Guest Beds for Holiday Visitors

3ft Ecofurn Ridgeway Guest bed

This weekend's bank holiday serves as a reminder of the value of guest beds. With guests to accommodate even in a large house, additional sleeping capacity comes in handy.

As mentioned many times before on this blog, guest beds are extremely useful for space saving. This is especially true in a modern house, where square footage and bedroom size is much tighter than in older or more traditional houses.

The Ecofurn Ridgeway Guest bed illustrated on the left is made from natural hard wood and is self assembly. The underbed is fitted on wheels for discreet storage under its partner single bed.

Once the bed is pulled out and up it is the same height as its partner bed. The underbed can then be positioned directly adjacent to the partner bed.

Why a Guest Bed comes in Handy

Ecofurn Orchard Guest Bed

Just capture the moment, you’ve just come off the phone from Auntie Betty letting you know that she’s decided to come and visit you in 2 days time.  Time to panic!  Of course not - guest beds are the perfect solution for any surprise or unexpected visitors.  Guest beds come in all shapes, sizes and material, metal, wood and blow up!  Although ultimately, guest beds should provide Auntie Betty and any other visitors with a comfortable and restful nights sleep.  

 

An ideal guest bed would be multi-functional with many beautiful designs to choose from providing a place to sit during the day such as a day bed or sofa bed that easily changes into a guest bed by night – what could be more perfect!  Indeed many of us have limited space at home so this may not be a great space saving solution and that’s not even a problem as there are foldaway, hideaway and inflatable style beds out there too.  All very convenient to keep you’re sleeping guests happy and hopefully refreshed in the morning. A good example is an Ecofurn Orchard guest bed as shown above.


Remember a fixed guest bed is also an obvious option if you have a spare room.  You don’t have to take up the whole room either as some companies manufacture study area furniture with built-in beds as optional extras – very chic and expensive!  But any 3’ single bed would be a splendid choice for any visitor.  But what if the visitor is a grandchild, that opens up a whole new range of possibilities allowing you to wildly and imaginatively decorate the room in bright childlike colours and buy a fabulous “fun” bed to match.  This would make a really special bedroom for a child but also double up as a guest bedroom when the room is empty.  Visitors don’t usually mind too much even if they are sleeping in a pink, “Fairy Tinkerbells” room – well maybe for just one night!


Well, if that image put you off, maybe there are other considerations for guest beds that will provide for the different needs of your guests:

Many older guests like to stay with friends and relatives over long periods of time allowing them to do some sightseeing or catch up with other family members.  By investing in a good quality mattress and bed that provides ultimate comfort and support for elderly guests or those suffering back and joint problems, this should make their stay with you more memorable and allow them a restful and comfortable sleep for the duration. 

Lack of space can sometimes equate to a cheap fold-up bed that can be uncomfortable and unsightly when not in use.  A good option would be a sofa bed – these are not only flexible in their use but so simple to use providing an instant double bed or single bed.  Another good choice is a trundle bed which sits beneath a normal 3’ single bed and just slides out when needed or an inflatable bed that can easily store away in a cupboard or drawer, in both single and double size options this offers a visitor an unusually comfortable nights rest. 

To add to the attraction of a guest bed and trying to make it seem as a permanent part of the home, good quality bedding can make a huge difference.  Cheap, polyester or blankets can make a guest feel unwanted and uncomfortable, not to mention those affected by allergies.  So choose guest bedding as thoughtfully as you would for your own bedroom and don’t forget a good pillow or two for extra comfort as your finishing touch.

By balancing these issues you should be ale to provide an excellent nights sleep for your guests whether they are staying for an impromptu night or an extended vacation.

VAT Held on Guest Beds

It is now 11th February, five weeks after the UK Government imposed a new VAT rate of 20%. The 20% rate should have led to an increase in retail prices of 2.13%. However, competition in the bed retail market has meant that many retailers have held their prices at pre-increase prices. As an example, the Oakrest guest bed shown below is still being sold at £379.99. If the VAT increase had been passed on, the bed should be priced at £388.07.

Two questions arise from pre-increase bed prices being held. How long will this last? Secondly, who absorbs the margin implications? My bed brands may have the strength to ignore the implications of prices crossing key price points. But in many cases it may be the bed retailer that has the negotiating leverage.

Guest Beds Given Pre-Christmas Boost

The pre-Christmas period has seen a boom in the sales of guest beds. Guest beds are perfect for the occasional visitor. Over the Christmas holidays millions of families will also be on the move visiting relatives. With this year's snow and ice, many travel plans have had to be revised. In my own particular experience many people are revising their original plans and are now planning to travel earlier than in previous years. Secondly, many families are also planning to make overnight stay, when in previous years they may have only stayed for the day.

In these circumstances unexpected guests require additional bedroom and sleeping accommodation. A guest bed makes the most of your money - a guest bed can be bought for as little as £160 - and bedroom space. A guest bed when not in use takes up no more space than a traditional single bed. 

Guest Beds for all types of bedrooms

Oak Rest Guest Bed

Guest beds are an increasingly popular purchase. A guest bed is an ideal option when bedroom space is limited. Modern homes, even 4 bedroom ones, tend to smaller bedrooms than in the past. A guest bed usually takes up no more room than a standard single bed but has the facility to sleep two adults in relative comfort. A guest bed could therefore go into a normal single bedroom or even be placed in a spare upstairs room that has multiple uses.

Guest beds are available in a wide selection of styles, made from a selection of materials. Wooden, metal and even leather guest beds can be found in antique, traditional or contemporary styles.

The guest bed featured above is a 3ft Oak Rest guest bed. It is available in the UK for a retail price of around  £380.