For some, a break from home and a stay at a hotel is an essential part of any vacation. For those who travel a lot, the anonymity of hotel living can be disheartening. Even infrequent travelers sometimes tire of the bland feeling of many hotel rooms, wishing instead to surround themselves with the joy of a home away from home. For some tips for feeling at home in a hotel, read on!
If you plan to stay in a room for more than one night, one of the best ways to feel at home in the space is to unpack your suitcase. Living out of your luggage rather than out of a closet is a constant reminder that you are in a strange place and can make getting dressed in the morning more of a hassle than a joy. The longer you plan to stay in a given hotel, the more at home you will feel if you truly inhabit the space.
If you are taking a road trip, consider bringing your pillow with you. So often hotel pillows are inadequate or simply too different from the one you use at home, making it harder to get a good night's sleep. Bringing that little bit of home along with you in the vehicle makes any overnight stop a little easier and adds that touch of home to any hotel room. Consider bringing a towel as well, especially if you love to wrap up in a big bath sheet as most hotel towels are smaller than the ones many of us use at home.
Try to stick to some of the routines that you follow at home as much as possible while traveling. If music is an important part of your morning or evening ritual, take the time to do a little research into radio stations in your new locale so you can tune in to one that plays your favorite music. If you are staying more than one night, try to make friends with the hotel staff — they can often provide valuable tips to make your stay more pleasant or productive, and it is always nice to have someone greet you by name when you return from a hard day of work or sightseeing.
Consider traveling with your favorite toiletries rather than relying on those little hotel shampoos and lotions; the longer you will be away from home, the more your favorite products will help you (and your hair and skin) feel like normal. If you have a favorite soothing scent, bring it along on your travels in candle form if possible. A breath of your favorite scent when you walk through the door will help you put aside the institutional flavor of a hotel and make you feel more at home.
If you have additional tips for feeling at home in a hotel, please share them in the comments below.
Image: Flickr member espensorvik licensed for use by Creative Commons
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You guys did this same thing last year and everyone freaked out (rightly so) about having candles in a hotel room....
I spritz lavender/chamomile aromatherapy spray on the pillows before sleeping.
I travel for work constantly and what makes me feel at home the most is unpacking everything as soon as I get into the hotel and putting my suitcases away. I hate feeling like I'm living out of a suitcase.
Go to a florist (or even a grocery store!) and buy a pretty bouquet. Those plain glass vases aren't expensve & it really brightens up the place.
Traveling with our own toiletries, towels and pillows? You don't travel much, do you...
(And who wants to pack a damp towel in their bags?)
I for one enjoy trying the upscale soaps, toiletries, bedding, towels and bathrobes that hotels supply these days, so much that I bring the leftover shampoos, conditioners, etc. home in my checked luggage (They're going to get thrown out anyway) so I can use them at home and get that "Away on Vacation" feeling!
As far as music (Who listens to radio anymore?) so many hotels & ships have iPod docks that you don't need to concern yourself with radio stations - Just bring your own tunes!
Family picture, diffuser oil, single bud flower in vase and a light throw.
I brought my own shampoo and conditioner when I backpacked through Europe, and I definitely wish it would have been possible to bring my own pillow, some of those hostel pillows sucked. I also kept my cell phone with me at all times, just because it was nice to know that no matter where I was, I could call home if I really needed to. It also had lots of pictures of my boyfriend, parents, sister and cats on it, which I flipped through when feeling home sick.
Don't most hotels have sprinkler systems? So lighting a candle is not a good idea.
I would not bring pillows or unpack because of bed bugs. Perhaps I am super paranoid though.
The best thing I ever brought during my 2 months of travel in Australia was a small photo book with pictures of loved ones.
I worked in PR for a number of years for an international hotel chain which meant 'living in' for long stretches at various properties. The single-most thing I often did to make my room feel more like home was a simple request to housekeeping NOT to service my room daily (more often every three days). It meant I made my own bed most days (or left it in a state of dissaray as the mood took me!)...and requested a room service when I wanted it. Just knowing the room would be exactly as I left it when I came back of an evening was great, and housekeeping loved me for it!
I take a framed photo of my family and put it on the bedside table or dresser. <3
If the hotel is good enough you won't miss home at all- on the contrary, you'll miss the hotel when you get back home.
Enough with this silly take a candle to a hotel nonsense. No hotel will allow it, and every single person on the earth knows it, except the people who write for Apartment Therapy.
Also. Bringing your own towel? Is this written by a twelve-year old who is trying to imagine what it's like to be a grown-up and stay in hotels?
Also. "The longer you plan to stay in a given hotel, the more at home you will feel if you truly inhabit the space." What does this sentence even mean?
I travel for work once a year, for a 3 week stint. Unpacking definitely helps, and sometimes I leave the "do not disturb" sign out, just so I come "home" to my unmade bed, just like at home...silly yes, but c'mon, I don't do hospital corners every morning...and when I come home at night, no one has picked up my mess for me. I also have a photo of my fam on my phone, just so I can say good morning and good night to them, from around the world.
I have used tealights with iittala candle holders in hotel rooms for many years, in Europe and the U.S. .. I use them in the bathroom, on the dinner table and by the bedside.. never a problem, but such nice light.
The other item in my travel bag: a small USB powered speaker
I'm in a hotel right now. I love maid service, I love a front desk, and I love bourgeois toiletries and a folded triangle on my toilet paper. Maybe I'm a snot but I feel right at home in a hotel.
The one thing I did do for this 5-day work trip was buy a loaf of bread, a jar of raspberry preserves, and a jar of crunchy peanut butter. Nothing says home like pb&j! Now where are my extra towels darn it?
I used to bring my pillow with me, until I became aware of the bedbug problem. Now I take nothing that can't be put through the washer the instant we get through the door (suitcases don't even come upstairs to our living space, just in case something hitched a ride).
Ooops! 1st thing I do when getting to my hotel room is light travel size diptyque candles.