I love having guests at
The Everyday Home.
We don’t have many, and usually it’s family.
But, I like to go above and beyond and make
their stay here at our home as comfortable
as if they were staying at a 5-star hotel.
Or, as I call it –
“Hotel-ifying” the Guest Rooms.
Here are 10 Ways to Create a
Spa Like Guest Bath.
1) Towels and Linens
I think this goes without saying.
Nothing feels any better when you walk into
a hotel bathroom than seeing white, fluffy towels
at the ready. I started buying only white towels
years ago. Not only is it easier when doing laundry,
but white creates that “spa” atmosphere
in any bathroom.
The day of my guest’s arrivals,
I get several sets of *Turkish bath linens prepared,
and lay them inside a large basket.
When I have stayed overnight at friend’s homes,
I felt uncomfortable when I had to go looking
through a linen closet or under the sink.
I felt like I was snooping.
Leave bath linens out so there is no guessing.
*(affiliate link)
2) Bottled Water and Glasses
Trust me, a guest is not going to want to traipse
thru your home at 2am in the morning to get
a sip of water, when wearing their
Hello Kitty pajamas when they need to take
their meds at bedtime.
So, prepare a small tray with a few bottles of
water and some glasses, for their ease.
3) Special Soaps
I like to put out a selection of soaps,
from scented to unscented.
I always leave some glycerine type soaps that
are perfect for face washing.
I make my own Homemade Goats Milk Soaps,
and I like to send a few home with them
as a small gift.
4) Makeup Washcloths
Several years ago when we were staying in a
smaller B&B in England, the owner had these
“Make-Up” washcloths out and I thought it was one
of the most brilliant ideas I had ever seen.
I know I always hate to dirty up and stain a pretty,
white washcloth when removing my makeup.
Her’s was monogrammed with the word
“Makeup Cloth” in white, but you could
simply make a pretty tag and tie it with a
ribbon around some black washcloths, as well.
5) Bath Spray
Ok, I know this is a touchy situation.
Bathroom odor. But, let’s face it.
It’s a part of life and we all have to deal with it.
There is nothing I dislike more
than going to the bathroom at someone’s home,
and there is no air freshener available.
So, I try to put out a non-overpowering
spray that doesn’t assault the senses with a
combination of rose petals and sticky, sweet
artificial scent. A good friend of mine,
Kathysue of Good Life of Design,
introduced me to an Orange Spray at Trader Joe’s.
I do not have a TJ’s close to me, so I found it online.
Honestly, it’s the most amazing bathroom
spray I have ever seen, and trust me – this is
coming from someone who has every allergy
known to man.
🙂
It’s also available in Lavender.
Y’all know I love some Home Hacks
( #homehacks)
– so I will be making a homemade version
very soon. 🙂
*affiliate link
6) Bath Mat
(via) *
I know this item, like Bath Linens, also goes
without saying. I like a no-frills, fluffy white bath
mat. I simply leave it laying across the side of the
tub, ready to go.
Have you seen these bathmats above at IKEA?
MY FAVE!
I bought one for my parents when they
remodeled their bathroom and they LOVED it.
Thank goodness I found them on Amazon, also.
*(affiliate link)
7) Flowers or Greenery
Yes, flowers!
Yes, in the bathroom.
You don’t have to have a huge, full-blown bouquet.
Just a few blooms in a small vase.
Not sure if your guests have allergies?
How about clipping a few pretty greenery stems
and adding them to a small glass vase?
8) WiFi Frame
Whenever my guests are arriving, I take out this
small frame which features the
password to our wi-fi and leave this out
on the counter.
(there is also one on their bedside table)
This way, they do not have to ask at midnight
when they want to check their email.
9) Toiletries, Lotions, etc.
Leaving a tray of basic lotions and toiletries is
a good idea. They may have brought their own,
but this way – they are covered in case they forgot
something. I like to purchase the small, travel size
containers so they can be easily stored away after your guests leave.
10) Makeup Mirror
I know I could not get dressed without my
make-up mirror. One side is magnified.
I found mine on Amazon* for about $20.
I like these mirrors on a stand with the
swivel mirrors.
*(affiliate link)
I think the key to making a guest’s stay a pleasurable
one is allowing them to feel like all their creature
comforts have been met. I know I appreciate it
when my host has taken care to think of the
little things that make me feel welcomed.
Do you have some special touches and tips
for creating a Spa Like Guest Bath?
I’d love to hear what they are, and I will
feature them on an upcoming project I am
working on for my Guest Bath.
Here is another one of my “10-Ways to…”
articles from the past…
I would love for you to pin this image to
your favorite Pinterest Board to share with others…
Thank you so much for taking a few minutes of
your day to spend it here with me.
You can also follow along
with me at:
xxoo, Barb
Sharing on:
Great ideas! I need to remember the room spray in every bathroom. We have two guest baths and one of them has white towels. Honestly, once our guests freaked out about the white towels because they were afraid they’d stain them somehow. The makeup towels are the answer. 🙂
View CommentAll great ideas, I do a few of them but love some of your other ideas. I have 5 guests staying this weekend, your timing couldn’t be better.
Thanks for the inspiration!
View Commentpinned it…and, can I be a guest at your house..I wont be any trouble..if you could leave a few packs of nab and a couple bottles of pepsi on the water tray, I’ll just stay in the bath:-)
View CommentLOL. Peanut butter nabs or cheese? 😀 xxoo
View CommentYour quests must really feel special when they come to stay with you. I know that I would. Jo
View CommentHey Barb! Love these bits of spa like design pieces and ideas. I am sharing on my fb page today. Have a great day!
View CommentThanks for the shout out. xxoo
View CommentI agree with every single thing you suggested and thank you for the mention, since you have stayed here you already know what I do for my guest and I hope it was all of the above and you felt warm, cozy and welcomed here!!
View CommentHappy Monday,
Kathysue
You are definitely a “Hostess with the Mostess.” 🙂 xxoo
View CommentAir Therapy Orange!!!!!! You are talking to the mother of THREE sons and one husband. I NEED this badly and Trader Joe’s is about 5 blocks from my house. Thank you.
View CommentLOL. It may not look exactly like the one in the picture. The TJ’s bottle is white, but I am telling you it is the best stuff. I want to use it as a body spray. haha
View CommentI love these ideas. I always make sure my guest feels right at home.
View CommentI love to find ideas like these. I work at a luxury hotel and have incorporated many “hotel” ideas into my guest rooms. I learned a lot from my BFF as she is the perfect hostess. For my guests I have welcome cards in each room that welcome them and lets them know the mini bar is for them. I leave a hair band, cotton swabs and cotton makeup remover pads in the bath. I also have water and cups available at each bedside. Though I don’t have white towels I do have beautiful colored towels in each bath so that I know which bath they go to. I also provide disposable Kleenex hand cloths in each bath. I hate to go to someone’s home, just for a short visit and need to use their facilities and there is no clean towel hanging that I feel I can use. This way even if your guests are only there for a few hours you can feel confident that they won’t be uncomfortable using a disposable hand towel. I also make certain that there is body wash, shampoo and conditioner in each bathroom, just in case they forgot theirs. My mini bar includes plenty of snacks as well as toothbrush, mouthwash, razor, shaving cream, medical remedies such as pain relievers, bandaids and such. My young neices and nephews LOVE to come to my house, they think it is like going to a great hotel.
View CommentOne other thing I do when I have lots of company (usually family) I put out cereal, baked goods, and breakfast items on the counter at night so that they don’t feel like they have to wait for breakfast if I am sleeping in. Sort of like a continental breakfast fare.
Love those guests and love it when they are gone too….. 🙂
Love the idea of the welcoming cards in each room. I like to slip in a little note in a “snack basket” I put together and leave in the bedroom. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us. 🙂
View CommentI love that idea with the wifi password!
View CommentI use many of these ideas, as well! (Though most of my “company” involves my family, and they aren’t fussy.) Pinning!
View CommentSend me your address.. I’m coming for a visit!
View Commentsome additional things that I do is to have several brochures for things to do and see in our area. Guests may want a day to explore on their own. Also, if I have any photos of us (the guests) together, I’ll put those in a wire basket or any fun pictures of our family so they can be perused through. AND I make sure there are several empty hangers in the closet. I make my room spray with water and a few drops of essential oil. Love all your ideas, too.
View CommentI love this (and also the Guest bedroom post) I like to have a small laundry basket, I let my guest know that laundry gets done every morning and to feel free to put anything in there. Nothing like having clean clothes everyday. I actually started doing this after visiting my husband’s dad, his girlfriend would have our clothes clean and folded every day, since we have two small children, it made it so much easier than having to go to the laundromat 🙂
View CommentThat is a great idea. I never thought about the laundry basket idea. Thanks for sharing!!! Have a great day, Barb
View CommentHi there!
Where are the towels in the top photo from? The link goes to amazon, but the towels are different than the ones in the photo.
Thank you!
Grace
View CommentGrace I am not sure, I’m sorry. At the time the post was written that was the correct link but I think when they sell out of a product the link changes. My apologies.
View CommentI keep a little lamp on my vanity. No flipping the wrong switch. Could put a fragrance ring on it.
View CommentI have a glass decanter (antique) filled with mouth wash in my bath on a small round silver tray with cups for guests whether overnight or just dinner guests. Love all your ideas as we have a guest house and I am head of our small church ladies ministry and our event is this month. The speaker stays at our guest house so adding some of your suggestions to ones I already do. Thanks to you and those who wrote comments too.
View CommentLove your ideas! Your bathroom looks so inviting! I do a lot of them for our guests. I couldn’t agree more about white towels and linens, bath mat, love them. I do leave the small terry cloth washcloths in our guest bathrooms for makeup removal along with a container of Cotten balls, but I love the idea od the dark cloths! Also I’m going to start leaving a tray with glasses and water! What a fantastic idea! I do have a couple of lidded containers that I’ve written ” Just in case you forgot something” that holds tooth brushes, floss, and samples of hairspray, face soap, etc. I left a similar framed wifi password and my husband didn’t like it at all! He said it looked too much like a hotel. Lol so o took it out but I think I’ll put it back!
View CommentLove this! These are great ideas. Another idea that I do is one I got from a fancy gym I used to go to. Get a small glass drink dispenser, and fill it with mouthwash and leave small paper cups next to it!
View CommentHi there, thanks for a lovely article. One of the things I like to do for guests is stack an eclectic range of literature on the bed side table and ensure there are a few spare hangers in the closet. I love your idea for the WIFI password. My mother runs a B&B in Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand and she provides her wifi password attached to a key ring with the house key and a mini torch so guests can come and go with ease. Check her out on Airbnb “Justine’s Place”. Thanks again for sharing ?
View CommentLove, love love your ideas. I love white towels, too. I particularly love the make-up wash cloth. I will copy this for our Maui rental condo where I have to replace all my white wash cloth.
View CommentI always try to give my guests a bed and breakfast type atmosphere, but it backfired on me once when my mother came to visit when I gave birth to my son. She saw my little hotel sized bottles of shampoo/body wash/etc. and she missed the point. She worried about me having to refill those so frequently that she bought new, full sized versions for my guest bathroom.
View CommentOh my that made me laugh because I can see my own mama thinking this and doing the same thing. What a sweetie. Thanks for sharing and making me smil today. 🙂 xxoo, Barb
View CommentAppreciate your thoughtful post!
View CommentGreat ideas. My eldest son moved out and I’m working on our guest room. When I travel I include a small night light so I’m not stumbling in the dark at night. Including light sensitive one in guest room. Also, a robe. Found a mini clip board with ‘Notes’ pad.
View CommentWe keep a 2 cup coffee pot with coffee, mugs, creamers and sweeteners on the bathroom counter!
View CommentI think that what you had to say here about making sure that your guest bath is prepared was really enjoyable. One thing that I want to start doing is leave some bottled water and some glasses near the sink for my guests. I have family and friends coming over all the time, and I want to be able to help them have a pleasant experience while at my home. Thanks for the help, and I will even look into getting some bath sets for the guest bath so that they could take a nice bath if they wanted to.
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