We have a clock in our bedroom at home and I never could sleep when it was on the table next to me. The light was too bright, even though it was a soft blue (but not dimmable, unfortunately). Now that it is across the room, I sleep better and can’t believe (to my frustration at 2am) how often I wake up and check it.
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No doubt. It’s odd how different all our listings are. It could be that my guests want to know the time since they are mostly one night stays. People at a listing for work might be more likely to want a clock. People on vacation at your listing don’t want or need to be on a schedule.
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When I moved the clock across the room from the nightstand that’s when it started going in the drawer.
RR
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Here is one, it has two usb ports as well…
The usb’s are on the back though, I likely would not notice them if I was staying one night.
RR
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When I did some research last year, this is what I thought would be ideal requirements (your mileage may vary):
- At least 2 USB ports and 2 A/C outlets.
- Each USB port can supply at least 2.4A of current. If they also support QuickCharge, it’s even better.
- The A/C cord for the unit has a space-saving/low-profile/flat plug so there’s no issue plugging into an outlet behind furniture. Although you can always get some of these, which is what I did for some of mine.
- The A/C outlets in the charger can supply the full ~1800W from the wall so a guest can safely plug in a hair dryer, etc.
Unfortunately, I could not find even 1 that satisfied #4 excluding some really large power strips, and only a few satisfied #3.
I recommend leaving all of the outlets free for guest to use. I.e. don’t plug in lamps or other stuff from your listing because it looks cluttered and makes it more difficult for guests to use with cables in the way.
If you can get one that bolts down, it will be easier for guests to use as long as it’s conveniently placed.
I mentioned in another thread how I had a similar alarm clock and guests unplugged it or put it on the floor facing the wall. I definitely wouldn’t get a clock version.
Avoid any charger with a bright LED light.
I have these in the master bedroom. They come with a bracket that I used to attach them semi-permanently to the nightstands (doesn’t work for any nightstand, though they do sell some other brackets). I like them because they are very compact and mounting to the nightstand means guests can use use one hand to plug and unplug cables. They also have a flat plug.
The other 3 bedrooms have these which are similar to what you are looking at:
I really would prefer to have nightstand lamps with built-in USB and A/C outlets, but I couldn’t find any that I thought looked nice for my bedrooms, plus the expense was much higher.
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I started down that path in my own house several years ago and quickly realized it was a bad idea. Outlets are rarely located in a place where you would want to plug your USB cable directly into them.
Edit to add that installation of the outlets with integrated USB sometimes requires replacing the electrical box because the new outlets require considerably more volume inside the box.
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But it’s actually almost just as quick and easy to have a new outlet installed, exactly where you want it.
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I have a nightstand with a built in USB. The plug is quite accessible and next to the nightstand. The nightstand was actually recommended here and quite inexpensive. Because it’s small it was a good fit for my place. However, I’ve recently had my eye on this for a few reasons. This has AC outlets and USBs. The flip up would work for me because my bedside lamp is mounted to the wall, not sitting on the table.
https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/darby-home-co-mcduffie-3-drawer-nightstand-dbyh2317.html
Here’s a different style/color:
https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/three-posts-stonington-1-drawer-nightstand-trpt1017.html?piid[0]=37415173
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Not essential in the true sense of the word, but the convenience makes a big impression on guests. I also supply cables for Micro USB/USB C/Lightning so that guests don’t even have to unpack their own.
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Maybe if you only had to buy 1 
I would be afraid guests would close the door and then leave devices behind.
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Keep in mind that posts here are to benefit people who are lurking, reading and posting too. They aren’t always directly intended to answer only the post they answer. So if someone hasn’t outfitted their Airbnb yet or is looking to upgrade because nail polish remover was spilled on top of their old one, they could upgrade to something like this.
Although I have a nightstand it is like this, very small and one small drawer.
Since the room has no drawers for someone staying several days I have thought of upgrading. These aren’t expensive compared to ordinary nightstands. They are expensive if you are comparing them to power strips.
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True. This is why this forum can be a bit confusing because some hosts here have single rooms in their homes that have shared bathrooms whilst others have entire places that are real luxury. Then everything in between, of course.
But I do find that if thoughtful extras are supplied, and often they don’t cost much, guests really do appreciate them. In fact, even if they don’t use them. I imagine that plenty of us have had reviews along the lines of ‘the host thought of everything, even towelling bathrobes’ when we knew very well that the bathrobes hadn’t been touched! (Or whatever extra).
People appreciate these things being there.
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I’m firmly in the camp that it’s not a “nice to” provide, but an essential. I just stayed at an Airbnb where I had to unplug the damn lamp to plug in my phone and ipad at night…grrrrr. And my husband didn’t have a side table so he plugged his phone in on the wall, with the phone laying on the floor – an invitation to step on it at night for sure.
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Why is it that some hosts just don’t think? It seems that sometimes they’ve just furnished the place with no thought of what the guests actually need. And I thought it was a necessary part of being a good host to spend a few nights in the rental to see what it’s like to stay there. Don’t hosts do that anymore? I hope they do.
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I wonder if some hosts just do not travel? When I was in New Zealand I was mistaken for a Canadian, because people in the US don’t have passports I was told! It is easy to anticipate what a traveler needs, if you travel.
RR
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Well, I like to think of myself as a thoughtful host, and my guests seem to think I am. I host only one guest at a time. There are 4 electrical outlets in the guest room, and I have only one thing plugged into one- the bedside lamp. None of my guests has ever needed a charging station- they have their choice of 7 plugs, all easily accessible, that are available to them. So I can see that they would be a good thing for many hosts to provide, but please, it has more to do with the listing, how many guests one houses, and how many outlets are easily available, not whether one is thoughtful.
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Hard to argue with that, if they are accessible and the guests do not have to move furniture you are good to go. All listings and hosts are unique, there is no one size fits all.
RR
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Thank you. It’s rather irritating when other hosts seem to assume that just because most of their outlets are behind heavy furniture, or because they already have a bunch of stuff plugged into many of them, that all hosts’ situations are the same. Providing a charging station, in my case, would just be a pointless waste of money, as my solo guests do not have more electronics to plug in than the 7 outlets that are available. At most they have a phone and an Ipad or a laptop.
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What is essential is that you have a convenient place to plug in your devices, not that there is a charging station.
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I don’t really want to go technical here, but if you care about electricity problems, both on device end and home circuit end, go with Anker brand. A bit pricey - sure, but pays back in quality.