I Tried the “WWIN” Method to Help Overnight Guests Feel at Home — And They Love It
As much as I love having friends come stay with me, I always get a tad (or slightly more than a tad) stressed right beforehand. I want them to feel completely at home, but home is so inherently personal, replicating that for them in my own is an unrealistically tall order. That’s why when I stay in hotels — spaces designed to make you feel comfortable outside the walls of your own home — I pay close attention to how they curate the space.
On a recent trip to Hotel Anna & Bel, a newly opened boutique hotel in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, I noticed they pulled off that vacation home-away-from-home feeling so well, I was taking notes constantly. From the local art filling each of the 45 rooms, to the cozy nooks carved out in the common spaces, to the beamed vaulted ceilings in some of the bedrooms, the renovated 18th-century building felt oddly familiar and instantly comforting despite the fact that it was my first time in the city, let alone the hotel.
It’s the kind of lived-in luxury I love to find ways to bring home. And, walking through the hallways on a tour with Galli Arbel, director of brand at Foyer Project, which led the hotel’s development, she pointed out a subtle dark wooden door with a sign that said “Essentials Closet.” Inside were mini versions of all the things you find yourself needing when you’re traveling but end up having to go down to the desk to ask for or trek to the nearest convenience store to buy.
Think: Extra facecloths, deodorant, tampons, cleansing face wipes, even contact solution. In describing how she put the closet together, Arbel said she just thought, “Well, what would I need?” It’s such a simple, thoughtful framework, it stuck with me instantly. Along with all the other design inspiration I was gleaning, I knew I’d be taking this WWIN (What Would I Need, that is) method home with me.
So, in preparation for an out-of-town visitor last weekend, I headed to my local Target’s travel section — heaven for someone who loves miniature versions of things as much as I do — and filled up my basket with everything I find myself needing when I stay somewhere else.
I picked up things like a small bottle of my favorite mouthwash, a travel-size tube of deodorant, a mini can of dry shampoo, some contact lens solution and a case, plus some just-for-fun staples like a moisturizing sheet mask and some under-eye patches. I put them all in a plastic bin (though in the future I will be upgrading to a cute basket), added a label saying to “take/use whatever you need,” and left it out for my guest.
To personalize your own WWIN kit, you can even go the extra step of asking your guest if there’s anything specific they need or like to have when they travel. They might need something you wouldn’t use yourself, like a different kind of shampoo or some melatonin gummies. It’s also helpful to let them know you’ll have some essentials stowed away for them, so they don’t have to worry about packing them.
Of course, I want my guests to feel completely comfortable asking me for whatever they might need anyway, but not everyone finds asking for things easy. It also adds an extra layer of ease to staying away from home when you know where to go to find something on your own. Plus, the mini products aren’t mine at all — they’re completely for my guests, so they don’t have to stress about eking the last drop out of the tube or using too much of anything at all.
It’s my little love note to anyone who visits — and the kind of comfort that I hope helps them feel at home.