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What I Learned in the Bedroom on Vacation 😉

As you may know, I just got back from vacation.
While I was away I stayed at a great hotel, a college student’s guest room, a condo and a cruise ship cabin.
Yup, all of those! It was a long 17 days!
But staying in all of those different accommodations got me thinking.

You know the feeling you get when you stay at a fabulous hotel?
Close your eyes for a second and remember that feeling.
Yes, close them!
What did you picture? What emotions came up?
Did you feel comfortable, secure, relaxed, pampered?
Well, why not feel that way in your own bedroom?
Who says that you can’t feel pampered and comfortable in your own bedroom?
After all, that’s the room you spend the most time in.
Let’s get to it!

The room is neat and clean – Hotel rooms are never cluttered and hopefully, if you’re staying at the right place, it’s clean.  What’s in your bedroom?
If it’s not adding to the comfort of your space, get rid of it.
No more kid’s toys. If you want other toys, that’s your business.
No more work. Move your workspace to another room.
No more clothes lying around. Take 10 minutes every morning or evening and put your clothes away.
Seriously, clutter adds to your stress level and interferes with your sleep.
Clear it out and clean it up.

The window treatments are conducive to a great nights sleep –   Hotels always have great window coverings, a blackout curtain, and a sheer. If you need it to be dark to sleep, why not have this at home too?

The bedding is fabulous! – Hotels have the best sheets and pillows. The next time you stay at a hotel check out the bedding. What is it that you like about it? Is it thick? Is it soft? Or is it the white that you like? Whatever it is, be sure to look for those qualities when you shop for your own bedding. You spend a third of your life on those sheets! I’ve said in other posts that I LOVE Hotel Collection sheets from Macy’s. I do! They’re expensive, but wait for a sale and a coupon and get some. They’re totally worth it! They’re soft and smooth and they wear well.

Here are the 3 main things to look for when shopping for sheets –

1. Fabric – cotton sheets provide the most value, comfort, and durability. They are also the most breathable.
   • There’s sateen – a cotton fabric woven like satin with a glossy surface. Sateen tends to be heavier in feel and slightly less breathable.
   • There’s percale – a closely woven, fine cotton fabric with a matte finish. Percale tends to be more durable than sateen.

There are also flannel sheets, satin sheets and more.

But that’s for another post because this one’s about hotel bedding.

2. Thread Count – There is a great debate about thread count. Sheet companies have caught on and are now producing a lower quality sheet with a high thread count by using single ply thread instead of a quality thread. So you need to be careful when checking the thread count. Optimal thread counts for percale are about 250 to 300. Good-quality sateen sheets range from 300 to 600 thread count. Higher numbers than these are usually a good indicator of a marketing ploy.
3. Staple – It’s not all about thread count for softness. For the smoothest and strongest cotton look for ELS, Egyptian or Pima cotton. All of these terms usually indicate a cotton with a longer staple which refers to the length of the fiber. A longer fiber produces a softer feel. It’s definitely worth spending as much as you can afford on a great set of sheets. A good quality set can last decades, while a lesser quality can wear out and fall apart in under a year. You’re not saving any money if you’re replacing them every year.

The pillows are perfection – You can’t beat a fluffy down or foam pillow. But, pillows are totally subjective. Some people like flat. Some people like thick. Some like down. While some like foam. You need to figure out exactly what you like and get that! Your perfect pillow is so crucial to a good nights sleep.

There is always great lighting by the bed – I can’t tell you how many homes I go into that don’t have nightstands, let alone lamps on the night stands. I’m not sure how this works. Where do you put your glasses, reading or water? How do you get to the bed after you turn off the overhead light? You need nightstands. They don’t have to be all matchy matchy with your bed. You can use a small side table or even a stool. Grab a lamp for each and you’re good to go.

So, clean up the space, dress your windows, get some cozy bedding, fluffy pillows, some nightstands and a couple of lamps and you’re well on your way to a comfortable, relaxing bedroom where you can get a great nights sleep.

Now if you could only get housekeeping to come every day to make your bed and leave a towel animal you’d be all set.

Please let me know what you think in the comments below.

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