I will be staying with friends at their vacation home for about a week later this summer and I’m struggling with what to take as a hostess gift. Since I will be flying, my usual gift of a bottle of special wine isn’t an option this time. Do you have a ‘go to’ hostess gift for such occasions? I realize it’s the thought that counts, but can’t show up emptied-handed.
Someone once said you should be able to eat it or burn it. (Drinking counts as eating in my book!) A nice candle is my go to in the latter category. A local orchard does very nice gift baskets (jam, dried fruit) and I feel like that’s something unique. An assortment of fancy teas for a tea drinker.
With that said, someone once brought me beach towels, and at a home by the water or with a pool, you can never have too many of those!
I’d bring some nice local gourmet food items from your area (or ship ahead if you don’t want to fly with them). I’d also be sure to prepare some meals that week and treat them to a dinner out as well.
Flowers are always lovely – you could stop at a florist en route to the house. Treating everyone to a meal or several during your stay would be nice. Candles set off everyone in this house’s allergies so tho the gesture would be considered thoughtful we wouldn’t use it. Coffee from your region if they are coffee drinkers. Something made in your area–basket of snacks, jams, something from your regionthat you and others love.
I brought gorgeous dish towels and interesting canvas grocery bags to some helpful neighbors, I figured you can always use a dishtowel & in our area, they charge for grocery bags, so that might also be helpful.
Plus both pack quite tidily. In the PNW, we are coffee snobs, so I often bring coffee, but I have been surprised how many Keurig people there are out there, maybe some use their own coffee, but it’s risky.
I’ve given magnetic poetry kits (with different ones for different members of the household) but never more than once for the same people.
I was thinking beach towels too. Dish towels sound nice. I love towels.
Cheese! Then again, I am from Wisconsin.
We used to take a box of cookies from a local Italian deli that had an amazing selection.
I usually bring a nice Voluspa candle.
As someone with a vacation house in a great spot and kids who love to invite their friends, I have received many hostess gifts. I don’t need more stuff. Vacation homes don’t usually have tons of storage–at least our house doesn’t. Bring something that will be consumed right away–food, pretty flowers, or a gc to a local restaurant so that I don’t have to cook.
I’m surprised at the # of candle suggestions. I would never go that route unless I knew the home owner adored candles - even then, which one to choose!
I agree with consumables and consumables on your tap for a night out. Gotta love the beach towel idea too for a beach home!
You can never have enough beach towels at a beach house. That is our “go to” gift for that kind of invitation.
Funny thing is when we had a family house close to the beach and a pool, we wound up with tons more towels than we needed without buying any. Someone or another was always forgetting their towel. If you have a party, you’ll wind up with at least 2-3 towels that you never knew where they came from. The stack grew quite large.
When we had a pool, the nice fluffy towels seemed to go missing and thin rough towels got left behind 
I recently put two very good bottles of wine in a 2 bottle wine protector in my checked bag for a long weekend visit.
They were very much appreciated; didn’t check the bag going home.
When we stay with friends…or relatives…we treat them to a meal out at a restaurant of their choice. That way…no one has to schlep or store anything. And as noted above…saves at least one meals worth of prep and cleanup.
Since I personally can’t stand candles, I never take them as gifts.
Everyone we know with a beach house has a surplus of beach towels because others leave them behind.
You could take a small gift from where you are from. For example…we live in New England so often will take maple sugar candies as a gift. A SMALL box. Then we also take the folks out to eat.
Another thought…you may notice something while you are visiting…maybe the hosts will ention something they wish they had. If that is the case…you can send it when younget home as a thank you present.
WSJ had an article recently on hostess gifts. Olive oil, charging cords, and sunglasses came up as options. (“house sunglasses” for kids and adults.)
Is the house rented out ever? My friends with lake rentals say that flatware disappears - people throw it out when cleaning up. Renters are weird.
People give me tea towels with decorations from wherever they are from. I use them.
Since you’re staying a week, why not visit a local winery and purchase a case of mixed wines and have it shipped to your friends house.