Often, Summertime is when friends and family who live at a distance visit overnight and we also host friends and family at our own homes. Overnight hosting means anticipating your guest’s needs for meals, daily activities, and sleeping arrangements. It’s much trickier than hosting a meal or party, but hopefully the following suggestions will help you.
Hosting Overnight Guests
• When extending the invitation, be sure to determine the day and time they will arrive and also the departure date and time.
• Additionally, give the guests an idea of the activities you plan, such as swimming in the lake, playing golf, or visiting a fancy restaurant, so they know the appropriate clothes to bring.
• Let guests know any others who are invited for the same time. Tell your guests if family members will be present, if your spouse is leaving that weekend or if your grandkids are visiting. Most people don’t like surprises.
• Prepare your guest room with fresh linens, of course, but also add a few niceties such as a bottle of water, a current magazine or bestselling book, or a small vase of fresh flowers.
• Guests should always have a table next to their bed, ideally with a lamp, so they can keep any necessary items close by as they sleep.
• Plugging in a night light in the bathroom might be helpful to prevent guests from walking completely in the dark.
• Hosts should plan on serving at least three basic meals a day, whether they’re prepared in advance and frozen, cooked at home, ordered via take-out or going to a restaurant. It’s also a good idea to ask the guests if they are allergic to any food or require a special diet. If your guest’s food habits differ from yours, make sure you accommodate theirs. Don’t deprive your guests just because you
skip breakfast.
• Be honest with your guests if you’d like them to assist you in the kitchen, set or clear the table, make the salad, or bring a cooked dish. If you don’t want any of that, be honest about that too.
Guests Visiting Overnight
• It’s always gracious to bring the host a gift. It could be some candy, dessert, special cheese, or olive oil that you know the host would appreciate. Most importantly, tell the host that the gift is for them alone and they need not serve it during your visit.
• When the invitation is extended, offer to bring some food or cook part of a meal. The host should be honest with you. They may greatly appreciate your contributing a dish or they may honestly say that they will take care of all the meals. Believe your host.
• When you are there, be sure to offer to help in the kitchen with meal preparation, or clearing the table when dinner is over. But do listen to your host, if they don’t want your help, they should say so.
• Don’t leave your belongings all over the house such as keys on the counter, jacket on the chair, handbag or shoes in another place. Keep your belongings in the guest room or area that you’ve been designated.
• Make your bed and clean up after you use the bathroom.
• Don’t stay on your phone for long periods of time. Live in the moment and enjoy it.
• Don’t take photos and post them on social media without the express permission of the host.
• Participate enthusiastically in all the activities that the host has planned. If you truly cannot participate, politely tell the host why you can’t. If you need downtime or a nap in the afternoon, then tell your host so they can plan accordingly.
• At the end of your stay, offer to bring your linens to the laundry room.
• Always send a written thank you note. These days an email is acceptable, but a handwritten note is extraordinary.
Hosting family and friends in your home can be taxing when you’re trying to anticipate your guests’ needs. But with some planning, you’ll be sure to make wonderful memories. Most of all, hosts and guests – have fun!
Maureen Molé is the author of The Book of Entertaining at Home,
product spokesperson, and lecturer. Follow her on Instagram #Entertain_at_Home_with
Maureen, or email her: MaureenMole@gmail.com.
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