A boutique hotel stay is a wonderful way to relax and recuperate, and most of us admit to taking a few items from our rooms to bring that holiday feeling home. You may havelifted tiny toiletries and free biscuits from your hotel rooms over the years (no judgment).
But a recent survey revealed that some guests steal much larger and more expensive items. So much so that over 65% of five-star hotels have been the victims of theft. Towel theftis the most common, with 77.5% of them going missing after a guest stay, along with 20.2% of hotel artwork and even 4.2% of mattresses!
Brits are most interested in stealing towels, bathrobes, toiletries and cosmetics. We also reportedly take home over £3 million worth of tea bags from hotels every single year!
It’s clear we want to bring the experience of our hotel stay home and one way we can do this is through interior design. The hashtags #interiordesignhotel and #interiorhotel currently have a combined 1,320,000 views on TikTok, highlighting our obsession with stunning hotel interiors.
If you’d like to create a holiday atmosphere without committing theft, fitted bedrooms provider Sliding Door Wardrobe Company has some top tips.
Key findings
• The addition of small accessories can make a huge difference in your space – gain extra style points by matching your new towels, candles and toiletries to your current colour scheme.
• Take advantage of the wall space behind your bed to create a feature wall or add some interesting artwork.
• Light, floaty linen curtains can bring a true holiday feel to your space, especially in the bedroom.
• Invest in a new mattress to really lean into the hotel-level luxury. If you can’t stretch your budget to a brand-new mattress, try a mattress topper or some brand-new sheets instead.
• Small changes can have a big impact when it comes to creating a holiday atmosphere within your home.
Small but mighty
Little accessories can make a huge difference. While you don’t need to go as far as installing a mini kettle in your bedroom (unless that’s your preference!), there’s no reason you can’t bring a little touch of hotel luxury in other ways.
Matching fluffy towels, bathrobes and slippers are essential.White is a classic choice but if your style leans more towards darker hues, you can try out some different colours. Remember to make sure your chosen colour is still calming – sweet lilacs, sea blues and forest greens work well to calm the mind – and that it matches the colour scheme already present in your bathroom.
If you love the expensive lotions and potions often found in hotel rooms but can’t afford to buy them year-round, try purchasing some pretty storage bottles. You can then decant your usual shampoo and conditioner into these bottles to up the luxury factor in your bathroom.
If you’re able to invest in those more expensive toiletries, don’t take them out of their packaging. The fancier the toiletries, the more aesthetically pleasing the packaging is!Place your shampoos, conditioners and soaps in full view on your bathroom cabinets, perhaps alongside a beautifully packaged scented candle. If possible, match them to the colour scheme of your bathroom for extra interior design points.
Holiday-inspired walls
Hotel rooms often feature a specific point of interest, such as a feature wall or a piece of eye-catching artwork. Bright pops of colour throughout a room create a modern, fresh atmosphere, while more muted hues cultivate an understated, classic feel.
If your interior style includes brighter tones and modern, angular furniture, consider painting the wall behind your bed a striking colour, such as deep blue or regal purple, and hanging a piece of abstract art. This will draw the eye and create an interesting interior design moment.
If you’re more traditional in your design, consider using some delicately patterned wallpaper or pastel paint on one wall as a backdrop for some nature-focused art. Greg Carlisle, Managing Director at Sliding Door Wardrobe Company comments: “If the rest of your room features muted tones, don’t be afraid to experiment with your artwork. Opt for a striking, green forest scene or sun-drenched landscape. You could get some of your holiday snaps printed on a canvas as a lovely reminder of your time away!”
Light, floaty curtains are also a good way to create a holiday atmosphere. We’ve all enjoyed long, balmy evenings in warmer climates with linen curtains drifting in the breeze. While we can’t bring the weather back with us (much to our friends’ dismay), we can cultivate the same atmosphere in our living space with tasselled or patterned linen curtains. Stick to a neutral colour palette and make sure the curtains graze the floor for a truly laid-back feel.
Once the summer is over, it’s a good idea to hang some thicker curtains over your linen ones to keep the heat inside during the cold British winter.
Hotel-level comfort
With mattresses among the items stolen from hotels, it’s clear we love the high-quality comfort provided on holiday. We don’t recommend trying to smuggle an entire mattress out of your hotel, but there are other ways you can achieve the same level of comfort at home. In fact, many hoteliers now sell their custom mattresses online.
Visitors to the exclusive Ritz-Carlton chain of hotels enjoy nights spent on custom-designed mattresses, which will set you back around £2k. For a more affordable alternative, try a deep, hybrid mattress featuring memory foam. Look out for mattresses that feature cooling properties for an even more luxurious experience, especially on hot nights.
If a new mattress sounds like too much of an investment right now, you can up the comfort levels of your current bed by adding a mattress topper. These handy products give the illusion of a softer, more comfortable mattress at a great price.
Greg Carlisle at Sliding Door Wardrobe Company says: “Theright sheets are also important when it comes to comfort. Again, the classic colour to opt for is white but if your bedroom has a feature colour, try to find sheets in a similar shade for a more cohesive overall design.”
Cotton sheets are comfortable, but they crease easily, whereas polyester sheets are more durable but aren’t naturally breathable or particularly soft. Opt for the best of both worlds and go for a cotton/polyester blend. These sheets won’t crease easily but are still soft enough to give you a good night’s sleep. If you have time, try ironing or pressing your sheets to get that fresh, hotel feel.
If you want to go all out, try leaving a surprise chocolate on your partner’s pillow – just like in a fancy hotel!
Try making a few of these changes within your home and experience that relaxing hotel feeling every day.
