Staying in a luxury hotel is usually a deeply relaxing experience, providing an escape from everyday life. While we may not be able to install full size swimming pools and saunas at home, we can all add a little touch of that hotel chic to our bathrooms with a few simple touches (although you’ll still have to clean it yourself, sorry!)
Add a favourite scent
Our sense of smell is a powerful one and scents are very evocative. Some hotel chains have their own signature scents, such as the Marriott group with their bespoke Attune scent, an uplifting blend of citrus and jasmine. You can often buy these ‘official’ signature scents online. If you stayed in a hotel for a particularly memorable holiday then buying the same scent for your bathroom will raise your spirits each time you walk into the room. Alternatively, track down something you like and make it your own ‘signature scent’. Tip: diffusers are more practical than candles, as they’ll leave a hint of scent all the time whereas candles have to be burning for a time before they release their scent.
Add a seat
If you have room, then adding a chair in a bathroom gives it an undeniable feeling of luxury. Plus, it’s extremely useful for putting clothes or towels on, or sitting on while you give yourself a pedicure. If you only have space for a small upright chair, then customise it with a fancy fabric seat or cushion and vibrant paint colour.
Add some flowers
Fresh flowers in the bathroom really is the epitome of luxury – top class hotels sometimes have an orchid in a pot, as it needs renewing less frequently than fresh blooms. Orchids love the damp atmosphere of bathrooms, and tend to thrive there if placed near a window. If you don’t have the time or budget to keep up a supply of fresh flowers, then you could dry your own – hydrangea or lavender blossoms work well. Finally, there are some extremely realistic artificial flowers available now which will defy detection and are very low maintenance!
Trade up your towels
Hotel towels always look neat and freshly laundered, so if yours look a bit threadbare then it could be time to invest in some new ones. Go for a high GSM (grams per square metre) count – the heavier a towel is, the better quality. A good bath towel should be in the region of 450 to 600 GSM and should feel heavy and look thick and fluffy. Wash towels without fabric conditioner and dry them in the tumble dryer to keep them fluffy and absorbent. The other trick is to fold used towels neatly on the rail rather than throwing them on a hook, so that the room looks tidy as soon as you walk in.
Treat yourself to toiletries
One of the best things about a good hotel is having some nice toiletries to use. Many of the luxe brands, such as Molton Brown, L’Occitane, Hermes and Rituals are pretty expensive but also sell miniature versions of popular products. Save up for a set or two and arrange them in your bathroom to be used for special occasions only!
Keep it neat
Hotel bathrooms are cleaned everyday, and that’s something that many of us just don’t have time to do. You can make sure that the room looks neat, though, which will make a huge difference to how it feels. Keep clean towels folded or rolled on a shelf, make sure the bathmat is straight and, if your laundry bin lives in the bathroom, invest in one with a lid to hide clutter. This will make the difference between your bathroom feeling like a battleground and a sanctuary!
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