A 5-Star Hotel’s Guide to Being the Ultimate Host This Summer
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With its longer, lighter nights and warmer weather, summer is the perfect season for socialising, bringing with it a great opportunity to host at home.
Whether you are hosting family and friends for an overnight stay or a full week of fun, experts from 5-star hotel The Grand, York, have all the tips and tricks you need to know to help make the occasion extra special.
Preparation is key
Ramune Aleks, Food and Beverage Director at The Grand, York says “Being a good host is almost all about preparation – if you get everything ready ahead of guests arriving, you can be assured that you and your guests will have a good time.”
“When preparing your home, give yourself more time than you think you need. I always schedule in a little bit of breathing room when I’m hosting an event. So, if you think you need an hour to clean, or prepare a meal, give yourself an hour and a half, it helps to take the stress out of hosting.”
When it comes to tasks for preparing the home, Lisa Williams, Executive Head Housekeeper, suggests these tricks for making any home more welcoming:
“Whilst everyone knows how important a clean home is when hosting, many forget how much of a difference letting in fresh air can make. Instead of filling rooms with the scent of overpowered air fresheners, which some guests may be sensitive to, open the windows. In the summer this is fantastic as it also helps to keep rooms at a more comfortable temperature.”
“If you’re hosting later into the evening, leave lamps or smaller lights on around the home so that guests can find their way around easily and don’t feel like they are disturbing others. This is not only practical but creates a cosy ambience within the home which helps guests to feel more comfortable.”
Make it memorable
If you’re hosting, you want your guests to have a good time and remember their visit fondly. Simple touches like what you put in the guest room and how you greet your visitors can help to make their experience more memorable.
Ramune says, “First impressions are very important. A warm, relaxed, and confident welcome puts people at ease right away. Offer a personalised compliment to make guests feel special as they arrive and you’re already winning.”
Lisa recommends going the extra mile to keep the guests happy, “Giving your guests their own set of mini toiletries in the bathroom, along with fresh fluffy towels, helps to add the sense of luxury and excitement that’s associated with staying away from home.”
“In their bedroom, place magazines of your guests’ interests and provide their favourite snacks. This thoughtful gesture creates a sense of the room belonging to them, which will help them feel at home and relaxed throughout their stay.”
When the guests arrive…
When you find yourself rushing around trying to be the perfect host, it can be easy to forget some of the basics when your guests finally arrive.
It’s good practice to offer a tour of your home to guests, especially if they haven’t visited before. This should at least cover the basics, such as their bedroom and bathroom, the kitchen and living room, as this is where guests will spend most of their time. In the summer the garden should also be added to the list.
“Nowadays one of the most important things to give your guests when they arrive, and which is often overlooked, is the Wi-Fi password. Most of us spend a lot of time online so it’s useful for guests to have access too, you never want your guests to feel excluded or cut off from the world!” Lisa explains.
Ramune suggests “The most important thing about hosting is to have fun. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the process of hosting, that we forget to actually take part in all the socialising! Enjoy some delicious food, sip a refreshing drink, and savour this time spent with close friends and family.”
