leave non-hanging clothes in your suitcase/bag or do you put them in drawers? Does it depend on how long your stay is?
Do you have an expectation of having dresser space - at least a drawer or two - if you stay in someone’s home as a guest?
My dh always unloads all his folded clothes at a hotel. I rarely do that. I hang my dressier things, but keep folded clothes in the suitcase. I have no expectation of having drawer space when staying in someone’s home. Even if it were available, I don’t think I’d use it.
My mil is wanting to move a chest of drawers into her guest bedroom. She has company coming (a couple she visited in February). They provided her with drawer space when she stayed with them and now wants to be able to do that when they come and stay with her. Do you have drawer space to offer your guests in your home?
I keep most in my packing cubes and put those in a drawer(s). Before I used cubes, I did use drawers for my clothes and hung up what I could. I don’t expect drawer space in someone’s home and just use my suitcase.
It depends how long I’m staying in a hotel if I fully unpack but usually I just hang things in the closet.
We’re fortunate to have a designated guest room with an empty closet and a chest of drawers that has three large drawers available for guests (the rest have guest linens). I know not everyone has the space and wouldn’t expect it anywhere else. I definitely wouldn’t expect someone to rearrange furniture for me ahead of a visit.
In our last house, we had a guest room but no room for a chest of drawers. There was a large closet though so we had one of those fabric closet shelving units as well as a suitcase rack/stand.
We do not have drawer space for guests, nor would I expect any in another person’s home. I also never unpack while traveling, except hanging a fancy dress in a closet occasionally.
When I traveled extensively for work, I fully unpacked for the week. I would not expect to unpack folded items in someone’s home and would probable not use the drawer if I were staying less than about two weeks. If a dresser would not fit in the guest room, it would be very helpful to have a folding luggage rack to make it easier to get things out and not put the dirty suitcase on the bed.
When my children are no longer permanent residents in our home, I plan to set up the rooms like a hotel, with empty dressers for guest. (Lord know I don’t need to start storing things in their dressers.) I will put linens and extra pillows and a blanket in the drawers.
I don’t use the drawers, as it increases chances of picking up bedbugs. If you really want to be safe while traveling, keep your suitcase in the hotel bathroom. I had to learn all of this the hard way.
I use the drawers if it’s a multi-day trip. If I’m by myself and I have 2 beds, I usually unload my stuff onto the other bed. I do offer drawer space for guests in our home and I appreciate it when I encounter it at someone else’s home- especially if it is a small room.
I need to resume nagging Mr. that we have to get that dresser from Dania for the guest bedroom… cause someday @MomofWildChild might stop by, and she likes drawers!
We have a closet with nice shelf space in the guest bedroom, but no dresser (yet). We usually live out of our packing cubes when we travel. Long dressed and shirts go on hangers,
@momofsenior1 - what a great idea! Did you find the hanging closet shelf to be fairly sturdy? By that I mean, did it sag? I saw one on Amazon that actually had “boards,” to prevent that.
Our space is so tight. I do have two luggage racks, but they are not super large. One friend came to stay and brought a HUGE suitcase! It reminded me of a steamer trunk! No way would it have fit on the luggage racks I have.
I’m already unhappy that I allowed the decorator to talk me into a sleeper sofa in our guest bedroom (we only have two bedrooms). It was a nice concept, but having to store linens (and then cushions when we have guests - only the back ones fit underneath when the bed is pulled out) is a challenge. While the space would be less usable when we don’t have guests, I’d have more storage since I could put stuff under the bed. We don’t really use that room much anyway. I’d like it to be more inviting when guests do come. We have been a revolving door since moving to Florida! The whole taking the sofa apart, stashing the cushions, assembling the bed is a PITA. I’d be happier if it could just be “ready” all the time.
I could have room for a chest if dh would get rid of our leather-bound 100 greatest books ever written, but he insisted on keeping them.
I live out of the suitcase when traveling. Will occasionally hang something up to get the wrinkles out but that’s it. Hubby unpacks more if we are staying longer and there’s space available but we certainly don’t expect people’s guest rooms to have all of the amenities of a hotel room.
I love to unpack if I am traveling and make my kids unpack too. The only exception is if we are only staying somewhere for a night. We never really stay with friends or family as almost all of our friends/family are local to us but if I did stay at someone’s house, I would like it (but not expect it) that there would be drawers for me to use.
We rarely unpack in a hotel/air bnb, unless we are there for a wedding and need to hang clothes. We do have a dedicated guest room. It does have a dresser and chair. Since our home is from the very late 1890’s/early 1900’s the “closet” is very shallow. It has shelves for sweaters or personal items and hooks to hang clothes or a hanger (flat).
I always hang appropriate clothes in a hotel but only use a drawer if staying more than one night. I usually leave valuables in a locked suitcase.
We have one dresser drawer that can be emptied and a small section of the closet that can be cleared in our guest room for visitors. Amazingly in the four years since we moved to San Diego, our only visitors have been DS several times and each of our siblings once.
When we used to visit DH’s childhood home, my biggest issue was no night table next to the bed (I used to pull the desk chair over for my eyeglasses, book, cell,etc.) and no wastebasket (I would use a paper bag).
I unpack in a hotel even for a night. I have a dedicated guest room with a dresser and closet and bathroom.
Question- I have many overnight guests. No one ever brings their own toiletries- toothpaste, shampoo, hair dryers, straighteners. I always pack my own stuff but I fully supply my guest rooms. Do you expect your host to supply that for you?
@Hoggirl - the fabric closet shelf organizer did have cardboard bottoms. I wouldn’t recommend for every day use but for guests it’s perfect. Ours lasted 10 years so far and is still going strong.
On toiletries - we don’t host people often (mostly just my parents and they leave stuff here in between their trips) and don’t stay in other people’s homes much any more either (again, mostly my parents’) but I’d say it’s normal to have soap and some shampoo/conditioner that people can use in the bathroom and people would normally bring along most of the other things like their own toothpaste and specialty hair products unless they forgot something.
