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Clear the Clutter

Many guest room closets tend to house other long-term storage—oversized suitcases, boxes of decorations, and old kids’ clothes. While house guests tend to look past this, ensure an appropriate amount of space in the closet for hanging clothes and that the closet floor is clear for shoes and bags. Also, provide at least one empty dresser (even if it doubles as a small nightstand) for storing folded clothes.

Keep a range of empty hangers available in the closet, including wooden blazer hangers, a few velvet hangers for delicate clothing, and a handful of skirt and pant hangers. If your guest room doubles as another household space—say, an office or a playroom—make sure that the room is tidy and that the carved-out guest area has a cozy bed, a good lamp, and a small dresser. (A foldable luggage stand is a nice addition, too.)

Add a Gracious Touch

Before friends or family arrive, place a small arrangement of holiday-themed flowers and foliage on their bedside table. Holiday decorating doesn’t typically extend to the guest room, but this thoughtful touch will add a hint of seasonality to their space. It will be hard not to get into the holiday spirit if it’s the first thing they see in the morning.

Stock Up

If your guests are coming from far and wide, they’ve probably left their armory of full-sized beauty products behind in favor of TSA-friendly travel bottles. Consider investing in various friendlier travel-sized products—these are available at stores like Sephora and Ulta for only a few dollars a bottle and will make your guests feel like they’re in a luxury suite.

Also, be sure to stock the guest bedroom with extra toiletries they may have forgotten at home (all in their original packaging, of course): A toothbrush, lotion, comb, razor, a bar of soap, and a travel-sized tube of toothpaste. Arrange all the products in a pretty basket on their dresser.

Make it Comfortable

Guests tend to have a wide range of temperature preferences—some opt for an ice-cold space for sleeping, while others will freeze if the temperature is cooler than they’re used to in their homes. Because most guests won’t realize it until the middle of the night—when they probably won’t want to wake you to ask for help—put additional options within easy reach. A stack of cozy folded blankets will do (in both throw and bed sizes), as will a small heater or circular fan stored in the closet.

Remember, too, that some guests aren’t used to nighttime noise, so be sure to include a small, inexpensive sound machine in the closet that they can plug in if necessary.

Keep Them Informed

Place a small notebook or a card on their bedside table with important household info, such as the Wi-Fi password or an alarm code you may want them to keep on hand. If your guest is staying for more than a day or so, also leave them an extra house key (on a bright, pretty ribbon), so they feel like they can come and go as they please.