How to be a good guest: basic rules of etiquette

A host's hospitality to his guests requires advance planning, energy, time, changes in daily routine, dedication and financial investment. We should be able to appreciate and be grateful for all this. From the moment you enter someone's home until the moment you say goodbye, there are rules of etiquette that you need to follow to be the perfect guest.

Whether we want to stay for a few days or just a couple of hours, it is important to take care to minimize the hosts' cleaning responsibilities. This is a kind act that turns us, even if it seems like something insignificant, into guests that everyone would like to have in their home.

Tips to help you become a good guest:

1. Please indicate your arrival and departure dates in advance. Before planning the dates of your visit, discuss availability with the host so that you can arrange your trip and stay without causing inconvenience.

If for any reason you need to extend your stay, please discuss this with your host before making a decision. Perhaps he had other plans for the day you left.

2. Arrive at the appointed time. Be sure to arrive at the appointed time. Your hosts' time is valuable, and punctuality shows respect for their schedule. If there are any delays on the road, please notify us in a timely manner.

3. Warm greeting and gratitude. Upon entering the house, greet the owners with love, joy, hugs or kisses, depending on the circumstances. Express your gratitude for being accepted. A simple “thanks for having me!” or “thank you for having us!” may be decisive.

4. Discuss your plans during your stay. If you have any plans during your stay, inform the hosts about them (when you leave and when you arrive). If possible, try not to leave too early or arrive too late, so as not to make the hosts wait for you and not create unnecessary inconvenience for them. If you happen to be late, be sure to close the door tightly and turn off the lights. Always respect the customs of the house you are in.

5. Bring a gift as a token of gratitude. It is a polite practice to bring a small gift as a thank you for the invitation. If you suddenly cannot take several gifts with you, take one for the owner and one for the family that everyone will like, or something memorable for the house. Make sure the gift fits the occasion and reflects your relationship and connection with the hosts.

6. A good guest follows the rules of the house. A very personal recommendation is to pay close attention to the customs, rules and routines of the family living in the house you are staying at. This will help you know what you can and cannot do. You may also want to ask if there are any special rules in this house that you need to know and follow to avoid causing inconvenience. For example, whether shoes must be removed upon entry or perhaps at certain meal times.

7. Be careful and attentive. Keep your space clean and tidy. Make your bed, if provided, and clean the bathroom and common areas. To be an ideal guest, it is important to acquire good habits of cleanliness and order.

If you use the kitchen when you finish eating and if you are in common areas, always help the owners, be kind and attentive to them, and do not leave all the cleaning work to them.

Our mothers are the best teachers life has ever sent us. Thanks to them, we lock the door when we leave a place, we say “please” after a request, etc. We also learn a lot of tips about housekeeping and hygiene from childhood, even if we are not talking about our own home.

Being a guest means being responsible for caring for other people's things as if they were our own. This also means that wherever we go, we must not leave any traces. For example, when you finish using the bathroom in someone else's house, it should be left as it was before you used it. Thus, the most important advice is to “behave in someone else’s house as if you were in your own.”

8. Participate in activities. If there are group activities, take an active part in them. Whether it's helping in the kitchen, playing games, or simply interacting with other guests or the host's family. Contribute to the positive atmosphere of the meeting.

Remember that you are not in a hotel, but in a house that has welcomed you with hospitality. Don't lock yourself in your room all the time like you would if you were in a dorm.

9. Collaborate when purchasing groceries. A good host has probably prepared in advance and purchased additional products to suit your taste in order to welcome you in the best possible way. It takes time and money, and as good guests we should appreciate, thank and give back.

Offer to go to the store yourself, and ask the owners for a list of what you need to buy, or buy something that the owners will like.

10. Make a special invitation to the hosts. Invite the host and his family to a special place, such as their favorite restaurant or some other place. You can also cook something yourself at home, buying everything you need, and not allowing the owners to do anything. Create a special atmosphere with memorable details.

11. Be discreet and respect the privacy of your hosts. Do not enter their rooms unannounced and maintain common decency. Don't take things as your own and don't take them without asking if you need something.

In general, be careful not to express opinions on family, political or religious issues, or on customs different from your own. Respect, discretion, good manners and prudence as a guest will always make the hosts happy and grateful, and they will want to invite you into their home again.

12. Care and responsibility, basic rules of etiquette. If you are given house keys, take care of them and don't lose them, as well as any items you are allowed to use in the house.

If for some reason you break or damage something important, no matter how the owners insist that everything is in order, try to restore the thing, and if this fails, buy it as small change and give them something similar.

13. Before leaving, leave everything clean and tidy. Do as you would like your guests to behave: before leaving, leave everything clean and tidy so that the hosts do not have to clean up after you.

Tidy up the room you stayed in, remove the trash, leave the bed made. If you slept on a pullout sofa, pack it up and leave it as it was before you lived here. If you used a towel, fold it.
When it's time to leave, thank your hosts again for their hospitality and time spent in their home. Make it clear that you appreciated the experience, that you are grateful and happy.

14. Return invitation. Return the invitation by saying that you would be very happy to host them at your home.

15. Don't leave without saying goodbye, and if that's not possible, leaving a written thank you note would be a nice gesture.

16. Don't disappear when you leave. Upon arrival at your destination, inform and thank them again for their accommodation and hospitality. Don't make the host feel like a "hotel manager".

So, being a good guest goes beyond basic politeness, it requires attention and respect every step of the way. By following the etiquette rules described above, you are guaranteed to make a lasting and positive impression, which will make you a welcome guest in the future.