THE JOURNAL
“Be Our Guest” Beauty and the Beast (1991). Photograph by Walt Disney Pictures/Photofest
If you are anything like me, your For You page on TikTok is filled with long-nailed women filling clear plastic containers with razors and hairbrushes, dental floss and toothpaste and clicking those containers into their place in the vanity drawer in the guest bathroom. The TikToker is inviting you to “restock my guest bathroom with me for my sister’s visit” and is proceeding to prep for this visit in a truly over-the-top manner.
This is TikTok at its most ridiculous, unrealistic and autonomous sensory meridian response-obsessed (the tidy click of products in the plastic container is what draws most people in). But there is something appealing about over-prepping for the arrival of guests. I subscribe to the idea that, if you are a guest in my house, you are a guest like Belle was a guest in the Beast’s castle (dancing candles and cakes, not Stockholm syndrome). I want you to feel at home and like you are being taken care of, whether you are my sister or the king, and if the prep kills me in the process, so be it.
As Christmas approaches, we have put together a hosting toolkit so that your guests will feel like their every whim has been catered for and will leave feeling refreshed and pampered, and you can feel like the hosting god that you are.
01.
The guest room
Whether your guest is sleeping on the couch or in their own wing, it’s good to make them feel like they have their own space. Consider placing a scented candle or room fragrance in there, but nothing too strong or directional. Light the candle before they arrive in order to create some atmosphere.
Keeping some extra bathrobes around the house (like Mr Big did in Sex And The City) is a boss-level move. We like TEKLA’s simple stripes and Missoni Home’s rich luxury. Now your guests don’t have to linger in their rooms in the morning wondering if they need to dress for breakfast.
Want to take the robe thing up a notch? Pyjamas left ironed and folded on the pillow will shock the pants off your guest and make them feel special (and provide them with something to wear once their pants have been shocked off).
02.
The guest bathroom
Guests will appreciate toothpaste and a toothbrush. There’s no data on this, but these have to be the most forgotten items when travelling. A disposable razor wouldn’t go amiss either.
A half-used bottle of Head & Shoulders might seem like the easiest thing to toss into the guest shower, but might we suggest placing some Aesop products in there instead? They look elegant and, as a bonus, you will have fragrant guests drifting around your house.
Don’t feel like selecting a bunch of bits? Leave a skincare travel kit for your guests, such as Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Glow Kit or Discovery Kit, each of which contains everything they will need.
03.
Around the house
Apart from having food in the fridge and a well-stocked drinks cabinet, you don’t need to do anything when guests are coming over other than give the place a tidy, but flowers never go amiss. Pop some in vases around the house to create an instant festive atmosphere.
Toss a few throws on the sofas and chairs for guests who tend to shiver, even when the heating is turned all the way up, and tuck extra slippers under the armchairs.
Finally, having a few board games on your coffee table will help distract them when, on 27 December, all you want to do is sit in the pantry, sip some scotch and quietly pull out your out in peace.
See? That wasn’t so hard. All you have to do to be the best host is literally everything, but the satisfaction you will feel when your guests leave will be next level, we promise. You can even provide them with some stationery on which to write you a thank you note.