7 Easy Ways to Make Your Bedroom Feel Like a Five-Star Hotel
Written by: Stacey Kelleher
If you can't manage to get away right now, you can still make every day feel like a vacation. For a fraction of the cost of a five-star hotel, you can turn a “blah” bedroom into a cozy retreat worthy of a luxury resort!
1. Set the mood with lighting
Luxury hotels ooze of romantic ambiance. Lighting plays a big part in that. To duplicate that dreamy vibe, set lights at different heights around the room.
If your bedroom doesn’t have many spots for wired lights, you can duplicate the look of wired fixtures using wall-mounted lights and easy-to-use LED puck lights. Here’s a simple tutorial to add dramatic sconces over the bed, a nightstand, or window without the time, cost, and labor of hardwiring lights.
In electric lamps and lights, opt for lower-wattage bulbs or even bulbs in pink and warm white to create a soft glow.
Candles are another way to create ambiance. We like candles that burn clean and have scents that are subtle and not too overpowering. Two favorites are Bath & Body Works Mahogany Teakwood White Barn 3-wick candle and Willow Moon Candle’s Bed & Breakfast candle.
2. Place fresh flowers and plants around the room
Nothing is more inviting than seeing fresh flowers when you open the door to your hotel room. They provide color, beauty, and fragrance. Instead of a single voluminous arrangement, place smaller, mini-bouquets around the room, maybe on each nightstand and on a windowsill.
Fresh flowers regularly may seem decadent, but they don’t have to be expensive at all. Even a small bunch of marigolds or greenery from your very own garden can make your bedroom feel special. Potted plants also work well to create that resort feel. Swiss cheese plants, prayer-plants, and Boston ferns are all low maintenance -- and beautiful to admire!
3.Add fragrance with essential oils
A visit to a five-star hotel is a sensory experience. You can replicate that with natural, essential oils that not only have an amazing aroma but also have an effect on our mind and body, creating a sense of calm and balance.
There are many ways to make your bedroom smell wonderful with essential oils, or extracts from certain plants and flowers. Diffuse 10 - 15 drops of your favorite essential oil(s) in distilled water in a spray bottle and mist around the room and over your sheets and pillows.
You can use an electronic diffuser or warmer to create long-lasting scents or just douse a cotton ball in your favorite essential oil and place it in strategic spots around the room. Always check the label on your oil for the correct oil-to-water ratio. We like to combine a few drops of lavender, cedarwood, and frankincense to encourage relaxation.
4. Choose high-quality bedding
The bed is the star of most high-end hotel rooms. Anyone who’s ever experienced a plush five-star hotel bed will probably agree -- sleeping in is incredibly easy to do. Here are the items you need to mimic that luxury in your own home.
Mattress and mattress pad
Start with a high-quality mattress. Yes, they can be quite pricey, but they are worth every penny. Consider them an investment in deep, restorative sleep -- that is priceless. Protect your investment with a washable, deluxe, filled mattress pad to create a barrier against spills, dust, and pet dander. Don’t forget to look for one with deep pockets if you have a pillow-top mattress.
Sheets
With so many colors and fabrics available, shopping for sheets can be a confusing process. You’ve probably heard the term “thread count.” That refers to how many vertical and horizontal threads the sheet has per square inch.
And while sheets with a higher thread count are going to feel smoother and softer, the National Sleep Foundation recommends something more in the middle. Sheets with a thread count between 200 and 400 are going to be soft but cool and breathable, unlike higher count sheets that trap heat and cause you to sweat. We like organic cotton sheets for the same reason. They are soft, silky, and lightweight, without retaining heat.
Soft pastel or crisp white comforters, coverlets, and duvets are the signatures of most five-star hotel beds. Frequent washing keeps your bedding looking and feeling its best, so look for comforters and quilts that are machine-washable or can be dry-cleaned.
5. Make your bed like a luxury hotel
Now that you have all the makings of a luxury hotel bed, it’s time to make it like the professionals. Keep this in mind: the more options and layers, the better. In addition to your everyday sleeping pillows, add additional pillows with shams that match your quilt or coverlet.
Put the finishing touches on your luxury, five-star bed with plush throw pillows positioned at the top of the bed and a cozy throw blanket folded neatly along the bottom.
More pro tips for making a five-star hotel bed:
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Fluff your pillows every time you make your bed to make it more inviting.
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Wash or change sheets at least once per week, and launder top layers monthly.
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Make sure your bedspread, coverlet, or duvet covers the space between the mattress and the box spring or base.
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Fold over the top one-third of the outer comforter or duvet.
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Accent pillows should be centered in front of the main pillows.
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Try triple-sheeting, a common hotel trick where you layer a thin blanket between two starched sheets.
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Choose a soothing color scheme to help you relax and unwind.
6. Create a reading nook
Every great hotel room has that corner spot were to savor a cup of coffee, read a book, or just nap the afternoon away. You can create a similar space, no matter the size of your bedroom. With a comfortable chair, a simple accent table or garden stool, and an overhead light or table lamp, you have a quiet space to retreat and decompress at the end of a long day.
