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The Cerulean on St. Croix from the land side: a pale yellow villa with a copper roof and solar panels, palms and a circular drive, its garden lights on, and the coast and hills beyond
For owners who welcome guests

Hosting

How to make a home a good place to stay: the bedroom, the light, the kitchen, the first hour, the children, the safety basics and the photographs, with examples from the houses in our Collection.

9 guides

The guides

Written for owners of villas, beach houses and apartments. Each guide gives the specifics, names its sources, and shows how houses in the Collection do it.

  1. The Cerulean on St. Croix from the land side: a pale yellow villa with a copper roof and solar panels, palms and a circular drive, its garden lights on, and the coast and hills beyond Hosting · Arrival Welcoming guests The hour between the airport and the first drink sets up the whole stay. Directions that work after dark, a door that opens first time, a cool house, a stocked kitchen, a proper walk-through and one message that evening. By Vivienne Hartwell · 10 min read
  2. A bedroom at Moko Vista on St. Croix with a bed under a herringbone wood headboard, a brass swing-arm reading lamp on the wall at each side, grey curtains, a ceiling fan and a window onto green hills Hosting · Rooms The guest bedroom What guests notice in a bedroom: a bed sized for two, good linen, a room that gets dark and stays cool, a light on each side, somewhere for the suitcase, and a bathroom that works at three in the morning. By Mariko Sato · 11 min read
  3. The kitchen at The Cerulean on St. Croix: white cabinets and blue tiles, a long blue island with two woven stools, a steel refrigerator and range under a steel hood, and a window onto the bay and a green headland Hosting · Kitchen Stocking the kitchen A kitchen that guests can cook in needs sharp knives, pans for a crowd, coffee made more than one way and a fridge at the right temperature. What to stock, with examples from houses in St. Croix, Rio, Salvador and Maui. By Rafael Costa · 11 min read
  4. The Cerulean's pool deck on St. Croix at twilight, with the free-form pool lit from within, a line of light along the white louvred pergola over the outdoor kitchen, low lights at the planters and loungers facing the sea Hosting · Light Lighting How to light a holiday house for the hours guests spend in it after dark: light at three levels, warm bulbs, dimmers and lamps, stairs and paths that are safe at night, and terraces lit without losing the view. By Mariko Sato · 10 min read
  5. The covered gallery at Toes in the Sand Beach House on St. Croix: a white outdoor dining table under a wood-plank ceiling, a row of blue Adirondack chairs with towels over their backs, and the pool, two blue loungers and the sea beyond Hosting · Outdoors Outdoor spaces Where guests spend their days at a holiday house: in the shade, at a table outside, at the grill, under an outdoor shower and by the pool. How to plan terraces for the sun, the wind and the hours of the day. By Mariko Sato · 11 min read
  6. The dining table at The Cerulean on St. Croix, laid with place mats beside a long blue bench, with a child's high chair standing by the glass doors to the veranda and the sea Hosting · Families Families with young children Babies and toddlers need a safe place to sleep, a high chair at the table, gates on the stairs and a plan for the pool. What owners of villas and beach houses should have ready, and what to tell families before they book. By Rafael Costa · 11 min read
  7. An orange life ring hanging from a thatched parasol beside a hotel swimming pool on Rhodes, with loungers on the wooden deck and white buildings beyondAn Orange Lifebuoy at Swimming Pool Lutania Beach Hotel Kolym… · Pjotr Mahhonin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped Hosting · Safety Safety basics Alarms, an extinguisher and a fire blanket, a first-aid kit, safe hot water, stairs, windows, furniture, pools and storms: what the safety agencies advise, and how it applies to a house full of guests who do not know it. By Julian Moss · 11 min read
  8. The living room at Hook 'em on Paradise under a white beamed ceiling with four ceiling fans, floral sofas, a dining table and a telescope on a tripod by sliding glass doors to the balcony and the sea Hosting · House manual The house manual One page by the door for the first hour and for emergencies, then a full manual for everything else: rooms, appliances, the pool, Wi-Fi, rubbish and the neighbourhood, written plainly, photographed where it helps and kept up to date. By Vivienne Hartwell · 10 min read
  9. The dining room at Buck Island Views on St. Croix, photographed level and straight on: a long wooden table with blue-seated chairs under a pitched ceiling of white beams, the kitchen at the far end and glass doors open on the right Hosting · Photographs Photographing your home Guests choose a house from its photographs and arrive expecting to walk into them. How to photograph a villa or beach house well and accurately: the lens, the light, the order of the set, straight walls, captions and when to reshoot. By Elio Marchetti · 9 min read
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