5 Ways to Make Your Guests Feel at Home this Festive Season

Christmas is one of the most social times of the year, with many of us welcoming family and friends into our homes to eat, drink, and be merry. When you’re hosting festive celebrations, it’s important to ensure that your home looks and feels inviting so that your guests feel at ease – there’s nothing worse than being uncomfortable in somebody else’s home! Check out our guide to make your home the most special place to be this festive season.

1) Homely & Inviting Welcome

Create a warm welcome to get your guests in the Christmas spirit as soon as they arrive. Add a Christmas wreath to the door and some festive-scented candles or winter flowers in the hallway. A tray with a welcome festive drink or mince pie will be appreciated by those that have travelled far, with relaxing background music and a warm, crackling open fire if you have one.

Why not curate a festive music playlist for the morning, noon, and night, like we do here at Swallowfields? Our Swallowfields jazz playlist is perfect for when guests arrive, allowing them to settle right into our luxury lodges and enjoy their first evening with us. Or our Swallowfields ‘kick back & relax’ playlist is just right for those lazy afternoons chilling out or napping in the hammock.

2) Comfort & Ambience

It’s important to consider what your guests may need during their stay and to plan for those little extras — going the extra mile by providing thoughtful touches will make all the difference when hosting at home.

If you are having family or friends stay overnight for your festive gathering, why not set the tone in your guest bedroom(s) with some soft fairy lighting, calming music and a hand-written message?! This will immediately make your guests feel right at home and prepare them for a good night’s sleep. On the bedside table, add a book, carafe of water or tray to place their cup of tea. Add some coat hangers to the back of the door, and if possible, clear some drawers or add an occasional chair to act as a clothes horse or reading nook when they need a minute to themselves. Finish with fresh fluffy towels or extra blankets for those cold winter nights.

In the spirit of Swallowfields, we provide our guests with a cosy bathrobe and slippers for ultimate comfort when using our luxury hot tubs. We also supply complimentary toiletries from the award-winning 100 Acres; their products are made in the British countryside using only the finest, freshest, 100% natural botanical ingredients. Our guests love the smell so much that we’ve added their new scented diffuser to our living room spaces.

3) Relaxing Social Spaces

Whilst it’s vitally important that your house looks cosy and inviting, ultimately, your guests will remember how they felt during the occasion rather than just how your home looked. Comfort always comes first, so ensure that everybody has a comfortable seat in your living room or dining room and plan where everybody will sit beforehand. If you don’t have enough seating, consider purchasing, borrowing, or making some DIY seating.

Here at Swallowfields, we provide plenty of seating and social spaces for our guests. Our corner sofas in the living area comfortably seat up to 6 people, offering an easy view of the TV and toasty wood burner. Out on the decking, you’ll find another social space with a corner sofa and wooden table for that all-important morning coffee, as well as a hanging egg chair for reading and relaxing. If you step into the private garden area, you’ll spot oak benches around the campfire and additional chairs behind the lodges for any extra visitors. There are sun loungers and even a double hammock, too!

4) Yummy Treats

Food is the way to a person’s heart, so it’s important to ensure that your guests are well-fed. When you step into somebody else’s home, there’s nothing more inviting than the smell of something delicious baking in the oven. Here at Swallowfields, we greet all our guests with a welcome hamper full of delicious goodies, all sourced locally in the Malvern Hills. Our artisan traybakes from Three Bears Bakery are a firm favourite!

Ensure you have snacks that guests can help themselves to throughout the evening, such as nuts, crisps, cheeses, or chocolate. Or you could take it outside Swallowfields style for a special Christmas treat before the big day, with some relaxing jazz, twinkly lighting, a campfire, hot toddy and s’mores. Perfect…

5) A Festive Toast

The toast is arguably the most critical part of any festive gathering. Place a glass of champagne (or non-alcoholic equivalent) at every table setting and make a toast before you begin tucking into your Christmas meal. This is a great way to kick off your afternoon or evening in style and put everybody in good spirits.

Alternatively, you could set up your own bar with twinkly glasses and cocktail kit and create a signature tipple for the evening. Our luxury lodges at Swallowfields each have a drinks cabinet stocked with all the glasses and cocktail supplies you could need to whip up your favourite aperitif.

2023 Staycations at Swallowfields Luxury Glamping Retreat

Our luxury safari lodges are now closed for the 2022 season, but don’t worry; we will re-open in April 2023! We are currently taking lots of bookings for 2023 – click here to book your luxury staycation at Swallowfields today.

  • WELLBEING BREAKS

    Malvern has long been associated with healthy living, ever since it originated as a spa town. Many benefits have been linked to its spring water, as well as people. Charles Darwin, Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale are all said to have enjoyed its therapeutic qualities.

    It’s a legacy that’s lived right on to this day and one we wholeheartedly embrace. Not only are we fortunate to be nestled at the foot of the Malvern Hills, we live and breathe nature and its many benefits.

    There’s no pounding the treadmill at Swallowfields, just beautiful walks with wonderful vistas provided by nature. Come visit our retreat and enhance your wellbeing in the best way for you, from reading a book and taking naps in your own hammock to cooking on a campfire and enjoying spa treatments. Our world awaits you…

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  • FAMILY BREAKS

    Nothing beats a great family break! When you laugh so much your sides hurt and enjoy yourself so much, you’re thinking, talking (and giggling) about it for many weeks to come.

    Swallowfields is geared up for families. You’ll find that all of our safari lodges, which easily sleep six people, are located on a child-friendly site. There are also plenty of things for the whole family to see and do too.

    Take a wander in our lovely wildflower meadow, toast marshmallows on the camp fire, explore the Malvern Hills and beyond and check out our Adventure Castle and Nature Hideout! You can even bring the dog too!

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  • ACTIVITY BREAKS

    You just bring yourself, we’ll point you in the direction of the action! And there’s lots of it!

    Maybe you want to challenge yourself and try something different, like paddleboarding or kayaking, or perhaps you want to practice your favourite hobby, such as mountain biking or hiking?

    There are lots of things to do all around Swallowfields and, when you’re back at your lodge, there’s a relaxing hot tub waiting for you.

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  • DOG FRIENDLY BREAKS

    We’re animal-lovers here at Swallowfields and we understand that your dog is a big part of your family, so why leave them behind?

    They’ll be right at home in our pet-friendly safari lodges. There’s oodles of room for them, their bed, bowls and fave toy! All that we ask, is that you keep them on a lead when walking around on-site and don’t leave them unattended.

    For just £25 per dog, per stay*, you can make sure the entire family get their hands (and paws) on our wonderful glamping experience! Oh, and don’t forget to ask us about our complimentary doggie essentials pack too!

    * Maximum of two dogs per lodge

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