Hosting Overnight Guests Without a Guest Room

How to host overnight guests without a guest room and enjoy it!

Hosting Overnight Guests Without a Guest Room

Someday I think I’ll have a dedicated guest room. I hope so at least.

In the meantime though, I have small children and we’re starting the foster care journey so what little extra space we have is being used. I’m grateful for this and I don’t want any of that to change.

But, I do want my house to be a welcoming space for guests to come and stay as long as they want or need even in this season.

I’ve never had a dedicated guest room but I have hosted additional people in our home for overnight stays hundreds of times.

Our Favorite Ways to Host Overnight Guests Without a Guest Room

1. Couch

This is the perfect solution for single guests or young guests in particular. In our previous home, we had a finished basement with a huge sectional and a bathroom. That often became our guest’s living space and, even without a bed, it was a great place for them to feel like they had their privacy.

Our sectional was very comfortable and HUGE so it could easily fit a few adults laying down.

Now my husband and I generally sleep on it when we offer our guests this next option.

2. Your room

I know this is a bit of a stretch for many when it comes to hosting overnight guests without a guest room, but hear me out. When you’re staying in someone else’s home it’s really nice to have a private area that you can retreat to.

When you live in the home yourself, you know all the little spaces and you know where you can find a retreat. You also know you won’t be intruding on anyone else. Your guests don’t have that luxury unless you give them a dedicated space.

In our house, the only option is often our bedroom.

Our room is the only room in the house with anything bigger than a twin bed so we typically offer it up to any couple who comes to stay with us.

We wash the bedding just before our guests arrive, lay out towels, and sometimes a basket of snacks, and try to make sure we’ve grabbed everything we will need while they’re with us. Then we clear a little space in the closet and let our guests get comfortable.

We find that people feel guilty using our space at first until we explain that everything has been done already in preparation for them and we already have a plan in place for how we will be taken care of. It sometimes takes a little reiterating but it works.

3. Your children’s room

Our children share a room and it’s fairly small. They have a small bunk bed (because nothing bigger fits) so their room is really only suitable for a single guest and even then it’s not the most comfortable.

However, when we move to a house with bigger rooms we plan to put a full bed in at least one of their rooms so that we can move them to the couch or the floor of another bedroom while guests occupy their space since we will most likely still be hosting overnight guests without a guest room.

Guests are more likely to feel comfortable displacing the kids, especially if you have a system already and they are used to the transition.

4. Air Mattress

Just please make sure to invest in a quality air mattress. I’ve spent many nights on air mattresses and rarely have they stayed inflated all night.

A quality air mattress in a semi-private living space (like a finished basement, etc) is a great option.

I don’t recommend an air mattress in your only communal living space (unless as a last resort) because you will feel hindered from getting up and doing your normal routine (or feel like you have to keep your children super quiet if your guests aren’t early risers). Plus your guests will feel like they don’t have any privacy.

However, air mattresses OR just sleeping bags in the living room work great for children — they LOVE it and feel like its an adventure!