It’s the afternoon and your phone starts wringing – but the name of the screen doesn’t look too familiar. Hello? Hi, it’s Sara, do you remember me? We met on holiday! Luca and I are coming to visit: you know how it goes, an Italo train deal and nothing planned for the weekend...Did we do the right thing? I think we should be there by dinnertime!
That’ll teach you to make friends with everyone.
In general, friendships struck up on holiday don’t last longer than your ten-day break and a few tags on Facebook - in general, exactly: then there will be some who take you up on that offer of coming to town, maybe during the autumn, on the other hand they have never seen your city before and that great exhibition is also about to start. And so, the two of them arrive at your doorstep.
Luckily, however, you’re totally prepared for this eventuality. You are, aren’t you?
Not many people are lucky enough to have a spare room that can double as a guest bedroom, but, be it as it may, an acquaintance who stays for a night or two doesn’t require much. But, certainly your guests will appreciate the extra mile that you went for those extra-special touches.
Even if they don’t stay long (and you haven’t invited them explicitly), you can’t make your guests sleep on a camp bed. There will be other ways to get back at them!
Go for a sofa-bed or a pull-out bed: it’ll easily blend in with your existing décor as well as your day-to-day life – and certain styles are as good as designer sofas.
You can tell a true host by his spirit: we suggest you should spend at least one night sleeping in the guest bed, to find out for yourself if the solution you’ve found is good enough for your guests. And the saying misery loves company doesn’t apply here!
A piece of advice to make your guests stay even more comfortable – and to keep you living room looking presentable, despite the mess of a couple more people?
Don’t forget to reserve some space – be it a draw or an entire side of your wardrobe – for their clothes and personal belongings, so they can avoid leaving their suitcase on the floor half-open throughout their entire stay.
More advice to make your friends feel at home, especially after they’ve returned from a long day spent walking around the city, maybe accompanied by some rain? Pay attention to the overall feel of your home.
An extra blanket, a scented candle, the right light for reading in bed (or in the sofa-bed); these tiny details are certainly things you already have. You just need to let your guests know that they aren’t just for looking at and that they can used them freely.
And what better, after a long day exploring the town, than to wrap yourself up with a soft towel after a scented shower? Nobody can resist the appeal of a set of towels, especially if part of a matching set.
It’s a smart move on behalf of an expert host to have always a couple of towels at the ready for guests: doing so demonstrates great attention to detail, because towels are possibly some of the bulkiest items to pack – and maybe this is why, together with a toothbrush, they are often left behind on purpose.
Your guests have come to spend some time with you, and not just to explore the city you live in. Take advantage of their visit to do something you haven’t done in a while, even if it’s just taking them to the most photographed square in town.
Prepare a list of places to see and things you can do together, even at home: in the event of an extremely rainy evening, surprise your guests with a choice of films set in your town. This will be a different way of enjoying the city you live in!
credits: Les Anderson
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