A Great Guest Room

Preparing the Space

The room you are renting to your Guests is one of the most important parts of running a Homestay. Your Guest will spend a great deal of time in their room.

All rooms should be bright and clean, with a working window to the exterior wall. The room should be large enough to accommodate a bed and dresser, closet and a desk with some room left over for living space.

There are many ways to make the guest room attractive such as coordinating the room colours with linens, towels etc. Make an effort to create an inviting, attractive atmosphere. Consider the kinds of things you would like to find in a guest room.

Remember, a fair amount of time is spent in the rooms, so a reasonable amount of moving around space is essential. The room size minimum should be at least 8’x10’ or larger. Proper heat and ventilation are necessary.

Also, all bedrooms must legally have an OPENING WINDOW. Each municipality has bylaws dealing with the minimum size and location of opening windows in bedrooms. This is important for fire egress (fire exit).

It is a “private” room — this is their space and needs to be respected. Families are requested to respect their Guest’s privacy and possessions, so let your Guests know well in advance before entering their room for such things as vacuuming, changing linen or making repairs.

Excerpt from the book Homestay 101 for Hosts. Find out more at http://www.amazon.ca/Homestay-101-Hosts-Complete-Successful/dp/097803810X