With Summer in the Mediterranean hitting the 40° Celsius, guests should be ready to tackle the heat before they leave home. However, a great host makes sure that the basics are taken care of to ensure a safe and pleasant stay for their guests.
Yes, I am suggesting to take the extra step and prevent mishaps by preparing for the unprepared guests and here is my short list to help you prepare.
1. Water. Water. Water.
Prepare some complimentary bottles of water for your guests to find upon arrival. If you know that they will be travelling with pets, prepare an adequate drinking bowl for them as well.
2. Hats
Have some affordable hats and/or caps available. More than anything, these will remind your guests that they should have brought or bought their own.
3. Sun Protection Cream
Have at least one bottle of high-factor sun protection cream (50+).
4. Emergency Lights
Prepare your property for all eventualities. During a heatwave, the electrical grid may suffer from an overload leading to disruption in the provision of electrical power. Emergency lights should be installed (and checked) to avoid accidents.
5. Service & Clean Fans and Air-conditioning
Do your part and ensure that all air-cooling equipment is well-maintained and clean.
6. Information
The most important thing to take care of is to provide information on how to best tackle the heat. Understand that most probably your guests are not coming from a country as hot and dry as yours and they will not know how to stay comfortable and safe in such temperatures. Refer to the Red Cross Heat Wave Safety web page to build your local tips.