One of my favourite things to do is to stay in a hotel or inn. It doesn’t have to be far from home. When I decide to take time off, staying at home just isn’t relaxing. Because I work from home, it is exponentially more challenging to avoid work or household tasks. If you work from home too, you’ll understand what I mean—the to-do list seems never-ending!
During my previous career in sales, I had the good fortune to stay in many beautiful hotels, bed and breakfasts, and country inns. It’s been a bit of an obsession ever since. I love searching for new places to stay, studying the amenities, the surroundings, and, of course, hotel room design.
After working in the field of home organizing and design for over 20 years, whenever I stay in a new place, I see all the missing little touches that could make my stay more comfortable. On a positive note, I get to “borrow” all the great design ideas that I see and use them in my clients’ homes. Additionally, paying attention to the missing elements helps me focus on the smallest details when I’m working with clients.
The Missing Elements in a Hotel Bedroom
Uncomfortable Pillows: This tops my list! Although everyone’s idea of “comfortable” is different, we can likely agree that comfortable pillows lead to a better night’s sleep. In general, feather/down pillows are much nicer than those with synthetic filling. Fortunately, quality pillows aren’t necessarily expensive. In fact, IKEA has a wide array of choices at reasonable prices. The Pillow Shoppe, a Canadian company, has bed pillows as well as toss cushions, bench cushions and more. I purchased their toss cushions and am pleased with them. If you order pillows, I recommend a combination of down and feather. I find their pure down pillows don’t have enough loft.
Uncomfortable Mattress: Although this is obvious, I wanted to mention it anyway. The only place I found uncomfortable mattresses was when we were in Italy. I recall reading that European mattresses can be very firm, and that was certainly the case in a couple of places we stayed (although not in all of them). Several brands make comfortable and reasonably priced mattresses. Alternatively, you could purchase a luxury handmade mattress from Vispring, available in Halifax, from Attica Home Furnishings.
Lack of Hanging Space: Fortunately, this hasn’t happened often, but it did recently. In one hotel we stayed in, they only had a few hooks for hanging clothing. It was so strange — especially since hanging clothing there would cover the light switch. It wouldn’t have been difficult or expensive to add a wardrobe to the room. One of my favourite wardrobes is from IKEA’s Pax system. You can choose from several finishes and door styles and customize the interior to suit your needs. Another option is IKEA’s Nordkisa, a simple wardrobe featuring shelving and a rod for hanging clothes. In my opinion, hanging space and shelving are more crucial than a dresser, which I rarely, if ever, use in a hotel.
The Missing Elements in a Hotel Bathroom
Hooks: I mean, really, how difficult is it to install a hook or two? If you have a travel cosmetics bag or shaving kit, you know what I mean. You need a place to hang it. And it’s really handy (logical, even!) to have a hook right beside the shower to hang your towel.
Shelf in the Shower: This is a frequent missing design element. Most hotels provide shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner mounted to the wall. However, some of us bring our own hair products and soap, and we need a place to put them other than the shower floor. I have this stylish and affordable wall-mount shelf from Umbra in my shower, and it’s great. They also have a corner shelf, which is ideal for smaller shower stalls.
Counter Space: Some hotels used to extend the countertop over the back of the toilet, which, in my mind, is extremely user-friendly. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing, but it’s a great solution when there is no space for a vanity with a larger surface area. There are plenty of options to enhance the design of small bathrooms. If the bathroom is larger, many people opt for double sinks. However, consider how often two people are in the bathroom at the same time before you choose the double sink option. You’ll appreciate the extra counterspace.
Other Design Mistakes in Hotels
Barn Door on the Bathroom: Please do not install a barn door as your bathroom door. I find they provide zero privacy. A pocket door is a better choice and is an excellent space-saving solution.
Poor Furniture Layout: Some hotel rooms just don’t feel right. I must admit I am guilty of rearranging the furniture, toss cushions, and on one occasion, my girlfriend and I even moved the artwork.
Lack of Light Control: This issue doesn’t arise often, but it did recently. Our hotel room had two lovely transom windows, but they had no window coverings. The bright light woke me up in the morning much earlier than I would have liked. Unfortunately, the solution would be expensive, as they would require motorized blinds since the windows are too high to reach. My preference at home and when I’m away is to have adjustable blinds plus drapes because (as I’m sure you know), a dark bedroom is best for getting a good night’s sleep.
How Hotel Design Can Work in Your Home
Most high-end hotels put a great deal of thought into their décor and colour scheme. I suggest you do the same in your home. If you’re stumped as to which room to tackle first, the main bedroom is a good place to start. It should be a relaxing, comfortable, welcoming space. With the proper storage solutions in place, it will be easy to put things away and keep clutter out of sight.
If you’re planning to renovate your bathroom, please consider all the little details mentioned above before you start choosing finishes, such as tile and paint colours. If you’re having trouble deciding on the look for your bathroom, consider checking out hotel websites and studying their bathroom finishes for inspiration.
Hotels remind us how much thoughtful design influences comfort and function. Designing a home that feels like a luxury hotel is all about paying attention to the details. I’d be delighted to share more of these design insights with you—please reach out if you’d like to explore how they can work in your home.
Great information, Jane. I always learn something new from your newsletters. I have to say I got a chuckle out of this line… ” If you have a travel cosmetics bag or shaving kit, you know what I mean. You need a place to hang it.” I well remember yours in the hotel rooms and B&Bs we shared at Professional Organizers in Canada conferences and vacations with organizer friends.
Thanks so much Gail for your comment. I had a good chuckle. I might be a minimalist but my cosmetic bag is not. Everyone still makes fun of me. I miss our get togethers.