5 Secrets to Recreating The Hotel At Home
The Lambert family loves a good trip. It doesn’t take any cajoling in the group chat for a trip to start rolling towards planning. Because we’re almost always in on the action we’ve learned the hard truth about fun. There are two types of fun. The first—actual fun. You know—we’re laughing, we’re joking, the snacks are great, the weather is beautiful, we’re seeing amazing things. The second type of fun? It’s terrible in the moment but the retelling of the trauma is so hilarious that you remember it as fun. Even though you kayaked for 7 extra hours because you missed your river exit. Even though your hotel room had someone else’s cake crumbs all up in those sheets. Even though Dad’s suitcase got stuck in the train doors in Paris and he almost had to forgo the wranglers for street fashion because it was milliseconds from bashing to smithereens on the tunnel walls!
We’re well-versed in type one and type two fun! What keeps luring us back out into exploring the world? The people! The adventure! The sights as-yet unseen! But for some a strong pull is the hotel: the luxury, the freebie bath products, the amazing mirror lighting! And that doesn’t even mention the giant, pristine bed you don’t have to make in the morning! (Unless you’re with our mom—then you’re making it no question! Vacation doesn’t mean we’ve devolved into heathens!) Here are the five secrets to recreate the hotel at home.
Break your own nighttime rules
In a hotel sleep hygiene rules are out the window! When I’m at home I’m far more aware of my blue-light exposure, of sleeping 8 hours, of making sure I’m ready for real life tomorrow. In a hotel all rules are out the window. I’m watching Food Network as I’m drifting to sleep! I’m surfing FX to HBO to see what movie is starting at 10pm. Some days it might be best for my brain to honor the fact that it is still running and watch a little TV or keep reading instead of forcing the sleep hygiene issue. It is admirable to try to set myself up for tomorrow’s activities but not at the expense of the now! If I’m constantly prepping for later I’m not being present or savoring my real life! To recreate that hotel at home feeling give yourself the freedom to break your own nighttime rules!
2. Celebrate special days with a treat
When you’re staying in a hotel those snacks are so convenient! Not just the minibar but also the snack mini-cafe in the lobby. Sometimes a peanut butter m&m just sounds like a delight! Treat yourself when the urge strikes and prep a little snack bar for yourself. How much fun would that be to play hotel with your family by piling into the big king sized bed, selecting special snacks, and watching a movie together? Maybe snacks aren’t a treat for you—would a special Lacroix flavor be more celebratory? Or maybe a special coffee? Think of a way that might cap off a special day just perfectly for you!
3. Go all-out on your aesthetic
Hotel interiors are SO amazing because there’s never a stone left unturned. Should we be true to the brand in the linens, the wallpaper, the bottled water, the coasters, the soap wrapper, the toilet paper stamp?! YES YES YES. To recreate that hotel at home aesthetic go full-throttle in your personal aesthetic direction. Are you a neutral, minimal girl? Declutter and decant it all! Are you a southern traditional woman? Go for the blue hydrangea arrangement, the candle on the crystal tray, and the jewelry dish from Grandmother. A vintage western man? Tooled leather bath accessories and a record player of The Highwaymen’s greatest hits should definitely make the cut! We’re not trying to go too campy and have themed bathrooms—don’t hear that! But a well-accessorized space to your personal aesthetic—that’s authentic!
4. Make your bed the star of your bedroom
Now you guys may be staying in luxurious multi-room suites at hotels but that is not my speed. I pray my feet can fit between the wall and the edge of the bed—that’s all I need! In a hotel room that small the bed BETTER be the star of the show! It’s all you get! Make sure your bed is the star of your bedroom by designing a cozy, clean collection of linens that suit you and how you like to sleep. Some people want a lot of weight, some people only want a light sheet, some people prefer a super-soft modal blend while others want more texture in their sheeting. The key to making the bed the star is making it somewhere you can’t wait to get back in!
5. Be hopeful for tomorrow
The true beauty of the hotel night’s sleep is that you can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store! Having hope and excitement about what tomorrow may bring will truly change your life. While I do want you to have a luxurious bed and a peanut butter m&m every now and then you would truly become a world-changer if you had hope in your heart.
When we checked into our hotel our first night in Nairobi we went into our bedroom (3 sisters) and realized that a king bed in Africa was more of a double in America. Rachel immediately volunteered to sleep in the upholstered chair (bless her!) and ended up having to use her rolling suitcase to hold up her lower half as she slowly sunk further and further down the chair in sleep. Haha! Though that was type 2 fun, we remember that trip so fondly and are already planning our next stop! We’re thinking it’s about time for Africa again!
