14 Tips for Hosting Holiday Guests
It is the most wonderful time of the year, the holiday season, and that means playing host or hostess to family, friends, and visitors. If you plan on hosting holiday guests, be ready to welcome all of your holiday guests and make their stay as comfy and cozy as possible so it feels just like home sweet home. Whether you are hosting holiday guests for an overnight stay, a weekend, or a week-long visit, here are fourteen tips for hosting holiday guests.
Add a Personal Touch to Guest Rooms
This year, if you want to add an extra personal touch for all of your holiday guests, leave small travel-sized toiletries in all of the guest rooms. Think of popular toiletry items or anything guests may forget to pack such as hand lotion, mouthwash, and toothpaste. If you really want to add a festive and fun personal touch, set out a new pair of fuzzy holiday slippers or socks in guest rooms and leave a good book on the bedside table that guests may enjoy. Bonus if it is holiday-themed.
Assign Seats
When hosting holiday guests, you do not need to create assigned seats, but if you feel like getting festive, create holiday-inspired name cards for your holiday guests.
Bedding and Towels
Prior to your holiday guests’ arrival, make all of the guest beds with a fresh set of bed sheets and pillowcases. Have extra blankets and pillows on hand and set out clean bath towels and washcloths in the guest bathrooms.
Child-Proof If Needed
If holiday guests include babies, toddlers, or small children, walk through your home and search for any potential pitfalls that may be harmful to the littlest of holiday guests. Store any harmful objects or delicate holiday decor and child-proof any furniture if needed.
Clear Out the Coat Closets
Before holiday guests arrive, create some extra space in the coat closets and guest closets. If you live in a colder climate, guests will most likely arrive bundled up in bulky coats, hats, scarves, mittens, and snow boots. Clear out some space in your front entryway, hall closet, and guest closets to keep everything neat and tidy during their holiday stay.
Free Up the Fridge
Before holiday guests arrive, free up some space in the fridge and make extra space for extra food for holiday guests.
Holiday Activities
Hopefully you can spend some time with holiday guests during their stay, but if there is a day or two when you have to work at the office or remotely, have a list of holiday activities on hand for guests to enjoy such as community holiday events, church concerts or choir performances, and local light festivals or parades.
Holiday Beverages
If you are playing holiday host or hostess, create a variety of custom cocktails and mocktails for your guests to sip and savor upon their arrival at your home. Whether you offer mugs of hot apple cider or mulled wine or set up a hot chocolate station, channel your culinary creativity and make it festive.
Information Station
When hosting holiday guests, they may have a lot of questions. Create an information station that is centrally located in your home (the kitchen or living room are both great spots). Write down quick references of important information like alarm codes, garage door codes, and Wi-Fi passwords so guests can quickly reference them if needed. You may even consider temporarily changing your Wi-Fi password to something guests can easily remember that is also holiday-themed like Christmas, Santa, or snow.
Local Spots
Holiday guests may want to explore the town or finish up some last-minute holiday shopping, so leave a list of local spots like community cafes, delicious restaurants, and places to shop for holiday gifts.
Prepare for Potential Pets
If holiday house guests plan on bringing their own furry friends, ask guests if they need any extra necessities for their best friend. Although your holiday guests will most likely bring everything their furry friend needs, it is still a nice gesture. If you are really in the holiday spirit, you can even purchase some holiday treats or a new toy for them. It is the season of giving after all!
Stock Up on Snacks
Stock your kitchen cabinets and pantry shelves with plenty of snacks so guests can graze whenever hunger strikes. Purchase extra produce like fresh fruits and vegetables. Show guests where everything is kept so they can dig in whenever they need to satisfy a snack attack. Set aside any food you may be using to cook up your holiday feast so no one accidentally eats cheese for the holiday charcuterie board.
Storage Containers
Since everyone’s eyes are usually bigger than their stomachs, you will most likely have holiday leftovers, so stock up on reusable to-go containers beforehand so you can dish up to-go plates for all of your guests to enjoy the next day or when they head home.
Sweet Send Off
Give your holiday guests a sweet send-off by sending them home with some delicious desserts from the holiday festivities. Fill these containers with holiday brownies, cookies, and peppermint bark - anything goes. If you are out of homemade baked goods, throw in a few classic cookie options like Walker’s Shortbread.
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