6 Lessons to Steal From Hotel Bedrooms That'll Make Yours Feel Like a Five-Star Stay
You might not be able to get turndown service, but there are plenty of ideas that you can take home from your favorite hotel
While I consider myself a bit of a homebody, I am blessed to say I have done a fair amount of travelling in my 30-something years of life. From Balinese villas with private pools and historic Brooklyn brownstones to Parisian hideaways on cobblestone streets (my luggage survived, in case you were wondering), I'm lucky to have laid my head in some pretty incredible places.
Mattresses layered with cloud-like toppers, warm lighting dimmed to perfection, chic-as-anything furniture and just a little je ne sais quoi — no matter where in the world you are, the best hotel rooms are the ones that you look forward to retiring to after a day of exploring. However, while the inevitable truth of a holiday is that it must come to an end, the good news is this: you don’t have to leave it all behind. With the right blend of modern bedroom ideas and design tricks, you can recreate the specialness of a hotel room in your own bedroom at home.
The truth is, despite their different styles and miles-apart locations, the hotel rooms you leave wanting to rebook all follow a similar formula. I spoke to four interior designers, each responsible for some of the most incredible hotels around the world, for their insider tips. Here's what they said.
1. Create a Cocooning Feeling
Pulling the bathroom sink into the bedroom creates magic in Breathe Architecture's Paramount House Hotel. "It sounds counterintuitive, but it frees the bathroom to feel like a retreat and gives the bedroom a quiet, functional intimacy," says Charlotte.
I don’t know if it’s the block-out curtains or the excellent acoustics, but some of the most luxurious hotels I have stayed in have made me feel warm, cozy, and cocooned. Turns out — that’s by design.
“This sensation is always what I try to achieve when designing a hotel bedroom,” says Charlotte Wilson, Senior Associate at SJB. “I often talk about the importance of ‘The Snug’ room in any large house to provide the cave experience we all crave. It’s no different in the hotel room.”
To achieve it, Charlotte recommends considering scale and pulling the outside in. “I find earthy warm terracotta hues the best for this," she says. "Pairing deep warm tones with small doses of contrasting cool tones works wonders for balance, but getting the ratio right is important.”
For smaller bedrooms, Samuel Wright, founder of Maison 191, recommends replacing traditional bedside tables with a simple, fixed floating shelf. “It only needs to accommodate the essentials," he says. "A morning cup of tea, a favorite book, and perhaps a small decorative object.”
Although it may seem counterintuitive, Jay Grierson of Martin Hulbert Design says that opening the space can also create comfort. If you’re blessed with an ensuite — pay attention.
“One thing that we love doing is making the bathroom actually feel very much part of the bedroom," Jay explains. "What we tend to do, if we can, is create large openings into the bathroom. You might do that by using a set of double doors instead of a generic single, or even line up a view of the bath or vanity. It's a really luxurious thing, to be able to kind of flow through one room into the other.”
Breathe, a Melbourne-based architecture firm, did a similar thing in their project, Paramount House Hotel. "We pulled the basin out of the bathroom and into the bedroom zone, creating something closer to a dressing room than an ensuite."
If you have the space, Jay also recommends centering your bed in the room.
Founding partner of Martin Hulbert Design, Jay Grierson has had a hand in the design of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels. Jay’s signature style exudes timeless elegance and his spaces are full of considered moments and functional, liveable design.
2. Make the Lighting Moody
Lighting is key, says Samuel Wright of Maison 191. "Consider pendant lights suspended above bedside tables to create a softer, more atmospheric glow."
I don’t think I have ever flicked on a cool-toned downlight, kicked back, and thought to myself: ‘Isn’t this relaxing?’ If you tend to agree, there’s a reason — the experts say lighting should be warm, moody, and layered to invite the feeling of lived-in luxury often found in hotel rooms.
No matter your current lighting plan, Charlotte Wilson of SJB recommends checking the color temperature. “I love an evening walk, and I often imagine the changes I could make if I knocked on some doors of the dwellings with bright white lighting and simply gave them a warm light bulb,” she says. “Keep all lighting on the warm side of the colour spectrum — think of the colors of dawn and dusk — which sits anywhere between 2000 to 2500 kelvins on the light chart.”
Once you’ve hit the right color, it’s about layers and keeping things low-level. Steer clear of spotlights (even if they are dimmable) or a single ceiling fixture, says Samuel Wright. “A carefully layered lighting scheme allows your bedroom to adapt effortlessly to different moods and moments throughout the day.
Consider pendant lights suspended above bedside tables to create a softer, more atmospheric glow. If rewiring isn't practical, there are many elegant plug-in wall lights that offer both flexibility and convenience."
The Breathe architecture team say it's as simple as removing a ceiling light from the equation, where possible. Xavier Donnelly of Ash Hotels agrees, and recommends using floor lamps, table lamps, and even picture lights to highlight specific areas — “like the bedside, over a reading chair, and to illuminate art in the room.”
Xavier Donnelly is a designer, artist, and creative director. Leading the creative behind Ash properties, as well as the accompanying retail line, Souvenirs, Xavier is known for creating the brand’s signature spaces, which combine luxurious sophistication and chic design with personality and color.
3. Layer Window Treatments
Sitting nooks, canopy beds, and layered curtains are aplenty in this hotel room, part of Ash Hotels' Peter & Paul project.
In both a practical and aesthetic sense, layering window treatments is another relatively easy way to make your bedroom feel like it belongs in a five-star hotel.
Bringing softness, warmth, and sophistication, Xavier Donnelly recommends pairing a neutral-toned sheer with a heavier curtain. “The sheer provides the right amount of privacy during the day without blocking any light,” he says.
“Where possible, install two ceiling-mounted curtain tracks to create a luxurious, hotel-inspired finish," adds Samuel Wright. "This approach also provides an opportunity to introduce color, texture, or pattern as a design feature.”
And if you’re looking to eliminate even the peekaboo rays of light that escape around a curtain’s edge, Charlotte Wilson says the best approach is to recess your curtains. “To provide the full blackout — the blinds need to be recessed into a track within the window or wall and either surface-mounted, but preferably recessed for a sleek, minimal detail,” she says.
4. Add Softeness on Every Surface
From rugs underfoot to upholstered bedheads, comfort is king in this Eve Hotel bedroom by SJB.
An obvious inclusion, but it bears repeating. Hotel rooms are all about comfort, comfort, and more comfort — and the same principles can easily be applied in your bedroom. While an excellent mattress topper (like this one from DUSK) is an easy upgrade, creating warmth and ease can be done in less obvious ways.
“A detail I’ve always loved at hotels is the 'step-off mat,' which is essentially a low-pile bath mat placed at the bedside,” says Xavier Donnelly. “If you have hardwood floors in your bedroom, it's nice to have something soft underfoot to step onto when you get out of bed in the morning.”
If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel room where you could switch out the light from under the covers, you’ll know that comfort can also be found in clever and thoughtful design. “There are simple low-cost ways to have your lighting controlled by your phone these days — although I suggest moving away from screen technology in the bedroom and wiring the lighting to a tactile control by the bed. Even better, install a small warm adjustable reading light beside your bed to enable downtime with your favorite book,” adds Charlotte Wilson.
And, like the aforementioned mattress topper, although it can be tempting to take comfort in a literal sense, Jay Grierson warns that going too far can actually cancel out luxury — and practicality. “We tend to avoid putting cushions on beds," he says. "It’s the first thing I take off when I go into a hotel room. It just ends up on the floor, doesn't it?”
5. Customize Your Storage
Everything has a purposefully-designed space in The Eve Hotel by SJB.
Have you ever noticed that a hotel room is just impeccably…neat? Of course, it’s partly because it doesn’t have your spilling-over sock drawer ruining its visual appeal, but applying the way we inhabit a hotel room to our own bedrooms can help to create a feeling of retreat.
“We use our bedrooms daily and they become the cornerstone of our daily rituals — so it needs to feel serene,” explains Charlotte Wilson.
“One of the best ways to ensure the bedroom stays that way is investing in good storage. Storage is key, but furthermore — storage with purpose. Robe systems that have integrated lighting, various compartments for organised nick knacks (belts, hats) can ensure everything has its place and your worthy objects are truly celebrated. When it becomes a daily pleasure to open the robe, you know you have elevated your space.”
6. Create Little Moments
A four-poster bed provides an instant lift in The Grove of Narberth, bringing sophistication and elegance in spades.
And finally, the je ne sais quoi of it all.
My favorite hotel rooms are the ones that create little moments — whether it’s a signature scent, a fluffy robe, or a beautiful artwork. It’s the things that make you stop and go, “I would never think to have that at home” — but why shouldn’t you?
Samuel Wright says having a dedicated seating nook can transform a bedroom into a true sanctuary. “A quiet place to read, reflect, enjoy the view, or simply watch the world go by," he says. "If you're fortunate enough to have a deep window, consider creating a built-in seat. As with any well-designed space, consider how it will be used and incorporate thoughtful details accordingly — a discreet reading light, integrated shelving, or a curated place for books and magazines.” (Livingetc, of course.)
Elevation can also come from the smaller details — placemats on the bedside tables, beautiful coasters, a nice carafe set, slippers, trays, or a sculptural bedside lamp. “All of these items do the heavy lifting when it comes to making your room feel more luxurious and hospitable," explains Xavier Donnelly.
Another genius idea comes from the Breathe Architecture team, who recommend creating a threshold moment upon entering the room. "Domestic interiors rarely manage this well, yet even a partial screening transforms a bedroom with a sense of privacy and protection," they say.
And finally, the hero of the space: your bed. While Charlotte Wilson says a generously proportioned, upholstered bedhead can provide a soft luxury, Jay Grierson says going the extra mile by selecting a four-poster canopy bed can really take things to the next level.
Ready to recreate and redecorate? Hotel-worthy wraparound headboards and lounging chairs are only some of the biggest bedroom trends this year...
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