Simple Guide to Hosting Overnight Guests During the Holidays

Whether you love it or hate it, the arrival of the holiday season is soon upon us. Halloween and fall seem to disappear sooner than the week of Halloween itself and Christmas decorations begin to take over often before we even see fall decorations go up. Because of this, many people are staunch believers that the holiday season should not be celebrated before the weekend of Thanksgiving. I totally get it! Let us enjoy each holiday and season while it’s here and not move on too quickly. Even so, it’s important to get prepared, especially if you plan to host overnight guests for the holidays. That’s why I created this guide to hosting overnight guests during the holidays. It goes great with my mini Thanksgiving planner!

RELATED: Thanksgiving Preparation Guide

If you are hosting overnight guests during the holidays, it’s imperative to have a plan that you can put into action. No one enjoys staying at someone’s house and having no idea what’s going on. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be militant and have every hour of your guests’ stay planned out. However, having a plan of action is helpful for keeping you organized and for helping guests to feel more comfortable, as they will have a better idea of what to expect.

What to Plan and What Not to Plan

You may be wondering, well then, what do I plan? Or better yet, what do I keep unplanned? From my experience over the years, I’ve created a short list of what you should have planned and what you can keep unplanned.

What You Should Plan:

What to Keep Unplanned:

Preparing for Guests

Hosting overnight guests during the holidays can be stressful. Even if you are very familiar with the guests you will be hosting, it’s still important to prepare ahead of time, especially if you are having a big meal and will be cooking and baking. I don’t necessarily think you need to go crazy when it comes to preparing if you are also having a big holiday meal, but guests will thank you. Here are some things you can do to get yourself far ready in advance.

Plan your holiday menu 6-8 weeks in advance. This sounds like a lot but by creating your menu, sourcing your groceries, and making a timeline for cooking, you will feel less stressed and be able to enjoy your guests more.

Use a preparation checklist. This is where my guide to hosting overnight guests during the holidays will be useful. Not only do you get a handy guide with the tips you’re reading in this post, you also get a detailed checklist that will get you prepped and ready.

Plan out activities and meals ahead of time. Guests want to know what’s going on with things like meals and activities. If they’re willing to, have them pick out some restaurants and activities they’d like to indulge in. Even better, provide them some recommendations for your favorite places and have them pick from those.

Keep guests informed. Similar to planning out activities and meals, it’s also a good idea to have information handy for guests. It doesn’t have to be much, but they’ll want to know things like where to store items, where there are extra linens, what food and drinks they can have. Providing a home tour and simply going over a few things while you walk is a great start to make guests feel welcomed.

RELATED: Christmas Preparation Tips

Now that I’ve covered some of the basics, let’s dive into our guide to hosting overnight guests during the holidays.

Tips for Hosting Overnight Guests During the Holidays

Make guests feel welcomed and comfortable.

In my opinion, this first tip for hosting overnight guests during the holidays is the most important. More than anything, you want to create an environment where your guests feel welcomed and where they feel they can be comfortable and cozy. Sure you have your house rules and if you want guests to abide by them, no problem. However, if you feel comfortable in your own home, I guarantee you your guests will, too. Some ways you can make them feel welcomed and comfortable include

• Providing blankets and making them easily accessible
• Creating personalized touches like a welcome sign
• Writing a note thanking your guests for staying with you
• Adding cozy touches like scented candles and music to match the mood
• Having food and drinks easily accessible
• Making sure guests know they don’t need permission to access food and drinks

Help guests get situated.

Do not (I repeat, DO NOT) make your guests enter your house and then do nothing while they stand there awkwardly. I recommend greeting guests at the door, then showing them to their room. It’s tempting to stand in the doorway and want to chat with guests as they unpack; however, if they had a long trip, they’ll probably be tired and will appreciate you allowing them to unpack in peace as they get situated. You can always give your house tour after they finish unpacking.

Provide a home tour.

You may not need to do this if your parents regularly come into town, but if you’re hosting overnight guests during the holidays who aren’t regularly in your area, it’s always a good idea to provide a house tour. You’ll want to point out where the bathrooms are, the snack cabinets and drink fridge (if you have one), of course their room, and the guest bathroom. It’s also fun just to show off your house if guests have never been there. I love having my personality come through in my home and I love it even more when guests pick up on that.

Show guests where to put items.

Another surefire way to make guests feel awkward is to make them assume where everything is or should go. You’ll want to inform guests if you have any specific house rules they need to abide by and where they should put their belongings. If you don’t want them wearing shoes in your house, make sure they know this and know where to put them. If they have coats, be sure they know where the coat closet is. Make sure they have storage space for toiletries and a place for any snacks or drinks they may have brought. It’s also a nice gesture to provide a small laundry basket and to let guests know they can do laundry while at your house instead of piling up dirty laundry until they get home.

Ask guests ahead of time for preferences and requests.

One of the best tips I have for hosting overnight guests during the holidays is to ask them ahead of time for their preferences and requests. Your guests may like different food and drinks than you do. In our home, we rarely drink soda; so, if we have guests coming who love soda, it’s important for me to know that ahead of time so I can purchase it. Some guests may also have food sensitivities or allergies that you’ll want to plan around. It’s also a great idea to provide recommendations for restaurants and activities so guests can give you their preferences. Since you know the area you live in best, you know what activities there are to do.

Unless your guests are completely dumbfounded and have no opinions, it’s a nice gesture to ask them what they’d like to do and build your itinerary around their preferences. TripAdvisor is a great site to use to find different activities in your area!

Ensure guests how where and how to access food and beverages.

If you’re hosting overnight guests during the holidays, they’ll probably be staying for at least a long weekend. During that time, they’re going to be eating and drinking. They might even do it when it’s not a mealtime! With this in mind, make sure guests know what food and drinks they have access to and where they can find them. You can get as fancy as creating a list for your guests or labeling items for them, or you can simply tell them what’s available. Keep in mind, if you have food you are saving for a holiday dinner, you’ll want to make sure your guests know that certain foods might be off-limits until then.

For your coffee and tea drinkers, be sure guests know where they can access all supplies, including mugs, sweetener, spoons/stir sticks, half & half/milk, creamer, and the coffee or tea itself. One of my favorite blogs, Stone Gable, has a great post on fall coffee bar ideas. I like to make a big pot of coffee the night prior and either set it to brew on a timer or, since I’m an early riser, I’ll start it once I get up. I love to bake so I also always keep pastries on hand. Breakfast casseroles are a really easy make-ahead breakfast you can provide for guests and not have to feel like a short-order cook.

Provide options during downtime.

My family and my husband’s family both love to relax. I’m sure yours does as well! However, if you don’t plan to go out much, especially if you’re hosting a holiday dinner, you’ll want to provide some options during downtime. You don’t need to go crazy and schedule out things, but having some extras for your guests will be helpful. Here are some options:

• Crafts for children
• Puzzles
• Puzzle books
• Cards and board games
• Books and magazines
• Movies
• Guidebooks of the area
• Trail maps for guests to walk or take a hike

Provide important information and timelines.

If you are hosting overnight guests during the holidays, a great way to make them feel at ease is to provide them with important information and timelines. I mentioned before that you don’t need to plan out every hour. Your guests came to relax and spend time with you. They didn’t come to feel anxious and inundated with activities. However, they will want to know what’s going on during their stay. It’s a good idea to provide a general timeline with an overview of the major activities taking place, like dinner reservations or other activities that have set times, like church or guided tours. Here are some things you’ll want to consider telling your guests about.

Have extra items like toiletries ready.

When it comes to hosting overnight guests during the holidays, it’s always best to be over-prepared! There’s a chance someone will forget toiletries, so it’s best to keep extras at hand. In my guide to hosting overnight guests, you’ll get a very detailed checklist with all the items you’ll want to have for your guests. This includes items like extra toothpaste and toothbrushes, toilet paper, feminine products (trust me, this is a must), cleaning products, body wash, and extra linens. Sure, you can always run to the store, but that takes away time from your guests, and it’s just one extra thing you don’t want to have to manage while hosting during the holidays. Your guests will thank you for having the extras stocked up!

Make guest rooms feel luxurious.

There is nothing better than staying at someone’s home and feeling like you’re sleeping in a luxurious hotel room. This doesn’t mean you need to buy the fanciest linens and towels, but there is plenty you can do to make the spacy feel just a bit more luxurious. Here are some ideas.

• Light a candle
• Dim the lights and/or open the curtains
• Provide a snack basket or chocolate and water bottles or favorite beverages
• Place towels and washcloths folded on the bed
• Provide luxurious items like robes, bath and body products, sleep masks, slippers, and luggage racks
• Put fresh flowers in a vase
• Set out a guestbook to sign
• Write a handwritten welcome/thank you note
• Hang dried eucalyptus or lavender in the shower
• Provide phone chargers

Let guests know about your rhythms and routines.

Finally, if you’re hosting overnight guests during the holidays, make sure they know your rhythms and routines. Even though things may be a little different due to hosting guests, you still have a natural order and flow within your home and your guests will want to know this. It’s a good idea to make them aware of what time you generally wake up and go to bed. Do you turn off the TV at 7 and read until bed? Let the know. Or maybe you only watch TV after dinner. You might eat dinner very early or late. Or maybe there’s a meal you skip entirely. If you always go for a walk or hike on Saturdays, tell your guests and invite them along. The more you can make them feel a part of your natural routines at home, the more welcomed and comfortable they will feel.

GET IT NOW: Guide to Hosting Overnight Guests + Checklist + Sign Templates

I hope you’re as excited as I am for the upcoming holiday season! Even if you’re not hosting anyone during this holiday season, my goal is that you find this post inspiring and can take away some of these ideas for the next time you are planning on hosting overnight guests. I’d also love to hear what ideas you’d add to this list! Until next time, Kayla.