Start Preparing Your Guest Bedroom for the Holidays Today It may come as a surprise, but with Halloween over, it’s time to start preparing for the holiday season. This usually involves planning the Thanksgiving menu, scoping out upcoming Black Friday deals and making travel arrangements for guests to come in town to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, have you considered preparing the space for all of your guests to sleep? This post is the first in a 6-part series on how to prepare your guest bedrooms for your holiday travelers. Over the next month, we’ll cover what essentials you ought to have in the room, how to decorate and more! First, we’re going to look at the most important part of the guest bedroom – the bed! What to Consider When Buying a Guest Mattress We talked to Michelle Stokely, Mattress Firm’s national retail specialist, to get an idea of how people shop for guest bedroom mattresses and what they ought to consider. “Honestly, this is my favorite time of year to be a sleep consultant,” she said.
“Most people know what they want in a bed, but have no idea what someone else might want. It’s like buying shoes for someone else.” So, how can you take some of the guesswork out of this purchase? Michelle says it is important to ask yourself the following questions in order to be confident with your decision. Who will use this mattress? Keep in mind who will be using this mattress. Is it a mix of several different relatives or friends, or will it be the same person most of the time? How long will your guest use this mattress? Consider the length of your guests’ trips. Some guests, like parents who are retired and come in town to visit grandchildren, might stay for a week or more several times per season. People in other stages of life might find that their guests are usually only in town for a long weekend once or twice a year. How else is your guest bedroom used? Think hard about how else your guest bedroom is used throughout the year. Do you or your spouse use it when you’re sick or snoring?
Do your children use the room for sleepovers or science fair projects? It might be worth investing in a higher quality mattress if it’s regularly being used by other members of the household. How large is your guest bedroom? What size bed you choose will depend a lot on the size of your guest bedroom and what else you use the room for when visitors are not in town. If the room is smaller, a full-size mattress might have to suffice, even if it’s a bit less roomy then some couples are used to. If the room is large enough and you expect your guests to stay longer than a 3-day-weekend, it might make sense to select a king or queen sized bed. How old is your current guest mattress? It’s important to replace every 8 years, even for guest mattresses that are used less often. “Fabrics and textiles have a lifespan,” says Michelle. “Be mindful of how your guest mattress is aging – you own the bed even if you don’t sleep on it regularly. Different Guests, Different Needs
Although it might be tempting to find a “temporary” solution or to move an old mattress into the guest room after upgrading someone else’s bed, you owe it to your guests and yourself (assuming you also occasionally use this bed) to put as much effort into selecting a quality guest mattress as you did for your own bed. A lumpy, uncomfortable mattress could lead to a poor quality, even painful, night of sleep for your guests, which will make their trip less enjoyable for everyone involved. Michelle suggests using Mattress Firm’s “comfort by color” system to try out different kinds of beds. Even though you won’t be the primary sleeper on the bed, you can still make a good choice by buying a bed that is comfortable to you. If you’re expecting guests who are older, Michelle says it’s important to keep two bed features in mind: height and edge support. Elderly people may have a harder time getting in and out of a bed, so you want to avoid the potential for a dangerous fall by ensuring the bed you choose isn’t too high off of the ground.
Also, elderly people tend to sit on the edge of their beds more — especially in a guest room that might not have a chair – to read or put their shoes on. “Elderly people tend to prefer a firmer bed,” says Michelle. “If you’re going to have a mix of older and younger guests, you could choose to buy a firmer mattress and also a soft mattress topper to put on before the younger guests arrive.” If you’re expecting younger children who may be potty training, you don’t necessarily have to invest in a toddler-sized bed. Michelle suggests investing in an add-on product like a mattress protector to easily prepare your normal guest room for smaller visitors. Check back all month long as we continue our 6-part series on guest bedrooms and holiday visitors. Have fun preparing for your seasonal festivities, and sleep better knowing your guests will be comfortable in your home. Craig McAndrews Craig McAndrews is the chief strategy officer for Mattress Firm, spearheading product development and merchandising strategy, both in-store and online.
As a regular contributor to The Daily Doze, he shares insights on to how make the mattress buying process a little easier, and what is really important when it comes to selecting your sleep system. Craig’s career in the bedding industry initially began with Sealy’s Stearns & Foster, where he regularly worked with Mattress Firm, giving him the opportunity to witness the company’s special culture first hand. He soon joined the Mattress Firm team as a franchise owner, and played a part in the company’s expansion into Arizona. Since then, Craig has served in a variety of roles for Mattress Firm; and his passion for helping customers “Sleep Happy” and commitment to sharing his extensive industry knowledge with his teammates have garnered the respect and admiration of coworkers and peers alike. Now as chief strategy officer, Craig constantly evaluates all elements of the in-store and online customer experience, while serving as an in-house expert to keep the company focused on its growth strategy.