How to Get that "Hotel" Feeling at Home

I've had my share of good and bad hotel experiences over the years, and the thing that bugs me most is ... why can't I stay in hotel rooms more often? Here are a couple of things you could do to give your house/room a hotel feel.

Clean Up!

Marcus Aurelius once said, "He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe." Just like you, proper grooming habits make the difference in your room. Make your bed every morning, dust your displays, sweep the floors and wipe the furniture. Make it your routine. A routine builds tradition, and tradition is synonymous with timelessness. If you're one of those no-time-to-do-chores person, at least make the bed after you wake up, and perform general cleaning on lazy Sunday mornings. You may have help in the house, but nobody knows your room like you do, plus, you're your own bellhop on this one.

Simplicity!

Everything you put into your room is an investment. Movie and videogame posters taped to the wall scream, "invested on being juvenile." Getting your favorite movie poster framed and hanging in your room is a lot better and helps give out your personality without you having to say a word. You may have a lot of interests, but that doesn't mean you have to lay it all on the table in one go. Understated interests generate mystery and may spur genuine interest from onlookers, while randomly placing things is just tacky.

Pictures!

Hotels always try to make their service as personal as possible, but they can't pull off something like this. Keep pictures of your family and friends in the nightstand or desk. Not only do they show other people that you're in touch with your roots, it also helps remind you of how great people in your life are.

Lighting!

If you don't have one of those dimmers, put lamps -and here's the secret- with low-watt bulbs on your nightstand. The low-watt bulbs give out yellow light that give your room a warm vibe. If you don't have a pair of matching lamps, just replace your light bulbs with a low-watt one (14-watts). Think about it, have you ever been in a hotel room that was lit with a fluorescent lamp?

Smells!

Make sure your room smells new, fresh. I myself prefer a more subtle scent than store-bought air fresheners, so what I do is, I get a lot of cotton balls, soak them in vanilla, and keep them near the air conditioning. It gives off a nice sweet scent, perfect for my personality!

Comfort!

This is your main goal! You have to make your bed comfortable. A comforter is a nice little investment for those cold nights. If you're a dude, more pillows than you're used to is okay too, as long as you don't come off as a guy who has a pillow fetish. A CD that plays ocean waves also makes getting to sleep easier for some people. Adding things that help you achieve comfort is a must, if your aim is to make your room conducive to a good night's rest.