Whether you’re giving your own room the resort treatment or creating a modern luxury bedroom for guests, these are our tips for creating a room where every day feels like a vacay.
Invest in Good Bedding
A good mattress and high-quality bedding are the foundation of a good night’s sleep. Most hotels use Egyptian cotton sheets with a thread count of 300 or higher. Cotton is breathable and helps to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The other ingredients for the perfect hotel-style bed? A variety of pillows. Pick a mix of down and fiberfill pillows–the down is cozy to sleep on while fiberfill pillows are slightly more firm, perfect for propping yourself up while watching TV or reading in bed.
A few words about making the bed: Do it. Every day. Hotels nix fitted sheets in favor of two flat sheets. Tuck the bottom sheet around the mattress with hospital corners, which will provide a tighter fit than you can get with fitted sheets. Really want to indulge? Iron your sheets for the perfect fit. Be sure to have a high quality throw nearby for colder nights.
Dress Up Your Bedside Table
Upgrade your bedside table by adding a water carafe and glass, fresh flowers and reading material. Consider adding a charging station or a cute alarm clock and make room for a good magazine or book.
Create a Minibar
Dressing up a guest room? Add a tray to a bookshelf, desk or bench that can act as a minibar. Include some locally made food and drinks so that your guests have something to snack on without having to raid the kitchen. Really want to take things up a notch? Create a coffee station with a single-cup brewer and a cute mug. Nothing says vacay like coffee in bed.
Layer Your Lighting
Hotels put a lot of thought into lighting, layering different types of lighting to give you options for setting the mood. Start with a good overhead light. Then be sure to have task lighting to read by – that could be sconces or a bedside table lamp. Add blackout drapery to create the perfect conditions for sleeping in. And invest in dimmers for all lighting so you can get as little or as much light as you need.
Don’t Forget Seating & Storage
Hotel rooms function as both living and sleeping areas. So be sure to break up the room into multipurpose areas. A bench can be both a place to sit while you’re getting ready and a storage spot for your suitcase. A desk can have a pop-up mirror so that it doubles as a vanity. Always be sure to carve out a little reading nook if you have room for an extra chair or loveseat.