Holiday Hospitality
Offering hospitality with an old fashioned flair envelops your guests in a charming spirit of warmth, generosity and good will. You may not have a houseful of servants to cater to your guests' every whim, but you can anticipate their needs and help them feel welcomed and pampered. Here are a few tips I wrote for the article on Victorian Hospitality in the December issue of Victorian Homes Magazine.
1. A Gracious Welcome. On their arrival, treat your guests to tea or coffee in your living room. Set a tray in front of a blazing fire, use your best silver and pretty porcelain teacups, and arrange treats with greenery. After traveling, everyone loves to sit, sip a cup of tea and say hello.
2. Treat guests like Family. Give guests their own key to your home, attach to a holiday ribbon and tag. A shedule of your holiday events will allow them to plan their time, include a nap and private time, while still enjoying all the holiday traditions with your family and friends. Add a map of the local area, as well as a list of "must see" places, shops and restaurants.
3. Graceful Guest Room Upgrades. Anticipate your guest's needs by putting yourself in their place. Think like a luxury B & B owner. Freshen the room with clean, crisp Antique sheets, fold an extra blanket on the end of the bed. Nestle a cozy reading chair next to the bed, add a fresh flowers, a stack of books, and a water carafe.
Hang a festive cone or stocking on the bedpost, fill fill greenery and a small ornament keepsake.
Place a welcome basket at the foot of the bed, filled with soap, shampoo, perhaps some slippers, a robe, extra towels, a holiday treat, and a seasonal candle & matches.
4. Extra Good Mornings. Early in the morning, bring a tray with individual pots of tea and coffee to your guest's room on a tray. Add a little nosegay of roses.
5. A Place to Write.If you have the room, a little desk filled with stationary, pens and stamps is a very thoughtful touch. Put a photograph of your guests in a frame to display on the desk, and let them take this home with them when they leave as a memento.
6. Breakfast Bar.The days leading up to Christmas can be hectic. Let everyone serve themselves breakfast at their leasure {and without YOU feeling like a short order cook} by setting up a beautiful breakfast bar in your kitchen. Provide foods that are easy to serve at room temperature, so that everyone can help themselves over a period of time.
Arrange food on a buffet, or even the corner of your kitchen counter. Layer an antique lace tablecloth under the dishes, use your silver to serve, and add a few greens and berries for decorations. Stacks of plates, silverware, glasses and cups. they don't have to match, making for a fun conversation starter!
7. Set a simple, but thoughtful table.For a meal you will all share, think outside the box to set a pretty table. Here, I used antique union cases with a personal message inside as a special surprise for each guest.
8. Enjoy yourself! Don't let the perfectionist in you take over. Plan ahead, then enjoy being with your guests. Laugh, do fun things, take a nap, let them help you, and take it easy.
Happy Holidays!
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maria
December 31, 2012
I really love your frenchgardenhouse. Especially looking at your beautiful blog posts, and your recipes, I wish this was a place I could stay! Thanks for the great blog.