Few things are worse than feeling like you’re imposing on your hosts when you’re staying in someone’s home. As hosts, we don’t want to make our guests feel that way! From cozying up the bedroom to providing extra little toiletries in the bathroom, there are several easy and cost effective ways to welcome your guests whether it’s this holiday season or throughout the year.

Here are some tips to help your guests feel as comfortable as possible during their stay.

Essentials for the Guest Bedroom

Let’s start with the guest bedroom. It’s always nice to welcome guests with a clean, fresh bedroom, with a personal touch to make them feel special. Going the extra mile definitely won’t go unnoticed.

• Fresh linens: This is a must! Sheets can lose their freshness relatively fast, so a couple days before your guests arrive, go through and wash the sheets and make the bed. Throw on some extra pillows and blankets to add to the coziness — you can never have too many.
• Entertainment: Whether this is a television, a few magazines or a good book, try to put some entertainment in the room for when your guests need a minute to get away. Everyone needs some alone time, especially during the craziness of the holidays, and your guests will be relieved that their room can double as a little safe haven when they need a few moments to themselves.
• Fans and lighting: Most rooms have overhead lighting with ceiling fans, but make sure everything is running properly before your guests arrive. We suggest placing several additional lamps around the room and on the bedside table for a warm glow. If you don’t have a ceiling fan, pick up a portable fan that your guest can move around the room for their comfort.
• Alarm clock: Many people overlook this necessity because we are all glued to our smartphones, but the same may not be true for grandma and grandpa when they come to visit. It’s nice to have an easy to use alarm clock visible on the nightstand, just in case.
• Suitcase holder: Living out of a suitcase is always a challenge, especially if it’s stashed on the floor. A suitcase holder is the perfect solution for getting your guests’ luggage off the floor and making them feel that much more welcome. Like we said before, it’s the little things.
• Space to unpack: As we mentioned above, living out of a suitcase can be a hassle. But, at least in my house, the guest room closet is usually reserved for last season’s clothing storage. If possible, make room for your guests to hang and fold some of their clothes.
• A comfy mattress: Oftentimes we overlook the actual mattress in our guest rooms. Make sure the bed is still in good shape and will provide your guest with comfort and support so they don't wake up with any aches and pains. If your guest bed looks like it needs an update, check out our list of the best mattresses for guest rooms.

Some additional “nice to haves” are hangers, a tray for guests to place jewelry and other valuables, extra outlets to charge their smart devices, water bottles, tissues, snacks, candles and a basket to place throw pillows and extra blankets when it’s time for bed. And, don’t forget to write down the Wifi password as well!

Essentials for the Guest Bathroom

• Fresh towels: Make sure your bathroom is stocked on big, fluffy towels. Wash them just a couple days before guests arrive so they still feel and smell fresh.
• Extra toiletries: Stock the cabinets with some extra shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, etc. just in case something was left behind — let’s face it, it’s bound to happen.
• Medicine: To save your guests from the embarrassment of a tummy ache or searching through your house for your medicine cabinet, we suggest putting a variety of over-the-counter medicines in the guest bathroom for easy access.

Mattress Firm knows that entertaining isn’t always easy, but making your guests feel comfortable can be. Just think of what makes you comfortable when you’re traveling and apply it to your home. We like to believe that it’s better to go overboard than to have the possibility of leaving your guests needing more.