The hotel bed is to sleeping what a sports car is to driving – they’re just better.
They’re always huge and crisp and clean, and so ridiculously comfy that you’ll happily forego the brekky buffet for a few extra minutes of shut-eye.
The sheets are perfectly tucked, the pillows plumped, and the linen starched and crisp.
There’s no question, the best part of a luxury hotel room stay is always the bed.
But the good news is, while you may not be able to turn your Mazda into a Maserati, you can turn your bed into a sleeping paradise that will rival any hotel room bed.
- Headboard Give your bed some drama and gravitas with a headboard upholstered in a luxe fabric like velvet or linen. Choose a shape that suits your room and style, and use it as an opportunity to play with colour. Choose a neutral for a more traditional hotel vibe, or play with rich colours like forest green, crimson or navy to create an opulent feel. If a headboard is out of the budget, use a row of plump European pillows to anchor your bed and give it a sense of luxury.
- Mattress If your current mattress has seen better days, now is the time to upgrade to a hotel-quality mattress. If a new mattress is out of the budget, keep your current one and up the snuggle factor with a pillow top mattress topper.
- Pillows and doona Be honest, how long have you been sleeping in your current bedding? If you’ve had them so long that you can’t remember buying them, chances are they could do with being replaced. Look for ethically made down bedding for the full hotel experience or, if you’d rather animal-free products, go for high-quality synthetic down or bamboo-filled products. Remember that big is beautiful when it comes to bedding, so go for voluminous, soft, come-lie-on-me pillows, and a fluffy, high-loft doona that will sit beautifully on the bed.
- Bed linen If you have a limited budget for new linen, throw the bulk of your cash at the sheets. Treat yourself to a new set or two in 100% cotton, bamboo or linen in the highest thread count your budget allows, for a really luxurious skin-feel. When it comes to your doona cover, go for crisp white to create a true hotel experience. If you’ve got kids (and keeping anything white actually white for more than a nanosecond is laughable), go for a more practical plain colour that suits you.
- Everyone loves a throw cushion (said no man, ever) Never mind him, throw cushions make the bed, and allow you to add some colour to that delicious white cloud you’ve created. Go for cushions in varied sizes and shapes, and arrange them symmetrically to emulate a hotel bed. Finish it off with a luxurious throw blanket for a bit of texture and extra comfort on cold nights.
- Get familiar with your sheets Nobody tucks a sheet like a five-star hotel. You’ll find loads of tutorials online that’ll teach you how to tuck like a pro and make your bed truly hotel worthy.