How to Prepare a Guest Room and Bathroom for Overnight Guests
The best guest rooms feel like a good small hotel: the bed is fresh, there is a layer to pull up if the night turns cold, and every towel is clean, soft and clearly meant for the guest. None of it requires a large room or a big budget. It comes down to a few well-chosen textiles and some thought about what a guest will need at 11 p.m. without wanting to ask.
Here is a simple checklist for the room and the bathroom.
The guest bed
Start with fresh, breathable bedding
Make the bed with freshly washed bedding in a natural fiber. Guests sleep in an unfamiliar room, often warmer or cooler than they are used to, and breathable cotton, linen or lyocell handles both better than synthetics. A complete bedding set with a fitted sheet, duvet cover and matching pillowcases makes the bed look finished with no mismatched pieces.
Add a layer guests can adjust
Temperature is the most common reason guests sleep badly. Fold a coverlet at the foot of the bed and lay a throw over a chair. Guests can add warmth without searching a closet or asking for another blanket. A handwoven Heritage coverlet or the featherlight, quilted LoftWeave coverlet works well here.
Two pillows per person
Provide two pillows per guest so they can sleep higher or lower, and tell them where the spares are. For the full look, see how to make a bed look like a boutique hotel.
The guest bathroom
A towel set for every guest
Set out, per guest:
- 1 bath towel (or a bath sheet for a longer stay)
- 1 hand towel
- 1 to 2 guest towels for a powder room
Give each guest towels in a different color, or fold each person's set together on the bed or a stool, so nobody has to guess which towel is theirs. Fine Weave comes in six colors, which makes this easy: Cloud White for one guest, Blue Slate or Stone Linen for another. Our guide to how many towels you need covers the numbers for longer stays.
One towel that feels special
The towel by the sink is the one every guest notices. An embroidered or jacquard hand towel makes the guest bath feel considered: the botanical-embroidered Folia, the woven-floral Flourish, the jacquard Interlace or the Montecito, with its small woven diamond border. Each is a dense Turkish cotton terry that absorbs as well as it looks.
A fresh bath mat
Put down a freshly washed cotton bath mat and keep a spare in the cabinet. A dense terry mat like the Marlow Check or the double-sided Haven absorbs well and dries when hung over the tub. More in our guide to choosing a bath mat.
A robe on the hook
A robe on the back of the door is the single detail guests remember most. Choose a relaxed-fit robe in two sizes, so it fits most guests. The Cote Jacquard Bathrobe comes in S/M (US 4–8) and L/XL (US 10–14); the Cloud Waffle Bathrobe is a lighter, quick-drying option. Not sure which to choose? See waffle robe vs. terry robe.
Small things, set out
- A new bar of soap at the sink, such as one of our botanical soap bars
- A spare toothbrush and toothpaste
- Shampoo and conditioner in the shower
- An empty hook or towel bar for wet towels
- Spare toilet paper where it can be seen
The guest room checklist
| Area | What to have ready |
|---|---|
| Bed | Freshly washed bedding set, two pillows per guest, coverlet folded at the foot |
| Extra warmth | A throw on the bed or a nearby chair |
| Towels | Bath towel, hand towel and guest towel per guest, clearly set out |
| Bathroom floor | A clean cotton bath mat, plus a spare |
| Comfort | A robe on the hook, a new bar of soap, a glass for water |
| Practical | Wi-Fi password, a phone charger, a reading lamp, a few empty hangers |
Frequently asked questions
How many towels should I give each guest?
One bath towel, one hand towel and one or two guest towels per person. For stays longer than a few nights, give them a second bath towel or show them where the clean ones are.
What should be in a guest bathroom?
Clean towels for each guest, a fresh bath mat, soap, a spare toothbrush, shampoo, toilet paper within reach and a hook for wet towels.
How do I keep guests comfortable if they run hot or cold?
Make the bed with breathable bedding and add layers they can adjust themselves: a coverlet at the foot of the bed and a throw nearby.
Should guest towels match?
They should look like they belong together, but giving each guest a different color makes it easy to know whose towel is whose.
The bottom line
A welcoming guest room is about anticipating what guests will need without them having to ask: fresh breathable bedding, a layer to adjust the warmth, their own clearly set-out towels, a clean bath mat and a robe on the hook.
