Skip to main content

21OAK may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to make your guest room feel like a hotel room for staycations

Staycations can be just as, if not more, relaxing than a trip across the country. Traveling is expensive and often stressful, but staycations offer the opportunity to explore your own city, take a few days to relax, or spend time with friends and family, all without booking flights or hotel rooms.

Instead of investing hundreds or thousands of dollars on a vacation, why not use that money on renovating your guest room? You can create a hotel-like feel inside your own home so both you and any guests have a five-star experience without leaving the house. When you need a change of scenery, just hop down the hall and spend some time in a space that rivals your favorite Hilton or Marriott. To inspire your renovation journey, we tracked down the best ways to transform this room on any budget.

beautiful bedroom with blue and grey walls
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Splurge on bedding

One of the best parts of a hotel room is the luxurious sheets and duvet. There are always way more pillows than the average person needs, allowing you to sink deeply into a cocoon of comfort. Capture this feeling in the guest room with this oversize California Siberian goose-down king duvet from Amazon. It’s not too heavy, so you won’t sweat while you sleep, but it’s ultra soft and delivers maximum comfort. In terms of sheets, we love these CottonWorks exclusive 1000 thread count Pima cotton sets, also sold on Amazon. Treat yourself and make sure you buy an extra set for the master bedroom as well.

bedroom with a black accent wall
Shutterstock

Try dark paint

Hotels know exactly how to make guests feel cozy and relaxed. One of the tried and true methods of ultra-luxurious hotels is filling the room with dark paint and decor. It may seem counterproductive to paint a small room a dark color, but as long as you balance it with plenty of natural and artificial light, it provides a sense of calm, not claustrophobia.

If you pair this color scheme with light-colored, neutral textiles, you can also prevent the room from feeling too small. For color choices, we recommend either Arches or Duke Grey from Magnolia Home, which you can pick up at your local Ace Hardware store. If you’re still concerned about a dark room looking too moody, incorporate white or ivory wainscoting to break up the deep-colored hues.

Remember home comforts

Convenience is another huge part of a successful vacation (or staycation), so be very thoughtful in your design and try to anticipate your guest’s needs. Further, if you’re spending your self-care day in the guest bedroom, you shouldn’t have to worry about laundry or toiletries, either.

Make sure there are clean bath towels on the bed and extra sets in the closet. Don’t forget the small necessities like an alarm clock, chapstick, a few reading options, and a phone charger on the nightstand. If there’s a TV in the room, leave instructions for how to use the remote if it’s tricky. Put some nice smelling lotion, a face mask, and fresh flowers on the dresser for a mini-spa day.

grommets on blackout curtains
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Use blackout shades

When you’re taking time off to relax and recharge, the last thing you want is to be woken up early by the sun shining in your eyes. With hotel-quality blackout curtains, you can sleep in for hours without disruption from the sunrise or any passing headlights. We love these Freemansburg curtains in Candlelight from Wayfair for a guaranteed light-free sleep.

Once you’ve got these basics down, the rest comes down to personal design choice. Find a few framed prints of places you’ve traveled (or are on your list to visit), leave some drawer or closet space for guests to put their clothing, and incorporate aromatherapy into the room with lavender, honey, or jasmine scented candles. Leave fuzzy slippers by the closet, and you’ve got yourself a guest room worthy of any staycation. For an extra touch, consider putting a small mini-fridge in the corner of the room or inside the closet. You can stock it with water, soda, wine, and other refreshments like fruit, chocolate, or cheese.

Little things go a long way, especially on staycation! Whether you’re hosting a guest or spending a few days in there yourself, the key is convenience and comfort. With these few tips, you can create a guest space that can outshine any hotel room.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Julie Scagell
I am a freelance writer based in Minneapolis, MN. My passions include my dogs, talking about my dogs, and taking pictures of…
6 easy ways to update your home for under $500
Update your home with these inexpensive, easy projects
Couple painting white walls

When most homeowners think of renovations, they think of time-consuming projects that always run over budget. And often, they’re right. But updating your home doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Tearing down cabinets and installing brand-new hardwood floors aren’t the only ways to up your home design game.

With a bit of planning and elbow grease, you can refresh your space with inexpensive home remodeling projects that will have a considerable impact. Here are six DIY home projects that you can easily complete for less than $500.

Read more
Are you inviting spiders into your bed? Make these decor changes to avoid unwanted pests
Here's how to get your bedroom to be free of spiders
Bed pushed up against a wall with flowers on it

Of all the spaces in your home, the very last place you want to come face to face with a spider is in your bed. Your bedroom is a sanctuary designed to make you feel comfortable and safe, so seeing a creepy crawly there can shatter this sense of comfort completely.

Unfortunately, the choices you make while designing your bedroom can make it easier for spiders to crawl into your bed. Your bedroom layout (and precisely how you situate your bed) can attract spiders into your most sacred space. Read on to discover a few common design mistakes that can attract pests and some methods to prevent spiders in bed.

Read more
Want to level up your wall decor? We love this interior designer’s trick for blank wall space
Try this clever tip for tackling blank wall space in your home
Woman hanging beach art

A common struggle for many homeowners is decorating a wall without making it feel too cluttered or, worse, too empty. Too much negative space can leave a room feeling unfinished, lackluster, and downright visually unappealing. Thankfully, Julie Jones, founder of Julie Jones Designs, took to TikTok to share a fantastic design trick for dealing with blank wall space by using a clever rule for your wall decor.

https://www.tiktok.com/@juliejonesdesigns/video/7254366084768320811
Try the 70/30 rule
Interior designer @juliejonesdesigns shared her trick for handling blank wall space with a unique rule that works for nearly any wall. “I have a 70/30 rule,” Jones says in her TikTok video. She explains that the rule means 70% of the wall needs to be filled with positive space while the other 30% can be negative. “It’s a really easy formula that you can apply to almost any wall.”

Read more