12 Easy Steps to Turn Your Home Into a Temporary Bed & Breakfast for Your Guests

Ashford Acres Inn • July 25, 2019

One of the best reasons to stay at a bed and breakfast is the extra pampering you don’t get at a regular hotel. Why not turn your own home into a personal bed and breakfast for your houseguests? If you follow these 12 easy steps, your guests won’t feel like they are intruding on your personal space, and instead will feel like you’re treating them to a relaxing vacation in your home. 

First Impressions  are very important! Make sure common areas are clean and organized. Make sure belongings are put away where they are supposed to be (shoes in the shoe area, coats in the closet). If you are strapped for time, (this happens to all of us!) make sure there is a location that you can stash some clutter and come back to after your guests leave. We’ve all done the ‘stuff it in a laundry basket and hide it in the bedroom’ maneuver. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as the guest areas are neat!

De-clutter.  Think: Essentials. Keep the room or area where your guests will sleep clear of personal items, (the box of old clothes you’ve been meaning to donate, framed family pictures, the stack of papers and projects your kid brought home on the last day of school…) and only keep the essentials around. This will allow your guests to feel like the space is just for them and they aren’t encroaching on your space.

Create ambiance.  Open the curtains, dim the overhead light, turn on beside lamps, light candles or maybe even put on your favorite playlist. Spotify and Pandora are great options for already created playlists! 

Clear a place for coats and bags.  Maybe even provide guests with a drawer or two. While most guests expect to live out of a suitcase- they will feel more at home if they can unpack the necessities.

Stock up on guest toiletries. Collect the cute, little toiletries from your past hotel stays or stock up at your local store (Walmart is one of our go-tos!). Provide shampoo, conditioner and a body wash in the shower. Small travel toothpaste and mouthwash are perfect for overnight guests because these are items some people would not be comfortable sharing with past guests. A few other favorites we keep in a basket are makeup wipes, Advil, single use razors, bandages and feminine products. We also recommend keeping a trashcan nearby so guests don’t have to go searching for one. And ALWAYS remember to stock the cabinet with extra toilet paper rolls so your guest doesn’t have to ask for a roll later.

Fresh linens are every guests dream!  It’s always a good idea to change the bedsheets closer to guests arrival to keep them feeling fresh and new. Same goes for the towels. This can be done the week of arrival so the stress of last minute to-dos doesn’t creep up on you. And don’t forget to include a washcloth or two, and a hand towel.

Don’t have a guest room? No problem! Invest in an inflatable mattress or prep the couch (keeping sheets and blankets folded nearby and making the bed closer to bedtime).

Provide a bottle of water or a decanter of water with a glass, by their bedside. Your guests will appreciate not having to find the kitchen in the dark in an unfamiliar home.

Pop something on a tray or in the oven!  Before your guests arrive, get a sense of what they like to eat and drink. There is nothing that will immediately make guests feel more at home than a snack on their arrival or a home cooked meal! Pair it with a refreshing drink and your guests will begin relaxing as soon as they walk through your door!

Have a little extra time?  Pick some flowers from your garden, or a bouquet from the grocery store and add them to the room for a little extra color and beautiful scent. Or, if you know your guests interests, pick up a few magazines you think they would enjoy and leave them on the nightstand. Gestures like these will be very appreciated!

Check the electronics. If there is a television in the room make sure it’s working properly. If there’s a clock on the nightstand, make sure the time is correct. Place an extra charger or a multi-port charging station nearby for easy re-charging. Have the remote control, fan remote or any other controllers in obvious locations. Writing the wifi password on a card for your guests to hold on to will keep your guests from having to ask you later once you’ve both said goodnight.

Ask about food preferences. Before your guests are due to arrive, ask if they have any food allergies or preferences and plan your grocery list accordingly. They will really appreciate you considering their nutritional needs and desires during their stay at your home.

Sit back and enjoy your hospitable home and happy guests!  

By Ashford Acres Inn September 2, 2026
There is something about fall in Kentucky that feels almost made for a movie: winding country roads, historic small towns, rolling Bluegrass farmland, changing leaves, front porches, warm drinks and evenings spent around a fire. At Ashford Acres Inn in Cynthiana, Kentucky , you don’t just visit that version of fall - you get to stay in the middle of it. Located just 45 minutes from Lexington, about an hour from Cincinnati, 1.5 hours from Louisville, 20 minutes from Georgetown and 15 minutes from Paris , Ashford Acres is an easy Kentucky fall getaway that somehow feels much farther away from everyday life. A Kentucky Town Made for Fall Cynthiana has earned recognition as a top fall destination in Kentucky, and once October arrives, it isn’t difficult to understand why. Historic downtown Cynthiana delivers the kind of small-town autumn atmosphere that feels straight out of Gilmore Girls or a Hallmark movie. Spend an afternoon wandering downtown, popping into locally loved stops like Fibonacci Antiques, Uniques Antiques, The Next Chapter Bookstore, Maime’s Fine Wines & Gifts, or Pike Street Wine House - then leave town behind and drive just a few minutes into the countryside to Ashford Acres. That is what makes a fall stay here so special: you don’t have to choose between a charming Kentucky small-town getaway and a peaceful countryside retreat. You get both. Add a Little Ghost Story to Your Fall Weekend For nearly two decades, the Cynthiana Ghost Walk has been one of the community’s signature October traditions. The lantern-led walk takes guests through historic downtown before heading inside the historic Rohs Opera House, built in 1871 and described by the Ghost Walk itself as the third-most-haunted building in Kentucky . It’s not a haunted house filled with actors and jump scares. It’s local history, storytelling, reported paranormal experiences and evidence collected during previous investigations—all unfolding in the actual places where the stories originated. For guests who want to build an entire stay around the spooky side of Cynthiana, Ashford Acres now offers The Ghostly Getaway package for two. It includes Cynthiana Ghost Walk admission, The Ashford Files filled with stories, history and mysteries, a spooky arrival sip, lanterns for an evening walk, a fall treat, s’mores and a fire pit, a Halloween movie snack basket and a seasonal fall candle to take home. Or Spend 64 Acres in Fall If your ideal autumn weekend is less spooky and more cozy, our 64 Acres of Fall package was created for exactly that. The package includes seasonal cocktails or mocktails, charcuterie for two, s’mores beside your personal fire pit, hot chocolate or cider, a seasonal candle and a one-hour farm tour of Ashford Acres . And that farm tour isn’t simply a walk around the property. Ashford’s main house was built in 1858 , and pieces of the property’s history are still visible throughout the grounds—from the old carriage step built into the rock wall to the mill wheel and other remnants of generations who lived and worked on this Kentucky land. You’ll hear about the history of the home while also getting a look at what Ashford is today: a working 64-acre property with gardens, animals, hospitality, events and a team caring for it every day. Fall at Ashford Doesn’t Need an Itinerary Some of our favorite fall experiences aren’t scheduled at all. Take a walk along the grass trails as the leaves begin changing across the Kentucky countryside. Visit the animals. Find an adirondack chair with a beautiful view. Wander through the garden as it completes another growing season and begins its transition into rest and rehabilitation for the year ahead. Go fishing at the pond. Sit on the front porch. Bring a book outside. Watch the sun disappear behind the rolling hills. Later, order a seasonal cocktail made with house-made purées, local bourbons and thoughtfully selected spirits. End your evening with a fireside nightcap, hot cider or s’mores. The point isn’t to squeeze as much as possible into a weekend. Sometimes the best part of a Kentucky fall getaway is finally having somewhere beautiful enough to do absolutely nothing. Build Your Stay Around a Fall Event Fall is also one of our busiest seasons for experiences at Ashford Acres. Guests can visit our Events page before booking and curate an overnight stay around one of our seasonal events. Our 2026 fall calendar currently includes September reservation dining evenings, Spookeasy at Ashford on October 30 , our Halloween Festival and Halloween Tea on October 31 , and our annual Fall to Table Dinner on November 21 , among other experiences. Come for an event. Stay for the night. Wake up in the Kentucky countryside. Or make Ashford the home base for an entire weekend of exploring Cynthiana. The Kentucky Fall Weekend You’ve Seen in the Movies - Only Real Maybe that’s the easiest way to explain fall at Ashford Acres. You know the town in the movie where everyone wanders into local shops, knows the historic buildings, tells old ghost stories and celebrates the changing seasons? That’s Cynthiana. And you know the beautiful country inn just outside town where the characters retreat afterward…the historic house surrounded by fields, fireplaces, porches, animals, gardens, good food and enough quiet to hear the leaves moving? That’s Ashford. Except this time, you actually get to stay there. Whether you’re searching for a romantic fall getaway in Kentucky , a bed and breakfast near Lexington, KY , a quiet weekend away from Cincinnati or Louisville, or simply one of the best places to experience fall in Central Kentucky , Ashford Acres Inn gives you 64 acres to slow down and experience the season. Fall is waiting at Ashford Acres Inn. Explore our current lodging packages, choose your suite and start planning your fall stay at Ashford Acres Inn , or browse our upcoming events at Ashford Acres to build your getaway around something special. -Ashford Acres Welcoming Team
By Ashford Acres Inn June 16, 2026
"Cynthiana hospitality is warm, welcoming, and feels like family."
By Ashford Acres Inn May 2, 2026
"It may be no surprise to some, but the parts of wedding planning I have found sweetest, are those you can only do as the bride herself."