10+ Essentials For Overnight Guests

We usually know when guests are coming. But there are times when friends or family members just show up. To help with those visits, check out our list of 7 Ways To Prepare For Unexpected Guests.

10+ Essentials For When You Have Overnight Guests

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We broke this list down into three categories: in the guest bedroom, in the guest bathroom, and in general. Hopefully that will make it easier for you as you prepare for your upcoming guests.

Fresh sheets

The first thing we do when we know a guest is coming is wash the sheets on the guest bed.

I always do a load of laundry the day before the guests are arriving. One of my favorite things to do is drying clean sheets with two dryer sheets because I feel like they have a softer, fresher feel that way. It adds some sort of magic and really gives such a good night’s sleep. So definitely do that for your guests.

So, when a guest leaves, I’ll strip the bed and wash the sheets. But, they’re sitting on the bed for a while between guests. And sure, they’re still clean, but I love to freshen them by washing them the night before a guest comes. That way, they’re getting into a comfortable bed that’s clean.

An alarm clock

You don’t sleep in the guest bedroom, so you probably don’t think about setting an alarm in there. But your guests would like an alarm clock in that room. Trust me.

I know what you’re thinking. People have phones and phones have clocks and alarms. That’s true. But for whatever reason, every single time we have guests sleep over, they leave their phones plugged into an outlet in the kitchen when they go to bed.

Maybe it’s because we have an alarm clock on a bedside table in the guest bedroom.

Just double check the time on that alarm clock and make sure you changed it for daylight savings time.

Extra blankets

When we’re having company sleep over, we always have the bed made with four pillows, fresh sheets, and a comforter. But, I know some people get cold and want extra blankets. So, I keep extra blankets in one of the dresser drawers in the guest room. When our guests arrive, I let them know extra blankets are in there if they need them.

Speaking of that dresser, we leave a dresser drawer empty so our guests have somewhere to unpack. We want them to come here and feel comfortable and at home. We don’t want them to feel like they have to live out of their suitcase the whole time.

If you don’t have the extra space in your dresser, a couple empty hangers in the closet works too.

Fresh towels

While you’re washing sheets for your guests, be sure to throw in towels as well so you can put clean towels in the guest bathroom.

Make sure to wash a set of bath towels and hand towels and set them out in the guest bathroom.

I make sure to fold fresh wash cloths over the bath towels too so our guests don’t have to hunt for them. We do have a big basket of wash cloths in our guest bathroom’s cabinets, but it’s just so much easier for guests if they’re already out.

​Bathroom essentials

As a couponer, we always have a ton of shower necessities in our stockpiles. I have so much extra body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. So, to make our guests’ lives easier, I always have the guest shower stocked with shower supplies.

I put a disposable razor in there too, just in case our guests realize they forgot one. Honestly, I’m not sure how many of our guests have actually used that razor, but I like to have one there just in case.

If you don’t have extra full-sized products to just leave in the guest shower, you can pack a small basket of toiletries with free samples you got in the mail or items you took from a hotel room. They’ll work in a pinch.

If you want to be really great, you can also leave small containers filled with cotton balls, cotton swabs, extra toothbrushes and toothpaste in your guest bathroom. Your guests may have packed these, but they’re nice to offer.

Toilet paper

We were staying a weekend at someone’s house once … and she ran out early in the morning because she had run out of toilet paper. What a pain, right? Ever since then, I always make sure to have extra toilet paper stocked up. And I put extra rolls in our guest bathroom where our guests can see it so they don’t have to ask us if they run out.

Paper towels are so important to have accessible if you’re hosting guests with little kids. There’s a very good chance there will be a spill (or two or three) and you just want to be able to grab a roll of paper towels to clean up. So keep a roll on the counter in the bathroom, or whatever easily accessible location makes the most sense in your home, so your guests know where they are in case they need some.

Magazines

We have a magazine rack in our guest bathroom. And it’s constantly filled with new magazines (that we get for free all the time from the free subscriptions I post on here). That way, if (heaven forbid) our guests are in the bathroom without their phones, they have some reading material.

You can actually buy bathroom game signs, like a bathroom word search or bathroom word scramble, and hang those in your guest bathroom too, to entertain your guests. Which is actually a funny thing to say, now that I think about it. But blame Pinterest.

Snacks and drinks

When guests come over (and stay overnight or not), it’s important to feed them. You don’t need to give them a full five-course sit down dinner, but it’s nice to have charcuterie or chips and dips for them. And drinks too.

You can stock up on water and soda or if you know that your guests like a certain adult beverage, you can pick that up for them too. You can always go out to the store when your guests are in town, but it’s nice to let them come in, relax, and have something to snack on after a long trip.

I have a friend who puts together a welcome basket and leave it in the guest bedroom for her guests. It’s filled with wrapped snacks (like granola bars), drinks, cozy socks, and a few other really cute little things to make her guest feel like they’re welcome and not imposing. I absolutely love that.

Wi-Fi password

Such a modern essential, but you should have your Wi-Fi password available for your guests. Even our guests who just come for Football Sundays ask for the password almost as soon as they step inside the garage.

Everyone has this need to be connected … without using their own data, of course.

So, when you’re having guests, be sure to have your WiFi password ready to give to them when they ask.

There are really cute Wi-Fi password signs that you can buy and write your network and password on. If you display that somewhere publicly in your home, it’ll be really easy for your guests to connect.

An itinerary

When guests come, sometimes they just want to sit at our community pool and relax. And that’s great. Whatever they want is good with me.

But I love to have an itinerary, basically a list of things that we can do while they’re here. Parks that have exhibits, restaurants we want to try, things of that sort. We don’t have to do anything on the list at all, but it’s nice to be prepared with options, just in case people want to go out and do things.

Extra phone chargers

I can’t tell you how many times people have come to visit and have forgotten to pack their phone chargers. You would think it never happens, but it happens all the time.

So, I have an extra phone charger in every room, including the guest bedroom. And you should too. That way, when your guests come to visit, they’re able to charge their phones and tablets.

What items do you think are essential for overnight guests? Let us know in the comments.