Preparing Guest Rooms for Winter Stays

Walk Each Room Before the Cold Bites

The first hard frost usually arrives earlier than the diary expects. Before your winter bookings build up, spend an afternoon walking every guest room as though you were the one staying in it. Sit on the bed, stand by the window, open the wardrobe, and notice where the cold gets in. Guests rarely complain that a room is chilly in so many words — they simply mention in a review that it was "a bit draughty", and that one phrase can cost you bookings for months.

Take a notebook and a roll of masking tape. Mark every gap, every radiator that stays cold at the bottom, every window that rattles. Fixing things room by room in October is far easier than apologising for them in January, when the house is full and the weather is against you.

Chase the Draughts

Old guest houses are full of character, and character usually means gaps. Work around each room methodically:

• Windows: check seals on sashes and casements. Self-adhesive brush or foam strips are inexpensive and last a season or two. Where original single glazing remains, removable secondary glazing film is cheap, almost invisible, and makes a surprising difference.
• Doors: a gap under the bedroom door pulls warm air out into the landing. A fabric draught excluder looks homely and works well, and a brush strip on the bottom edge is neat if you prefer something permanent.
• Keyholes and letter plates: small, but a cold trickle finds them. A cover costs pence.
• Chimneys: an unused fireplace is a chimney-shaped hole. A chimney balloon or a well-fitted draught excluder stops the steady pull of warm air upwards.
• Extractor fans: make sure shutters close properly and there is no constant hum of cold air coming in.

Don't seal a room so tightly that nothing moves at all. A trickle vent left open does far more good than a window propped wide on a February night.

Take Charge of the Heating

Guests should never have to hunt for a thermostat or ring a bell to ask for warmth. Set each radiator's thermostatic valve to a sensible position and label it if the markings have worn away. Bleed radiators before the season starts, and check that timers bring the heating on early enough to take the chill off the room before check-in, rather than at the moment guests arrive.

Aim for a comfortable 18–21°C in occupied rooms, and resist heating empty ones to the same level. Zoned or timed heating, decent draught proofing and well-fitted curtains will do more for your energy bill than any gadget. If you provide a portable electric heater as a backup, have it PAT tested, keep the cable tidy, and make sure it can't be knocked against bedding or curtains.

Layer the Bed for Cold Nights

A winter bed should feel generous rather than heavy. Swap to a higher tog duvet for the season — 13.5 tog suits most unheated or slowly warmed rooms — and keep a couple of folded blankets or throws on a chair or in the wardrobe so guests can adjust without asking. Brushed cotton sheets are a small luxury that guests notice on a cold night.

• Leave a hot water bottle in a drawer, with a note explaining where it is.
• Check electric blankets or pads for frayed cables, and test them before the season begins.
• A mattress topper adds warmth as well as comfort.
• Fresh hot drinks are essential: a well-stocked tea and coffee tray, proper milk, and a couple of biscuits go a long way.

Warm the Welcome

Arrival sets the tone. Have the bedside lamp on, the curtains drawn against the dark, and the room comfortably warm before your guests walk in. Warming a room for half an hour before check-in is far more efficient than leaving the heating running all afternoon.

Leave a short, friendly card explaining how the heating works, where the extra blanket lives, and who to ask if anything isn't right. Guests are far more likely to mention a cold radiator to you than to write about it later, provided you make it easy.

Keep the Air Moving

Sealing a room against draughts can tip it towards damp if you're not careful. Winter condensation on windows, a musty smell in the wardrobe and clammy bedding all point to poor ventilation. Run bathroom extractor fans on a timer, encourage guests to use trickle vents, and air rooms thoroughly between stays.

Give wet kit somewhere to go: a boot tray by the door, a small drying rack, and hooks for damp coats near a radiator. A torch in the bedside drawer is a thoughtful touch when the evenings draw in early. Do these small things well, and your rooms will feel warm, cared for and quietly efficient — exactly what a winter guest hopes to find.