Ways to make a bedroom feel like a hotel room

There are many reasons why we stay in hotels, but alongside business trips and social events, many people regard a night in a hotel room as a welcome break from daily life. Hotels tend to play up the desirability of a peaceful stay in a stylish environment, where soft fabrics and sumptuous furnishings contribute to a luxurious ambience.

There’s no reason why hotel chic can’t be replicated at home. You might not achieve the same escape from daily stresses or parental responsibilities, but a well-designed and attractively appointed bedroom can still feel like a hotel room. These are some of the ways to enjoy that boutique ambience every night through clever décor, furniture and accessories…

Make the bed the star

Bedrooms are primarily intended to provide restful sleep, but an old or poorly designed bedframe won’t achieve this. Avoid wooden headboards which are uncomfortable to lean against, or which require padding with cushions that often end up on the floor (becoming a home to dust mites). Stick to padded fabric headboards and consider if you’d benefit from a height adjustable mattress. Even new bedside cabinets could improve a room’s ambience.

If your mattress is unduly firm or more than five years old, invest in a medium-firmness replacement. Depending on the room’s dimensions, a king-sized or super king mattress will naturally feel more indulgent than a standard double. Add plump new pillows with dedicated protectors, a mattress topper (if your mattress doesn’t have one built-in), two quilt/pillowcase sets in a soft fabric, and sheets with a high thread count.

Add luxurious touches

The size of your bedroom and existing home specifications will determine whether coffee machines or mini fridges are welcome additions or simply duplicating equipment already close by. Study the luxuries hotels and B&Bs provide to pamper their guests like miniature chocolates, fluffy robes and fans. Some field research at nice hotels may be in order, to determine the prevalence of these elements, and how they change the mood.

Boutique B&Bs and high-end hotels also invest in classy toiletries, so do the same in your bathroom or – even better – en-suite. Replace bars of soap with bottles or trade up from value hand soaps to premium brands sporting indulgent fragrances. Even swapping a cheap plastic toilet seat for a soft-closing one or installing an illuminated mirror will improve the aesthetic, as will padded occasional chairs, dressing tables with fold-out mirrors and deep-pile rugs.

Embrace the sound of silence

It’s ironic that people often seek respite in hotel rooms from the noise and stress of daily life, despite allowing their bedrooms to perform numerous purposes. Bedrooms should be a peaceful sanctuary, yet many people use them to work, do the ironing and organise daily life. All this needs to stop, making the act of going to bed a highlight of the day – while drawing a line under everything which has preceded it.

It’s fine for a spare room to perform multiple roles – home office, sofa-bed guest suite, laundry drying room – but bedrooms should only be associated with resting and recuperating. A TV is a reasonable addition but keep smartphones and tablets out as far as possible, and don’t permit any excuses about why phones need to be present. Buy an alarm clock, invest in mood lighting, add sound-deadening and move all non-essential clutter elsewhere.

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