I always put a full size bar of soap in the guest bathroom, thinking it was nice. My cousin visited from Chicago and said it felt like a hotel, not a home. Do you think small, personal touches are better than the usual stuff?
Yeah I feel that line about "what the guest knows you picked just for them" hits it. A buddy of mine got roasted by his own mom because he had those little single serve jam packets from a diner in the guest room. She said it was sweet he thought of it but it just looked like he cleaned out his car. He switched to a small jar of local honey from the farmers market near her hometown and she lost her mind over it. That tiny bit of thought made it feel way more personal than any fancy soap ever could. So yeah your cousin might be onto something.
Yeah, my buddy had a similar thing happen... he put those little hotel shampoos in his guest shower. His sister-in-law teased him for weeks, said it felt like a road trip motel. I get what @jamierodriguez is saying, but maybe it's about what the guest knows you picked just for them, like their favorite snack or a local treat.