers: A good pillow is essential to sleep quality, so offer an assortment of bed pillows so guests can choose one suited to their sleep style and preferences. 

• A High-Quality Mattress: Two of our best mattress picks are the Sleepy's By Sealy Hybrid HD Premium Mattress, which offers superior support, comfort and pressure relief, and the Sleepy's By Sealy® Medium Euro Top Mattress, which is ideal for a range of sleep positions. For more guidance on shopping for a new mattress, check out our Mattress Shopping Guide. And don’t forget to protect your investment with a mattress protector. 

• Storage: Make space in dresser drawers, put extra hangers in the closet (or add a small mobile clothing rack), set up a small foldable luggage rack or consider adding a bench or ottoman to the foot of the bed. An easy, inexpensive storage solution is to add an extra over-the-door towel rack or a couple of wall-mounted hooks for coats, towels or purses. 

• Wi-Fi Info: Print out your home’s Wi-Fi network and password information and place it inside a small frame that can be displayed on a dresser or bedside table. 

• Outlets: Ensure there are enough outlets for guests to charge electronics. You might consider adding a power strip or docking station, or a bedside lamp with a USB port. Bonus points for providing an extra phone charger. 

• Chair: Having somewhere to sit other than the bed is essential, plus it comes in handy for draping coats, stacking clothes or resting purses on. 

• Basket of Amenities: In case your guests forget certain toiletries, it’s a nice gesture to offer an assortment of travel-size essentials such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, shampoo, conditioner, soap/body wash, deodorant, disposable razor and shaving foam, makeup remover wipes and individual packets of pain relievers. 

• Side Table: A bedside table is not only essential, but also an easy way to add style to a space. Try placing the table near an outlet so guests can easily recharge phones and electronics, or upgrade to a hotel-style version with USB ports and outlets. 

• Remote Work Amenities: Provide guests with a comfortable setup, should they need to do a bit of work or check their email. Try adding a small desk if space allows, or opt for a laptop desk or tray that can easily be stored in the closet. 

• Extra Blankets: In addition to a cozy throw, keep extra blankets in the closet in case your guests get cold during the night or want to retreat to their room to put their feet up or take a nap. Choose woven or fleece blankets made with 100% cotton, a cotton-poly blend or polyester, like this charming plaid chenille throw. 

• Sleep Accessories: Make sleep easy by helping guests recreate their ideal sleep environment by stocking the bedside table with accessories such as earplugs, an eye mask, pillow spray, a noise machine and an alarm clock. 

• Water Carafe and Glasses: Set out a pitcher of water and drinking glasses so that guests can stay hydrated throughout their stay. 

• Humidifier: Improve the air quality in the guest room by adding a tabletop humidifier to counteract dryness brought on by heating systems. 

• Full-Length Mirror: This allows guests to check out their appearance, but it also helps create the illusion of more space.  

• Throw Rug: For guest rooms with more than one bed or one with hardwood floors, consider adding a throw rug between beds or on either side of the bed so that guests have a soft, warm landing when they get up. 

• Window Treatments: Be sure your guest room has curtains, blinds or shades to control light and keep guests on a regular sleep schedule. Blackout curtains can be especially helpful for anyone traveling far enough to battle jet lag, or for kids who need extra help sticking to a bedtime routine. 

• Tissues: Stock the room with a box of tissues as well as travel-size packets of Kleenex to stash in coat pockets and purses. 

Style Your Guest Bedroom

Besides ensuring guests have a comfortable place to sleep, consider how you want to design your guest room. Additions should be stylish, functional and reflect your personal style.

• Experiment with Color and Patterns: Add pops of color and fashionable touches with throw pillows, area rugs, seasonal throw blankets and bold wall art. You can also paint an accent wall or even ceiling, or try adding wallpaper to make a statement. If you’re color-shy, opt for a largely neutral color palette and pick three colors for the accents. 

• Add Texture with Layers: Create depth and dimension by layering in texture, like mixing and matching throw pillows in different fabrics such as velvet, silk or knit. Incorporate different accents in one vignette, like a wood bedside table with a leather catch-all and a glass votive candle. Pick an anchor color for bedding, then add textural contrast with brushed cotton sheets, a textured quilt and a knit throw blanket. 

• Create a Seating Area: Having a place for guests to sit offers them another place to rest or to get some work done. Try adding a cozy armchair in an empty corner of the room and drape it with a throw blanket. You can also stash a small foldable table or laptop tray nearby. 

• Opt for Warm Lighting for Cozy Atmosphere: Swap out bright white lightbulbs for warm, yellow bulbs and add a bedside lamp with bulbs that emit a soft glow or install a light-diffusing lampshade. You can also stock the room with clean-burning candles or pillar LED candles for extra glow. In kids’ rooms, consider hanging up fairy lights. 

• Add Flowers and Greenery: Fresh flowers and plants help make a room feel fresh and lively (bonus points if you pick your guest’s favorite blooms). A large potted floor plant can help fill a corner or small, unused space, and installing hanging plants can help add movement to open up a space. A collection of succulents in varying shapes makes for a low-lift, easy maintenance option. 

• Incorporate Local Touches: Hang framed photos or wall prints that reflect hometown pride, like a noteworthy cityscape or landmark, or add design accents that nod to your region’s heritage or landscape. 

Personal Touches for Your Guest Bedroom

Make the room your own by adding a few personal touches that show off your hosting sensibility and make your guests feel extra welcome.

• Welcome Note: Write a card with a heartfelt note for your guest and leave it on their pillow along with an individually wrapped treat, like a chocolate or candy. 

• Reading Material: Set out a variety of reading material, like a book you recently read and loved, your local city magazine or a special interest magazine according to your guest’s preferences, like food, fashion or sports. 

• Journal and Pen: Leave a journal or notepad and pen, pencil or markers on the bedside table to make it convenient for guests to doodle or write notes or to-do lists. A journal might encourage them to take a few minutes for reflection before bed, which can foster an ongoing gratitude practice that helps set the stage for restful sleep. 

• Spa Inspo: Invite calmness into your guests’ evenings by setting out an assortment of aromatherapy products in relaxing scents, such as lavender or eucalyptus. Bonus points if you set out slippers (disposable ones are fine) and a fluffy cotton robe. 

• Seasonal Decor: Add design accents that nod to the season, like hanging a holiday ornament on the doorknob, draping the headboard with a festive garland or arranging figurines or keepsakes on the dresser.