It’s time to reveal one of my all-time biggest pet peeves when I’m staying in a short term rental: a lack of hooks on which to hang my things. I simply do not want my stuff laying around on the ground. It’s such a simple thing to fix and I just hate to see a missed opportunity to make life easier for others!
This summer I stayed in a beautiful vacation rental on the outer banks of North Carolina. It was a 3-story home with a kitchen or kitchenette on every floor! The kitchens were so well appointed – there were 3 ways to make coffee. Many things were done really well in this rental… until the first time I needed to hang something off the ground and I realized there wasn’t a single hook anywhere to be found.
I wanted to hang up my jacket, no hook. Where do I put my robe? Not on a hook. Not to mention, the home was at the beach. Wet beach towels were a serious problem. We tried to hang them on the railings of the decks, but it was very windy that week and our towels ended up strewn about the neighborhood. We ended up just having to dry our towels in the dryer after every swim, which seemed so wasteful of energy (and added expense for the homeowners that was totally avoidable)!
So, I’m here to beg you to think carefully about where you guests might need a hook and take advantage of this simple add-on to your décor that can really improve your guests’ experience!
Let’s start right at the front door. Guests will need a place to hang coats and set down their personal items (purses, wallets, keys, etc). So place some cute hooks or a coat rack near the entry with a bench and wall shelf or small table depending on space availability.If you have the room, this unit (in image above) has it all in one.
In the kitchen make sure there’s an easy place to hang dishtowels and hand towels. Hooks or towel bars necessary. If you’re having trouble finding wall space in a small kitchen, there are magnetic hooks that can easily hold a towel conveniently on the fridge!
In the bedrooms you can use over-the-door style hooks if you want to avoid hanging hooks on your walls. Make sure there are at least 2 hooks per person based on how many a room is meant to accommodate. It’s worth mentioning again that if your room doesn’t have a closet, a garment rack is essential! And if it’s a kid’s room, perhaps install some cute wall hooks at lower levels on the walls to make it easy for kids to hang their own coats and towels, too!
Bathrooms will need hooks for clothing, robes, and hand towels. You’d be surprised how many people travel with a robe, so even if you don’t provide them for your guests, make sure there is a place for them to hang. It doesn’t really matter whether they’re over-the-door hooks or wall-mounted hooks, as long as they’re there and easy to find and reach!
This is one of those details that seems so small, but it makes a HUGE difference. Even guests who don’t know they have a hooks pet peeve, will enjoy their stay with greater ease when they don’t have to think twice about where to hang their hat (or towel, or jacket, or robe…).