Your bedroom should be a sanctuary, especially in the midst of a stressful quarantine. To find out how to transform ordinary sleeping quarters into a soothing retreat, we consulted the housekeeping team at Brown’s Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel. The Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel in London knows how to conjure atmosphere: its 115 individually decorated suites and rooms incorporate vivid wallpaper from English designers and British art; plush, inviting beds; and a mix of antiques and contemporary touches.
Here’s how you can make your space feel like a Five-Star hotel room, according to the housekeeping staff:
Freshen It Up
Open the windows on a regular basis to clear condensation and let fresh air circulate in the room.
Make your bedroom smell great with air freshener, a candle or a bowl of potpourri replenished with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Fresh flowers will leave a lingering scent and brighten the space. For an extra boost of fragrance, place a few drops of essential oil onto a tissue and draw it into your vacuum cleaner. The scent will permeate when vacuuming.
Another way to make the space feel fresh is with linens. It feels good to wrap yourself in newly washed sheets. Ironing the sheets beforehand gives them that hotel-quality crispness.
Take Time To Tidy
Keep your bedroom presentable by getting into a morning routine of making the bed and tidying up. If you can do a light cleaning before you go to bed, a decluttered space can help to achieve a better night’s sleep.
Add Atmosphere
Introduce plants or fresh flowers into the bedroom for a luxurious element. Look into potted options like jasmine, aloe vera, peace lilies or lavender, all of which reportedly help you sleep better.
For lighting, switch to a warm yellow bulb, usually referred to as warm white or natural white. This instantly creates an overall warm and cozy vibe.
Select The Right Sheets
Seek out bed linens with 400 thread count and 100 percent white cotton. This combination is soft and long-lasting and can be used all year-round. A natural goose-feather or goose-down duvet at 10 togs is suitable for all seasons. For a warmer night, a 100 percent pure cotton blanket provides a good alternative.
Pick Your Pillows
All beds at Brown’s hold four pillows — two king size and two standard size. These are a blend of feathers (75 percent) and down (25 percent).
Provide Turndown Service
To ease into bedtime, conduct your own version of turndown service. Pull back the covers, draw the curtains and light a candle. If you want to add some Five-Star touches, add a chocolate on the pillow and some water on the bedside table.
Create a noise-free zone by clicking off the TV — if there’s one in the bedroom — and leaving your cell phone in another room.
Make Your Bed Like Brown’s
To replicate a bed in a luxury property, Olga Polizzi, director of design for Rocco Forte Hotels (she designed the bedrooms in Brown’s), offers some tips:
• Pillows should be evenly placed and centered on each side of the mattress (on a king-size mattress, think of an imaginary line dividing the bed into two single mattresses). The pillows do not need to touch.
• There should be four pillows on the bed, possibly a combination of down, feathers and non-allergenic options.
• The bedspread should cover the gap between the mattress and the bed base. The top third of the bedspread should be folded back on itself.
• The duvet should be pulled up to approximately 10 inches from the head of the mattress.
• Accent pillows should be centered in front of the main pillows, slightly on a slope.
