Start With the Rooms

After a winter of heating on full blast and windows kept shut, rooms can carry a staleness that no air freshener will disguise. Spring is the moment to strip everything back. Take down curtains and wash or dry-clean them, lift mattress protectors, and send duvets and pillows for a professional clean if they have seen heavy use since autumn.

Work through each room methodically:

• Vacuum under the bed, behind the headboard and along the skirting boards, then shampoo carpets and rugs.
• Wipe down every hard surface, including lamp bases, wardrobe shelves, coat hangers and the tops of doors.
• Descale kettles and shower heads, and replace any grout or sealant that has begun to discolour.
• Turn mattresses, check for sagging, and replace pillows that have lost their shape.
• Test every bulb, the hairdryer, the television remote and any sockets guests rely on.

Small things matter. A drawer that sticks, a loose wardrobe handle or a wobbly chair will be noticed long before the thread count of your sheets.

Let the Light and Air Back In

Spring light is unforgiving in the best way: it reveals what winter hid. Wash windows inside and out, clean the tracks, and take down net curtains for a proper soak. If you have old sash frames, check the cords and paintwork before the season gets busy.

Bleed radiators, dust behind them, and decide whether each room needs a fan or a lighter duvet for the warmer weeks ahead. Guests arriving in May after a walk along the Thames Path will want to open a window, not fight with one that has been painted shut. A few drops of oil on stiff hinges takes minutes and prevents complaints.

Wake Up the Garden and Outdoor Spaces

A terrace, courtyard or patch of grass is part of the room in spring. Jet wash paths and patio slabs, then check every piece of outdoor furniture. Wooden tables and chairs benefit from a light sanding and a coat of oil. Metal frames need a check for rust, and parasols should be opened fully to confirm the mechanism still works.

Replace broken slats, tighten bolts and keep cushions somewhere dry until the weather settles. Clean the glass on outdoor lanterns and replace spent bulbs. Gutters full of winter debris will overflow in the first heavy shower, so clear them now if you can do so safely.

Then add something living. Pots of herbs by the door, a trough of tulips or wallflowers, and planters that will carry colour through to June. Guests notice a doorstep that looks cared for, and it sets the tone before they ring the bell.

Refresh Your Local Guide

Your folder of local information is one of the most useful things you offer, but it goes stale faster than most hosts realise. Opening times shift, footpaths close for repair, and the best spring walks are not the best autumn ones. Spend an afternoon checking and rewriting it.

• Confirm current opening days for the historic houses, gardens and museums you recommend.
• Note seasonal boat hire, river trips and ferry services, and whether they run weekends only in April.
• Add spring ideas: bluebell woods, lambing weekends, blossom walks and the first regattas.
• Update your list of places to eat, noting which take bookings and which are walk-in only.
• Include practical detail: car park charges, the nearest toilets, and how long a walk really takes.

For Marlow and the Thames Valley, spring is when the river comes into its own. Guests will ask about riverside walks, the bridge and Higginson Park, and how to reach the Thames Path in either direction. Keep a printed map with a few routes marked, and be ready with suggestions for a gentle hour and a longer half-day outing. If you know which pubs have riverside gardens, check them yourself before you put them in writing.

Get the Practicalities in Order

Before the diary fills, confirm your servicing and safety checks are up to date. Boilers, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and emergency lighting should all be tested and logged. If you take bookings online, review your rates and minimum stays for Easter, the bank holidays and regatta weekends, when demand across the Thames Valley rises sharply.

Spring is also the time to review the small comforts. Refresh the welcome tray with something seasonal, check that decaf and herbal options are in date, and make sure your breakfast menu reflects what is genuinely available nearby. Ask about dietary requirements at the point of booking, and have a clear way of flagging them in the kitchen.

Brief any seasonal helpers on your standards, your breakfast timings and your local recommendations. Then walk through your own front door as a guest would. You will spot the tired cushion and the dim lamp long before a review does.