Last Updated on September 12, 2019 by Lucienne
In a previous post I wrote about my Ultimate List of Kitchen Essentials. This week I thought I would discuss my Ultimate List of Bedroom Essentials.
The important thing about a bedroom is that it must look inviting and luxurious. A picture of a cosy and comfortable bedroom might just be the thing to attract potential guests to click on your listing. I have used a picture of the bedroom in our Cosy Garden Cottage listing on Airbnb.
Essential Bedroom Furniture
Lets consider the list of bedroom furniture that is required. Two single beds, bedside tables and a cupboard. Really not much at all.
Two single beds. This really is a personal choice. A lot of hosts have double beds in their bedrooms, and that works really well. I chose to go with two single beds as our cottage only has one bedroom. I wanted to cater for the working traveler as well as for travelling couples. Two colleagues certainly won’t want to share a double bed, while two single beds can be pushed together to cater for couples. If we had more than one bedroom in our listing I would most likely have one room with a double bed and the other with two single beds.
Bedside Tables. These are a must as this is where the bedside light goes. Bedside tables with drawers are ideal as this can increase the storage space for the long stay guests. This is where I will definitely upgrade our bedroom when budget allows – bedside tables with drawers.
Cupboard. An absolute must, guests will need hanging space for their clothes. Don’t forget to include the hangers. At least ten hangers. Extra blankets can also be stored in the cupboard for the guest’s convenience. Our cushions for the courtyard chairs are stored in the bedroom cupboard.
Essential Bedroom Accessories
Linen
Mattress protector. Starting at the bottom, good quality mattress protectors for your mattresses. This will help to keep your mattresses clean from those accidental coffee spills. The protectors will also extend the life of your mattresses.
Duvet and pillows. We have chosen three quarter duvets for our single beds. They hang more beautifully over the edges of the bed while the single duvets only just cover the mattress. For the pillows I have chosen one down feather pillow and one non feather pillow. I love sleeping on feather pillows. My husband, who suffers from allergies, prefers to sleep on non feather pillows. One of each on the bed should cover your guest preferences.
Percale linen. One of my pet hates when we stay somewhere is sleeping in poly cotton – aaahhh!! 100% cotton percale linen breathes beautifully and gives such a lovely luxurious feel as you climb into bed. Good quality percale linen should last much longer than ordinary linen too.
Scatter cushions and throws. Scatter cushions and throws on the bed add the homely inviting touch that you are looking for in the bedroom. The throws can also double up as extra blankets in the colder winter months.
Other bedroom Accessories
Bedside lights. Having bedside lights on the bedside tables is an essential for me. I am not a fan of over head lights that generally shine in your eyes when you are in bed. I prefer the softer warmer light of bedside lights. From a practical point of view they are necessary for reading in bed. It is also much nicer to turn the light off once you are in bed than having to turn the light off and scramble around in the dark to find your way into bed.
Full length mirror. A full length mirror is a must, most people like to get a view of how they look from top to toe before venturing out for the day.
Hairdryer. A hairdryer can take up so much extra space in ones suitcase. It is also one of those items that can be a pain for some if it is left behind. A hairdryer is also one of those amenities that can be ticked off in your listing to boost you up in the ranks.
Floor rugs. A couple of floor rugs on the floors will help to add to the cosy feel of the bedroom. Putting your feet onto a nice soft rug instead of the cold floor is preferable when getting out of bed in the mornings.
Essential Bedroom Extras
Now let’s consider those bedroom extras that will make you stand out from the crowd.
Multi plug. Guests come from all around the globe so a multi plug to cater for all shapes of plugs is a must. The multi plug should allow for several devices to be plugged in at once. It can be quite frustrating arriving with a low battery and not having the tools to charge your device again.
Flowers. Magazines. Chocolates. All three of these items add that special homely touch. I always have fresh flowers from my garden on a vase next to the bed. Travel magazines are a good way for visitors to get ideas on what to see and do in your city. Lindt chocolates are just a nice treat to have on the bed.
In a previous post called 10 Special Touches That Get 5-Star Reviews I give more ideas on extras that can be included to make a guest’s stay more memorable.
Thank you for reading my post on the Ultimate List of Bedroom Essentials. What is on your list of bedroom essentials? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
If you are looking for more tips on how to be an Airbnb host, please follow the links below to some of my other posts.
Styling Your Space for Professional Photography
Ultimate List of Kitchen Essentials
Thank you for this list! We have a 2nd home that we Airbnb & I didn’t realize that it was missing so many of these bedroom essentials. I absolutely love the idea of having chocolates or fresh flowers as an extra touch! We do have floor rugs in each of our bedrooms because we have hardwood floors, and I get them cleaned every few months by a local rug cleaner called ‘Southside Chem-Dry’ The clean rugs not only looks good for guests, but it also makes the rugs last longer!
Hi Sara,
Yes clean clean clean is the biggest tip of all, especially in these strange times that we are living. Guests will want to be re-assured that they are staying in a clean and virus-free place.
Very useful suggestions thank you Lucienne.