14 Hostess Gifts That Got Me Invited Back

New York Times

03-07-2025

In this edition of The Gift, we share a few handpicked and unexpected overnight hostess gifts that have gotten a Wirecutter gifts expert invited back to summer homes — including a fabulous dill pickle hat. Plus, the best gifts to give yourself.
A hostess gift for a dinner party is one thing: a bottle of wine, a box of cookies, plus your good company and genuine thanks is all that's needed. If you want to ramp it up, I happen to think these bright napkins are perfect; my fellow gifts expert Mari Uyehara is all about these mini wooden bowls from Italy.
But an overnight or weekend stay? That's an entirely different proposition. In that case, your hosts have done laundry and struggled to put fitted sheets on the guest bed just for you. This deserves a little more effort (and maybe, but not necessarily, more moolah) on your part.
I have a couple of general rules for great host or hostess gifts for overnight stays: It should be something that's easy to travel with (scratch that crystal vase or Key lime pie). It should be something you can enjoy together during your visit or themed in some way to your stay. And if you don't know your hosts well, it should be something universal enough to fit easily with most tastes and styles.
For the latter one-size-fits-any-host gift, I like elevated or unexpected takes on everyday things they most likely wouldn't buy for themselves. This spherical soap looks like a sculpture and would be a good fit in any bathroom. This splurgy hand care set from Le Labo looks like it comes from a fancy pharmacy and smells amazing. A specialty from your hometown is a no-brainer that feels personal; I bring See's Candy from San Francisco nearly everywhere I go, and it's always a hit.
Of course, the most fun gifts (and usually the most fun stays) are for the people you do know well. For them, a gift becomes your chance to speak directly to someone's taste, personality, or place. If I'm visiting a house I'm lucky enough to frequent, I'll try and take note during my stay of what they are missing (too few beach towels? Board games with missing pieces?) and fill it out with something cool the next time I come. Or I'll center it around an activity we always enjoy there. For a little more inspiration, these are the gifts that have been the biggest hits with my hosts: I once stayed at my friend's lake house in Italy for a month (I know!) so I had to go all out. And, not to brag, but I nailed it with a set of six mismatched insulated wine tumblers for lakeside happy hours, a pickle cap because the poor thing can't get dill pickles in Italy, and personalized matches with a photo of her lake view on the box. Oh, and I brought her nine-year-old daughter the Wirecutter-famous lazy duck light.
The best part about staying at my friend's beautifully decorated house in Key West, aside from being in Key West, is eating outside in her garden under the arbor. She's one of those people with impeccable taste that mostly leans toward all white with artistic splashes of bright color. For her, I once brought this bright block print tablecloth, and on a later visit, two of these to-die-for floral ceramic tealight holders.
Full disclosure: I hate jigsaw puzzles. I'd always rather be reading. But I am totally okay with other people doing them, and there is often one going at my in-laws' beach cottage. This personalized jigsaw map centering their cottage not only lit up the puzzle part of my father-in-law's brain, it also got his map-nerd lobe going.
Speaking of reading, if you share a love of books with your host, I can't think of a better gift than bringing them a few recent reads you've loved. Need a rec? So far, this summer I've devoured this powerful autobiographical novel and this survival story set in the 16th century. Or why not let my colleagues at The New York Times Book Review help you?
And finally, for my friend who just bought a funky fixer-upper that I will be visiting for the first time this summer: this elegant pitcher, because she's mentioned that all her dishes at the new place are enamelware. I'll throw in some of my favorite loose leaf hibiscus tea because I'm of the opinion that when served over ice, it's the best summer drink in the world.
The rules are shockingly simple: If you know your numbers, you can play.
Including a quite cute overnight duffel and a compact fanny pack for traveling light.
Spend the weekend sipping out of colored coupe glasses or gorgeous porcelain tumblers.
I'm a widowed mother of three teens and preteens, and I rarely buy myself anything — in fact my kids often tell me this! I love to garden, read, paint, listen to music, walk in the woods, and bake. My second birthday without my husband is coming up, and I feel the absence of his love keenly. Please help me find a special gift to soothe my aching soul. — C.J
From gifting expert Samantha Schoech:
First, I am truly sorry for your loss. I am also the mother of teenagers and have been married for a long time, and I can only begin to imagine what you are going through. And though we all know material goods don't bring lasting happiness, a little retail therapy can be a sort of self-care.
My first thought is to get yourself a good book subscription so you have something to look forward to in the mail each month. I also recommend these watercolor paints from Japan and possibly joining Wendy McNaughton's Draw Together Grown Up's Table, the friendliest, least stressful art 'lessons' and community out there.
For music, perhaps splurge on some noise-cancelling headphones? I recently got a pair, and now I listen to audiobooks while I pull weeds or to music while I fold laundry, and I finally understand what all the headphone fuss is about.
Finally, because you deserve to feel and smell beautiful just for yourself, try this luxurious body oil with a light floral scent — it makes me feel fancy and pampered even if I'm just working from home in my sweats.
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What I Cover
I discover, vet, and write about gifts of all kinds from my office in San Francisco. I am particularly drawn to all things shiny or bookish, but I try not to impose my taste more than is strictly necessary.