A gripe that stems from every hotel I've ever stayed in: make sure the alarm clock is simple enough that Coco could use it.

I don't think I've ever actually stayed in a guest room except for at my grandparents' house so my advice is don't store all the moth balls in the free world in the guest room closet. And not everyone needs a 2,000-watt nightlight to avoid breaking a hip during a midnight trek to the bathroom.

That's all I got...

Usually something small, like my husbands smile. Or the little squeeze he gives just before he lets go from a hug.
Sometimes, it's okay to take a step back and look at the little things, that no one really thinks about.
But I also like oversized soft blankets and I hate dirty dishes in the sink. :) Maybe we'll stop by on our way to the West coast!

I think my favorite guest room experience was when I stayed with my brother and his wife several years ago. They had a beautifully decorated guest room with its own bathroom. The bed was super comfy; plenty of pillows and super soft sheets, blankets and a massive comforter, and the bathroom already had everything I needed in it - plenty of towels, soap, shampoo, hair dryer . . . it was like staying in a hotel but way more warm and homey. This was not too long after my ex-husband and I had separated, and I was sort of homeless and trying to figure out what to do. Everything in that room felt good, smelled good, and I didn't have to ask for anything. I think that's the key - make it so they don't have to ask for anything. I seriously wanted to live there.

Best thing ever in a friend's guest room -- a basket with essentials and house information. The basket had chapstick, hand lotion, shampoo, toothpaste, ear plugs, chocolate, face wash, etc. It also had a card with key information like the wireless password, information about the alarm, where an extra blanket was, etc. Next to the basket, a carafe of water and a cup. Perfection.

Fun!

I am a freak who can't sleep unless I am super comfortable, so the most important thing to me is that the bed be (a) big enough (b) reasonably soft and (c) have extra pillows that I can hug/use as a body pillow. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF EXTRA PILLOWS.

Otherwise, my favorite guest room ever was in this tiny little upstairs nook at my aunt's house, and there was literally just enough room to walk around the bed, but it was so cushy and welcoming, with a nice dimmable floor lamp and super cozy bed, I swear I could have just moved in forever.

I wouldn't have thought of suggesting the mirror, but that is a totally good point too, @inthesky

What makes me feel at home while traveling is bringing something from my home that I find peaceful and comforting. Since I live by the ocean, I like to bring a piece of it with me. That is my SeaweedArt- greeting cards and prints created from my pressed seaweed collages. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seaweedart/sea...

Holy shit. Your commenters expect more than I do. A basket of amenities and a house rules card? YOWZA.

I agree with almost everyone - PILLOWS. I hate borrowing pillows form the children, getting stained pillows, lumpy pillows, pillows that don't properly fit into pillowcases. Gross.

I do agree that its good to have MOST of your crap out of that room. If you want to put family board games or things that aren't very personal int he closet AND they are well organized, not an eye sore - DO IT. I don't care about your board games. As long as you don't need to go in and get those htings while I am staying there, I don't care. Just be sure to leave me spaces to put my clothes. And give me semi-decent curtains/shades so I dont have to get up at the crack of dawn.

For a variety of reasons I am quite timid about painting my walls.... so one guest-room I particularly remember was beautifully done with blue. Not like it had fallen into a paint bucket, but the details all worked in one color scheme, and I loved that.

I'll second the not-having-to-ask-for-anything setup, but I don't agree with it being all empty. I love staying at my bff's place where the guest-room bookshelf is fiiiiilled with her books.

I would say that there should be some hand lotion in the bedside table for sure! I always forget to bring it with me when I go to visit a friend, and my skin is dry this winter. Some cute photos and knick-knacks around are fine, but leave enough space on the top of a dresser / table so that the guest can put their toiletries, books, or whatever else they travel with in an accessible place. Also, a nice big mirror on the wall so your guest can get a view of his/her outfit before they come out of the room is great, too.

Yes to all of the above: extra pillows, nightstands with lights and accessible outlets, large mirror, bathroom sundries, etc.

We also have a couple of large plush robes in the closet (along with plenty of space and extra hangers if something needs to be hung). Big ol' robes are always too big to pack and it makes that morning coffee so much less awkward.

These are a few things I've noticed from staying with family and traveling around a lot with an infant, who usually is sleeping in the pack and play in the same room. It is annoying when a guest room doesn't have room darkening window treatments. The number of times I have stolen towels from the bathroom or scavenged lap blankets and attempted all sorts of weird methods to hold them up over the windows so that my infant will sleep in past six is a bit frustrating! I know I might be in the minority here but I also think it is nice to have a digital alarm clock set to the right time. Even if you have a cell phone (which I don't), I think it is nice to wake up and immediately see if you should attempt to make your toddler go back to sleep in bed with you while simultaneously kicking you in the head, or just get up with him already.
Best blankets--a down comforter with a flannel or linen cover. Soft cotton or linen sheets. A bed that doesn't squeak, like the one at my in-laws.

This is total hotel luxury for me, but obvious access to electricity and a clean flat space for charging all of me devices, that's pretty nice.

Yay! We're doing our guest room too, right now (reciprocity, sister) so I am thrilled to be able to play along.

I stayed with my BFF who has a 3 year old. She put a sound machine in my room because she was worried her little one's early morning routine would wake me up. She also had a little card with the wireless internet info, location of extra towels, pillows, blankets, etc on the nightstand along with a few bottles of water. Because she's my BFF and I'm carrying her/husbands baby( long story and I wouldn't expect this from just anyone) she put a stack of CD's and DVD's in the room next to the TV she thought I would like. I didn't feel like an imposition and had such a great relaxing time.

I have never had a guest room either, but I always remember someone's home that I was in years ago. There were all sorts of toiletries, meds, snacks etc. in the room. It made me feel so pampered. I also love a suitcase holder/rack, whatever it is called! If you are not the unpacking sort, or you are not staying long, it is nice to have your suitcase up off the floor, and easily accessible.

I'm going to second-third-fourth PILLOWS! Personally, I like a fat, hard pillow, which most people do not. So being able to stack a couple of pillows up together so I don't wake up with a cramp in my shoulder/neck area is a nice bonus.

And I also second the idiot-proof alarm clock. What a great idea.