When out-of-town family members or friends prefer to rest their weary bones at your place rather than stay overnight at a hotel, you must be doing something right. At the very least, you might have a living room sofa your guest can sleep on. If you’re an empty nester, you might still have the single mattress and box spring that your kid used to sleep on. Or—worst case scenario—the single bed from your childhood. Having a blow up mattress on the floor is okay, but not acceptable if you have the time and the room to spare. If you upgrade now before your next overnight guest comes knocking and needs a place to stay, you’ll be ready. No sense losing any sleep over it!
Guest Rooms By Design
First, review the space you dedicate to overnight guests, advises designer John Ross of Shade Tree Interiors in Sinking Spring. Can you or another member of the household live without it for a night or two? Does it have a piece of furniture or hidden nook for storing unused or personal items? Are there windows in the room that need to be treated for privacy and light control? Also, what is your budget? These are the kind of questions John asks during what he calls the “initial” design phase. “We want to execute all aspects of the job to make the process as easy as possible for our clients,” says John, who meets with clients in their homes and who, after much discussion, creates a design and space plan (to determine if any furniture needs to be purchased).
The main focus of any guest room is the bed, John says. It should be comfortable and made to look inviting with pillows of various shapes, sizes and textures on it. “A great-looking bed helps pull the room all together,” he explains. Adding complementary fabric, paint or wall coverings in addition to a few accessories will help make the room look finished. “In the end, we want the homeowner and their guests to have a finished project that is beautiful as well as functional,” John adds.
Counting Sheep
Even the most uncomfortable bed can be made to look cozy and inviting. To make sure your guest sleeps like a baby, Patrick Judd, director of bedding at Raymour & Flanigan Furniture in Reading, recommends either a full mattress for one person or a queen-size mattress—which is seven inches wider than a full—for two people. For comfort, he suggests the following innerspring mattresses: firm (minimal cushioning), plush (firm with maximum cushioning) or pillow top (for a sink-in kind of softness). The latest trend, gel-infused memory foam—great for pressure-point relief and enhanced airflow—dissipates heat and keeps you at your ideal sleeping temperature, Patrick advises.
If you are short on space, a sleeper sofa or sectional can quickly convert to a comfy bed. Living room end tables can double as nightstands for bedside essentials and for storage; tuck away extra bedding inside a roomy holding ottoman, Patrick suggests.
All The Comforts of Home
Sometimes it’s the little things that matter the most. To make sure that adage holds true today, but mostly to make sure your guest’s next stay is a memorable one, we turned to Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia (FSHP) for sound advice. This five-star hotel—named Best Hotel in Philadelphia last year by travel.usnews.com—starts with creating a home away from home feeling. “We want our guests to feel as comfortable staying with us as they do in their own home,” says FSHP manager Michael Nenner, who practices intuitive service and is sensitive to the needs of his guests. “If we notice someone sleeps on a certain side of the bed we will make sure the phone is moved to that side and that the bed is turned down on that side, too,” he says. The hotel especially caters to the needs of their regular guests. “If we know someone has specific allergies or prefers a type of water or soda, we will ensure those items are in, or not in, the room,” he shares.
Also important is anticipating yours guest's needs, he says. One way to do that is to have comfort items like extra blankets and pillows on hand and easily accessible should they be needed in the middle of the night without the guest having to ask you for them.
Other little touches of hospitality include providing space for unpacking, laundry services and plenty of hangers, closet space and a dresser. You can also gift your guest with his or her favorite dessert, a fresh fruit basket or a bottle of wine with a hand-written note welcoming them to your home, Michael suggests. Equally important to the hotel is cleanliness, and with 24/7 housekeeping standards, no room is occupied until it is perfect. “It’s of the utmost importance,” says Michael. “We treat our guests how we would expect to be treated; when you have a houseguest, you should do the same.”
Bed and Breakfast Hospitality Tips
They don’t call them bed-and-breakfast inns for nothing. These mostly historic, private homes are in high demand for their peaceful overnight accommodations and sit-down homemade breakfasts in the morning. James Gaffney, owner and innkeeper for 24 years at Hawk Mountain Bed and Breakfast, Kempton, likes to coddle his guests. “You want to make them feel comfortable—kill them with kindness,” he says. Guests here relax in well-appointed rooms with full private baths and private entrances. Two of the eight rooms available have native stone fireplaces with two-person Jacuzzis for those who like to unwind after hiking along Hawk Mountain or the Appalachian Trail. A common area with free beverages is open to guests 24 hours a day. A homemade country breakfast is served every morning and evening activities are offered for those who prefer to socialize close to their room before bedtime.
Marc and Nita Sukenick, founders and co-owners of Mill Stone Bed and Breakfast in Oley, have been designing, building and renovating their 200-year-old property to accommodate guests since their move to Oley in 2005. Newly opened, their B&B comprises two private suites, each with a working fireplace, computer and flat-screen TV. Both rooms have their own private bathroom with his-and-hers sinks, a large claw-foot tub and a luxurious Italian-tile shower. Egyptian cotton bed linens, plush terrycloth bath robes and towels are standard in each suite. Three common areas offer guests a large stone fireplace, refreshment center or small lending library.
Both Marc and Nita pride themselves in providing clean, cozy and comfortable amenities, and while they are new at opening their home to the public, they have always found that their overnight guests are happiest with a good night’s sleep and a great morning start with breakfast. And while the couple’s in-ground swimming pool, farm pond, various pastures and wetlands make their home an ideal retreat for strangers, your home can be made to feel just as special for your family and friends. And who knows, you might just want to keep your new digs all to yourself. Nah.
Sources
Mill Stone Bed and Breakfast 75 Main St., Oley | millstonebedandbreakfast.com | 610.987.0113 Hawk Mountain B&B 221 Stony Run Valley Rd., Kempton | 610.756.4224 | hawkmountainbb.com Shade Tree Interiors 3459 Penn Ave., Sinking Spring | 610.777.7288 | shadetreeinteriors.com Raymour and Flanigan Furniture 629 Snyder Rd., Reading | 610.926.5866 | raymourflanigan.com Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia 1 Logan Square, Philadelphia | 1.215.963.1500 | fourseasons.com/philadelphia
