My parents introduced me to the Greenbrier Hotel, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and it is a heavenly place we have returned to with our children too. Each guest room has this precious pillow on the door. I purchased this one in the gift shop to hang on the door for one of our guest rooms- my subtle nod to the South!
Mummy always said: "To know what house guests appreciate having in their room, spend the night in the guest bedroom!" Roleplay yourself as the guest, experience waking up in the bedroom, and then you will truly discover what else is needed for your guest’s stay.
Another thoughtful idea to welcome your house guest is to hang the flag from the country they are from or have something representative of their country on display. My son-in-law is German. He is always thrilled to see the German flag hanging at Fox Hall, underneath the American flag, when he and my daughter visit from England.
Other details include making sure a full-length mirror is easily accessible, either in the guest bedroom or their bathroom. A mirror can be easily be installed on the front or back of a door. A night light in the guest bathroom is a thoughtful addition too!
In researching for my upcoming book, I’ve also noticed the Staves wooden jigsaw puzzle has become popular among Palm Beach family homes. Situated on a handsome games table or coffee table, the Staves jigsaw allows guests to sit and ponder as they work with the pieces. These hand crafted puzzles are also stunning. My husband and I had one given to us as an invitation to celebrate a grand birthday weekend at Ballyfin Hotel in Ireland! What a clever idea, right?
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Millennial Tip
Although there are multiple beautiful color options, white is the traditional towel color here in America as well as in England. This tradition also applies to robes, bath mats, and sheets.
They can, however, be adorned with embroidery featuring the name or logo of the house, the family crest, or the monogrammed initials of the hostess of the house. Other options include having a decorative embroidered design, a colorful edging, or cheerful polka dots; all of which are meant to complement the color scheme of the bathroom or bedroom.
My friend Bettie Bearden Pardee, the lovely author of Private Newportblog, wrote a splendid little paperback book in 1991 which is chock full of timeless entertaining ideas: Great Weekend Entertaining. If you can get your hands on a copy, grab it for inspiration the next time you have house guests!
Our carriage house is named Little Fox. The fox logo is embroidered onto the bed linens in various colors to compliment the curtains. 'Little Fox' is also embroidered onto our towels.