Hosting Visitors in a Cottage
Get a Vacation Home Ready for Guests
If you have a summer home, a weekend cottage or rent a place for a vacation, chances are you like to entertain visitors there. I have some tips to help you prepare for house guests.
It's time to get ready. You've invited friends or family to join you in your getaway place. Chances are it's a small cottage, cabin or vacation home, so there are some logistics to work out when you add extra people. You want to make them comfortable and show them a good time in your vacation cottage.
Examples of My Homemade Postcards
In the Weeks Before Your Visitors Arrive, Tempt Them with Personalized Postcards
I turn my photos of local scenes into postcards and mail them to visitors ahead of their planned visit. On each one, I write a short message like "Can't wait until your are here. We'll take a long walk in the woods (or beach) and talk about old times." Take a photo of your deck and put a message like "Just think, in 2 weeks you'll be lounging here with a good book to read & a chilled margarita in hand."
This gives your guest clues on activities for their visit and helps build anticipation. All my visitors love getting the postcards.
It's easy to make your own postcards using a site like Zazzle or Shutterfly. Just send them your photos and order the cards. Actually, I make my own by printing out my photos from my computer. Then I cut off the front of used greeting cards or Christmas cards. I paste my photo over the greeting card graphic, trim it down to the photo size, and write the address and message on the blank side. Easy and inexpensive.
I use the Duck easy-stick double sided roller tape, but you can glue the photos onto the cardstock if you want.
Clean and Tidy the Cottage - before guests arrive
- Take care of in-depth cleaning well ahead of the visit. For me, that means cleaning mildew off the mini-blinds, taking the throw rugs to the laundry and some other housekeeping that I'd been postponing.
- Clear away clutter. Stash away some things that won't be used during the guests' visit. I'm lucky to have a loft area where we can store items that we aren't using frequently.
- Check your sheets, towels and other things needed for the guest. Does anything need freshened up? Wash any items that seem musty from storage or hang them out in the sun. Make sure you have adequate supplies of toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins on hand. Cottages seldom have enough storage space to stockpile much.
- Catch up on the laundry, so you won't be bothered by that chore while you have visitors.
- The day before the guests arrive, do the final cleaning like clearing all the pine needles off the carpet, shaking out the door mats, wiping down the sinks, etc.
Ready the Bikes, Kayaks and Other Things Guests Might Use
Check that all the recreational gear is in good working condition. Air up the bicycle tires, brush off the bike helmets and the life jackets. Having the bicycles ready to go, means the guests can head out for a ride whenever they feel the whim. It's important to have a helmet for adults as well as children. A fall from a bike can ruin your vacation.
You want to keep everything simple and ready so as the host you can relax and enjoy your visitors. Check that all the items function properly and are clean and accessible.
It's important to have various sizes of life jackets to fit bigger or smaller guests. If a life vest is too large, in an emergency situation, the wearer might slip out of it and be at risk of drowning.
Let the guest know if they should bring their bathing suits or golf clubs depending on activities you think they might enjoy. If you need additional gear to accommodate more people, check with a neighbor to see if you can borrow their canoe or whatever you need. Some items can be rented, so check the availability of that kind of service.
Here I Am with a Guest Enjoying the Lake
Choose Your Kayak for Safety and Durability
Sailing, Kayaking or Boating - Have Plenty of Life Jackets
Serve the Guests the Local Specialties
Stock Up on Food
- Plan out the meals for the time your visitors will be there. Decide how many meals will be eaten at the cottage and how many will be eaten at restaurants while out sightseeing. Keep in mind the limitations of your storage, especially if the fridge is small. Be flexible, as the guests may bring food and drinks as hostess gifts or for their special dietary needs. It's wise to ask them ahead of time if they have any special food needs (diabetic, gluten intolerance, etc.).
- Shop for the groceries, but not too far ahead. You'll want the meat and fruits and vegetables to be as fresh as possible. Rinsing the fruit in a mixture of vinegar and water helps it keep longer without getting moldy. You can also get those green bags which help keep the fruits and vegetables fresh. You can plan an outing to pick blueberries when they are in season or to go crabbing. Factor those plans in when you make up your grocery list.
- Stock up on beverage needs such as wine, soft drinks and juices. I recommend having a small beverage fridge if your electrical system can handle it. That takes a lot of pressure off the regular refrigerator. We don't normally keep diet soft drinks on hand, so I check with my guests ahead of time to see if they have a preference. You can stock up on lemonade instead as most people drink that. We have wonderful spring-fed well water, so we don't bother with filtering our water or stocking in bottled water.
- Try to work the local specialties into the meal planning. If you are in New England, the guests will love a lobster feed. Check out my page with the details for steaming your lobsters. It makes a really special occasion to have lobster or to put on a clam bake.
Handy Foods to Stock into the Pantry for Guests
Since it's quite a drive to a supermarket from where our cottage is, I keep back-ups on hand in the cupboard for our most used foods.
- shelf-stable milk or powdered milk
- jars of pickled beets and also 5-bean salad
- canned soup for a lunch on a chilly or rainy day, also crackers
- canned fruit like pears or pineapple chunks in case you run short of fresh fruit
- raisins, a variety of nuts and seeds to make a trail mix for snacking
- large bags of chips (I look for ones that are baked or made from various healthy seeds or sweet potatoes)
- muffin mix or cookie mix to fix quickly for breakfast or snacking
- onions, red skinned potatoes for making potato salad
- pasta and cans of black olives for a pasta salad
- cans of baked beans
Beverages That I Stock In
This is my shopping list and I try to keep these drinks on hand for having neighbors over for an evening around the firepit or for a weeklong houseguest.
- soft drinks (Coke, Ginger Ale, maybe diet soda)
- fruit juices (cranberry juice, V-8 spicy & regular, apple juice, maybe orange juice)
- beer (Sam Adams or a similar beer, also a light beer like Coors Lite)
- red and white wine (it's nice to stock in one local winery label to share with a guest, along with other favorite wines)
- alcohol (gin, whiskey, rum, etc. depending on your taste in mixed drinks, don't forget olives for the martinis)
Get a Memory Foam Mattress Topper
If the guest is sleeping on a fold-out sofa, sofa bed or other potentially uncomfortable bed, get one of these. They'll be as comfortable as they would be sleeping in their own bed. We roll ours up, tie it and store it in the loft when the guests are gone.
Have You Seen Ottomans That Convert to a Bed?
- Ottoman Beds - Great for Guests
If you don't have space for a dedicated guest room, then an ottoman sleeper is your solution for overnight guests. Even those with a guest room can use an ottoman bed extra people need accommodating.
Another Option for a Hidden Guest Bed
A Sturdy Clothes Rack Comes in Handy
A Murphy Bed Is a Space Saver
Provide Some Shelf Space for the Guest's Belongings
Towel Drying Options
If you don't have enough towel bars for everyong, hang your own towels on a hanger with clothes pins. Hang the hanger on your closet door or somewhere out-of-the-way so the towels can dry after use. That leaves the bathroom towel bars for guest use.
Towel Rack Shortage When You Have Guests?
Folding Luggage Rack
Plan Activities for the Visit
- Check the newspaper, online and around the community for events that might appeal to your guests.
- Keep a folder of places that make good day trips. Pick up brochures for future planning.
- After browsing your day trip folder and considering events available, rough out a schedule of relaxing days and active days depending on the tastes of your guests. Some prefer to just rusticate in the woods or at the lake. If so, give them plenty of unscheduled time to stroll in the woods or read a book in the hammock. Others might want to take a vintage train ride, visit museums and trek to every covered bridge within driving distance.
Check for Local Activities to Entertain Visitors
Have Plenty of Relaxing Outdoor Spaces - for guests to use
The hammock stores compactly for the winter. You'll need two sturdy trees to support it. There are some that are free-standing too. Adirondack chairs are classics and very durable. The chair swing is a relaxing place for guests to hang out in the shade.
Taking It Easy in the Hammock
Guests Will Want to Relax and Just Gaze at the Water
How Many Guests Can You Accommodate at Your Cottage?
Vote in the Poll
The Old-Fashioned Porch Swing Is Still Popular Today
Have Some Games, Puzzles and Reading Material on Hand
More Tips for Hosting Guests
More Advice on Caring for Guests
- Preparing for Guests - Martha Stewart Entertaining - I had to check what Martha Stewart suggests for preparing for a guest. You'll find some good advice here arranged as a checklist.
- {Classy & Fabulous} Etiquette for Hosting House Guests - Advice for making your house guests comfortable.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2012 Virginia Allain