One of the best things about a vacation? Hospitality brands (both big and small) that go out of the way to create unique hotel experiences.
From luxury hotel amenities like spas, signature cocktails, fancy toiletries, minibar nuts and room service to beds that feel as if you’re sleeping on the clouds and bubbly, hotels know precisely how to pamper us the second we arrive.
Whether you have five minutes or an entire day, we’re going to show you exactly how to create those delicious and indulgent unique hotel experiences at home, all without breaking the bank.
How to make your bedroom look like a hotel suite
Make your bedroom a retreat by giving it the feel of a hotel room. It’s all about small and thoughtful touches. No need to go too crazy, pick a few of these unique hotel experiences and it will do the trick.
– ONCE A DAY –
If you have 30 seconds: light it up
You don’t need me to tell you that the power of smell is so strong it can transport us in a second. The most luxurious hotels in the world fold scents into their guest experience for a reason. Did you know that some of them have even released their own signature candles?
Which is exactly why lighting a candle is an instant way to uplift your mood – some fragrances can even make your room smell like an actual vacation. Voluspa has a robust selection of scents that will make you feel like your bedroom is in a hotel overlooking lavender fields or the ocean.
For a totally unique hotel experience that mimics a swanky five-star metropolitan vibe in your bedroom or home – choose smoky, chocolatey, musky fragrance blends. There’s no need to drop a bomb, but a beautifully packaged candle will go a long way and look fabulous on your nightstand.
If you have a minute: comfort your sole
Put a pair of comfortable slippers by your bed – extra points if you have plush towel ones. Or move around one of the rugs in your house, so you have something soft to swing your legs onto in the morning.
If you have few minutes: drink up
Don’t you love it when hotels put out jugs of sparkling or infused water in the room for you? Bougie h2o is such a treat to wake up to, not to mention oh-so-good-for-you.
Grab a carafe or jug, fill it up with some water, throw in some sliced cucumbers and lemons and a few sprigs of mint – or use whatever you have in your fridge and pantry. Infuse some water overnight by covering it up and placing on your nightstand along with a glass. When you wake up in the morning, smugly sip your deliciously infused water.
If you have an entire morning: read all about it
There’s something nostalgic and very hotel-like about reading the newspaper in bed. Subscribe to an iconic publication like The New York Times and enjoy an entire morning of perusing quality content on your phone or tablet without hitting any paywalls.
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If you have ten minutes: level-up with flower power
Treat yourself a lovely but minimal floral arrangement, and put it somewhere in your bedroom. Flowers can bring any room to life in a second, but add an extra-special touch by choosing a bouquet that brings a little world culture into your home. Think lavender for Provence, tulips for the Netherlands, cherry blossoms or bamboo for Japan, sunflowers for Italy’s Le Marche region, and well, you get the idea.
If you have a couple of hours: clean up good
De-cluttering and getting rid of those things you’ve been meaning to will make your bedroom feel like even more of a haven.
If you have the whole evening: get the munchies
Enjoy one of the most luxurious and unique hotel experiences out there and create your very own bedroom minibar. These days, hotel minibars are about so much more than macadamia nuts and chilled booze.
Boutique hotel minibars tempt their guests with exceptional hotel amenities like miniature room sprays, fancy single-use condoms, Korean sheet masks, Yoni oils – and in countries where it’s legal – even cannabis-infused gummy bears. But unlike the hotel room bill, your at-home minibar needn’t cost an arm and leg, even with these hip items.
Pop to your local dollar store or visit your favourite bulk ingredient store for some lidded small mason jars. While you’re there, take a stroll through the snack aisle and pick up some novelty treats like chocolate covered almonds, mini-pretzels, jelly beans, macadamia nuts if you must, caramel popcorn, and so on. Some dollar stores also sell mini-sized fizzy drinks, and it’s definitely worth getting those too. Next, grab some single-serve bottles of your favourite spirits.
Fill up the mason jars with your snacks, and lay them out with your drinks on a tray, sit down on a rug, and have a snack-sized picnic in your bedroom. If you want to go all out, add things like Saje body mists, CBD edibles, face masks, and anything else that comes to mind, it’s your minibar adventure!
How to make your bed feel like a luxury hotel
Pillow menus, Egyptian cotton sheets, and mattresses your body can melt into – these are just three luxury hotel characteristics that make for a dreamy night’s sleep! However, it’s possible to make your bed at home feel this good without splurging on feather headrests, silk sheets and memory foam. Give your bed a five-star makeover with these unique hotel experiences.
– ONCE A DAY –
If you have 10 seconds: get some quality shut eye
You don’t need blackout curtains for a restful night. Pop a silk or velvet sleep mask over your eyes, and those luxury Zs won’t be far behind.
If you have ten minutes: revisit an old saying
Learn how to make your bed in a true hotel fashion and then lie in it to see the difference it makes. Take the time to fluff up those pillows, tuck-in those sheets with the perfect corners and straighten out the duvet.
– ONCE A WEEK –
If you have 60 minutes: start with a clean sheet
Be honest, how many times a month do you layout clean bedding? Experts recommend putting out clean sheets weekly. It requires effort, but falling asleep on freshly-washed linen is second to none.
Why not add some essential oils to your laundry for some extra oomph? Saje’s Sweet Sheets blend contains lavender, lemon and bergamot and is 100% natural, vegan, plant-based and contains no toxins, synthetics, fragrances, parabens or dyes.
If you have two hours: champion this
Enjoy a decadent morning by having breakfast in bed. Our recommendation is the iconic eggs Benedict, a dish born in the kitchen of the Waldorf Hotel in 1894, but then again, even pancakes in bed sound good.
– ONCE A MONTH –
If you have a free afternoon: DIY pillow talk
Take your five-star snooze up another notch by getting your arts and crafts on. Make some dried flower and herbal sachets and tuck them into your pillow. You can order materials like lavender online, and add some essential oils to create your own signature blend.
If you want to make a night of it: burst your bubble
Grab a bottle of chilled prosecco or champagne, line up your favourite show to watch on your laptop, tablet, bedroom television, or pick up a book, or even a magazine – why should hotels rooms be the only place you to spend the night sipping bubbly in bed?
Luxury and unique hotel experiences to try at home
From stuff that’s free to things you can splurge on every now and again, give these luxe experiences a whirl.
– ONCE A DAY –
If you have five seconds: raise the curtain
You know that moment you look out your hotel window and think damn? You can re-create something like that at home. When you wake up, open up the blinds, peek out the window and take five seconds to appreciate something. It could be the sound of the birds chirping. Is there any greenery? What haven’t you noticed before? Remember, someone in the world is longing to explore your backyard.
If you have fifteen minutes in the morning: cozy up
One of the nicest things about being on vacation is having the time to drink your coffee or tea at leisure first thing. Adding fifteen minutes of calm to your morning ritual is something you can easily do every day.
Put your French press, mug and bag of coffee out the night before on a tray beside the kettle. The next day, as you’re about to hop in the shower, boil some water and set your coffee to brew. Take a quick shower so you can save water and ensure that by the time you come out, your coffee will be at the perfect temperature.
Have a dedicated nook in your home where you can settle down for fifteen minutes each day as you enjoy those first few sips of coffee each morning. Bonus points if you do it in a cosy bathrobe.
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If you have an hour: make it happy
Put that cocktail shaker sitting in your cupboard to use! Lots of hotels are sharing recipes for their signature drinks. The Artesian at The Langham London is bringing the buzz to our armchair travels with cocktail demos from the hotel’s bar.
If you have a weekend: stir things up
If social distancing has left you with ample time to take your at-home culinary adventures a little further ashore, why not cook up signature chef’s recipes from hotel kitchens all over the world? One quick Google search will yield dozens of five-star dishes you can whip up. Here’s some inspiration:
- 18 Italian Hotel Chefs Share Their Favorite Recipes to Help You Get a Taste of Italy at Home
- Make Lucky Charms cereal bars with the pastry chef at The Langham Chicago
If you’re avoiding grocery stores, support a local business by ordering a meal kit for delivery from your favourite restaurant.
If you have me time: put on some scrubs
How does a herbal elixir sound? Or a healing concoction of rocket fuel made with ginger root and apple cider vinegar? At Home With Six Senses is sharing treatments from their onsite spa – Alchemy Bar – that you can make at home with simple ingredients like olive oil, honey, and avocados.
Likewise, Playa Hotels & Resorts spa director Sienna Cressey has dropped the tea on how to make their all-natural scrubs. Just mix ground coffee, a quarter cup cold-pressed coconut oil, and one drop of your favourite essential oil. Or try this four-ingredient detoxifying bath soak from Belmond Cap Juluca’s Arawak Spa).
– ONCE EVERY FEW MONTHS –
If you have time for a treat: go big at home
Add some special touches to your home once every few months by treating yourself to bath goodies from hotel favourites like Le Labo and Molton Brown, or get inspired by Pinterest to make some cheap and cheerful home upgrades to your lighting or by putting art up on your wall.
