How to make your home feel like a luxury retreat: The hotel reset I’m bringing home
I am back from the most beautiful weekend in the Rocky mountains and i am full of new, creative energy! I am going to share with you my biggest take aways for my home that i am going to apply this week 🗻
How to create that calm, fresh, taken care of feeling when you wake up in a beautiful hotel, and bring into your everyday life.
So, this past weekend was so amazing, i didn’t want it to end. Now, i have gone on trips to the mountains before (the biggest benefit to living in Canada!) but this time my children are a little older and i was really in need of a break.
This summer has been so good but so full. From my kids sports schedules to having family staying with me, it has been a non stop and i just really needed a little reset. This little getaway came at the perfect time.
There is just something for me about waking up in a beautiful hotel that makes me feel like a slightly different version of myself but in the best way. Maybe it is just waking up somewhere were i am not thinking of my constant to do list, but just getting out of bed, taking a long shower, and getting ready for the day just feels so relaxing. I also came out of such a blissful shower to a hot latte bought to me by my husband and kids, it’s like they just knew what i needed!
The experience of staying in a hotel is just different. The room is quiet and cool (we don’t have AC at home), the bathroom was clean and uncluttered, there were fresh towels waiting for me. Everything had a place. I didn’t wake up thinking about laundry, dishes, what to make for dinner, and the other hundred things i would do at home. Now, don’t get me wrong, i love cooking and creating a home for my family, but i also love my time away!
This weekend, i definitely gave myself permission to slow down and experience things differently.
The view i woke up to!
We had a 4 hour drive home, and i got my journal out and started making notes on how to recreate the same feelings in my own home. Not by turning my house into a hotel, but by making my own home feel like a retreat from the busy world. Making it feel more intentional, peaceful, comfortable, and cared for in new ways.
Because maybe the retreat that you need doesn’t need to require a weekend away, maybe you just need to reset your own home.
What i really love about staying in a nice hotel.
It isn’t really the furniture or art, it’s mainly the feeling. I love when the bed looks comfortable and well made, the lighting is soft, the bathroom is clean, and i really love the towels neatly folded, the toiletries, and having everything you need within reach.
It just makes getting ready for the day easier and makes me feel like i don’t have to rush. Most importantly, I didn’t need to make the bed, i didn’t have to clear away yesterday’s messes, everything was just ready for me. This is the feeling i want to recreate, not really perfection, just readiness.
So, if you want your home to feel like it is taking care of you and not the other way around, here is everything you need know.
Start with your bedroom.
Your bedroom is probably the most important room in your house and here is why: it is where you spend most of your time and the energy of it affects everything you do and how you feel.
Your bedroom sets the tone for your entire day and night. Think about waking up in a luxury hotel, then think about waking up in your own bedroom. In your bedroom is there piles of laundry, clutter, and mismatched bedding? Fix that. Create calm in the bedroom by adding lamps instead of turning on overhead lights, removing piles of clothes and clutter, and wiping down all of your furniture to remove dust and trapped energy.
Always make your bed in the morning. It sounds so basic but getting into a well made bed at night is one of the best feelings in the world.
Keep your nightstand simple. What we sleep closest too affects our energy the most. Only keep what you need on your nightstand and make it visually pleasing. Think: a lamp, a carafe of fresh water, a book, hand cream etc.
Give yourself a hotel morning.
Probably my biggest take away from my weekend away is how i want to spend my mornings.I loved waking up and having s little ritual around getting ready. At home is is very easy to wake up and get straight into productivity mode. But when you are away from home you see things differently. Real life can take over most mornings, but make a point to create a hotel morning at least once a week.
Open the curtains.
Make your bed.
Put on a robe.
Turn on a lamp instead of every overhead light.
Make yourself a proper coffee.
Read for 10 minutes.
Take a long, hot shower.
It's transition. You're reminding yourself that you are not only the person who takes care of everyone else.
You are also a person who deserves to enjoy her own morning. You can also create a little area in your home where you enjoy your morning coffee. In the hotel (pictured below) is mine and i will be recreating something in my own home this week (obviously, no mountain view at home 😭)
I also am feeling so inspired to create a coffee bar at home! Just having a coffee area in the hotel made it just feel that bit more luxurious.
Side note: My Zodiac sign is Taurus and i have Venus in Taurus in my birth chart. I love the simplicity of life but i love a touch of added luxury to bring me joy!
Create a beautiful bathroom.
A hotel bathroom just feels different in all the right ways. It’s clean, you have everything you need within reach, and everything has a place. Bathrooms at home are one of the quickest rooms to become a mess. An over flow of products on the counter, hair dryer left out, towels thrown on the rack, the list goes on.
Obviously at home we have more things in general, but here is something i am going to do this week.
Take everything off of the counters.
Wipe the counters down.
Only put back what needs to be there and find a place for everything else. If i can’t find a place i am going to toss out or donate.
I also i am going to put on the counter all i need for after my baths and showers to bring that everything within reach feeling. When i get out of the shower, i won’t need to go searching for things they will just be there. Then put it all away to minimize clutter when i am done.
My tips for you:
Start by removing everything you don't actually use.
Then create a small collection of products that make your everyday routine feel special.
Put your everyday skincare somewhere attractive.
Use a pretty soap dispenser.
Keep fresh hand towels available.
Fold your bath towels instead of throwing them over the shower door.
If you have the space, add a small vase of flowers or a simple plant.
And don't underestimate the power of a clean mirror!
There is something about walking into a spotless bathroom in the morning that immediately makes the whole house feel more put together.
Side note: The hotel we stayed at had black face washcloths just for removing makeup. I thought this was genius since i have ruined so many towels in my home because of makeup! I ordered these while i was still on my trip so they would be here when i got home.
Stop saving nice things.
When packing for my trip i packed my most favorite scented body wash, the best skin care products, some eye masks, and my favorite perfume.
I am not sure why i did this. I have all these products in my house but for some reason i was saving them for a special occasion and for this trip. In my everyday life i sometimes skip parts of my body and skin care routine to save time but when i went away i made sure to do them all. It made me feel so good and put together.
So here is my reminder to you to use all of your favorite things everyday. You are the special occasion and your deserve to feel taken care of in everyway, everyday.
Hotels have completely changed the way I think about this.
A beautiful hotel doesn't save the nice towels for someone else's life. You are allowed to use the good things.
Burn the candle.
Use the beautiful hand soap.
Wear the pajamas you love.
Put flowers on the kitchen table.
Use the dishes that make breakfast feel special.
Drink your coffee from the cup you really like.
Your ordinary Tuesday is still your life and that is a special occasion.
Create a hotel style entry.
I have walked in to some pretty nice hotels and resorts and the energy of the place can be felt as soon as you walk in the door.
There is often that feeling of grandeur and it just feels so calming and relaxing. That is how it should feel when you walk into your home.
Even if you don't have a huge foyer, create a little moment when you walk through the door.
Keep the area clean.
Have somewhere attractive for keys.
Add a lamp.
Put flowers or greenery nearby.
Use a beautiful tray to contain the things that normally get scattered everywhere.
If you have a bench, keep it clear except for perhaps one beautiful basket or folded throw.
I spent years as a Feng Shui consultant and the front entrance of any home or place is the most important area. What is in the front entrance will either attract or repel abundant energy. If you would like more Feng Shui content, let me know!
Make your home feel clean before you make it feel decorated.
This is probably the least glamorous advice in this entire post, but it matters.
If you want your home to feel like a retreat, start with cleanliness.
You can have the most beautiful furniture in the world, but if there are overflowing laundry baskets, dirty towels, cluttered counters, and dishes everywhere, the room won't feel restful.
You don't need your home to be spotless.
Instead, focus on the areas that have the biggest visual impact.
Make the beds.
Clear the kitchen counters.
Empty the sink.
Clean the bathroom.
Put away shoes and coats.
Straighten the living room.
Take out the garbage.
Fluff the cushions.
Open the curtains.
That's often enough to create the feeling of a reset. You can read and apply my own cleaning schedule here.
What i am bring home from the mountains.
I came home from this weekend thinking I needed a vacation. But maybe what I actually got was a reminder.
A reminder that I love slow mornings.
That I love getting dressed and feeling put together.
That I love beautiful surroundings.
That I love clean sheets and fresh towels and a quiet cup of coffee.
That I love when a space feels intentional.
And that I don't necessarily need to leave home to experience those things.
Of course, there will always be something special about getting away.
There is something wonderful about seeing mountains outside your window, sleeping somewhere new, and having someone else make your bed.
How to decorate your home like a mountain retreat.
One of the things I loved about staying in the mountains was how naturally cozy everything felt. The rooms didn't need to be overly decorated. They relied on beautiful natural materials, warm textures, earthy colors, and a feeling of being connected to the landscape outside.
You can bring that feeling into your own home without turning it into a rustic cabin. Think quiet luxury meets mountain retreat. Choose materials that feel substantial and natural: wood, stone, linen, wool, leather, ceramic, and woven textures. A chunky wool throw casually draped over a sofa, a wooden bowl filled with pinecones, a stone vase on the dining table, or a beautiful leather chair can instantly make a room feel warmer and more grounded.
Bring the Colors of the Mountains Inside
The easiest way to create a mountain-house atmosphere is through color. Look outside at the landscape and borrow from it.
Think warm creams, oatmeal, taupe, mushroom, soft brown, deep green, charcoal, muted sage, and warm gray. These colors create the feeling of being surrounded by trees, stone, fog, and earth without making your home feel dark.
I especially love pairing warm neutrals with deep green. It feels sophisticated but still connected to nature. You could have creamy linen curtains, a warm wood coffee table, an olive or sage green accent chair, and a few darker accents throughout the room.
The goal isn't to make everything match. You want the colors to feel as though they naturally belong together.
Let Wood Be Part of the Story
Wood is one of the easiest ways to make a home feel like a mountain retreat.
If you have beautiful wood floors, beams, doors, or furniture, let them be seen. Don't cover every surface with décor. A beautiful wooden table can be the centerpiece of a room all by itself.
If your home doesn't have much wood, you can introduce it in smaller ways. Try a wooden cutting board displayed in the kitchen, a carved bowl, a rustic stool, a wood-framed mirror, or a simple wooden bench.
I think the key is choosing wood that feels natural rather than overly distressed. I'm much more drawn to the look of a beautiful aged wood table or rich walnut cabinet than anything that feels too themed or “mountain lodge.”
Add Stone, Ceramic, and Other Natural Materials
Mountain homes often feel beautiful because of their texture.
A stone fireplace, slate floor, ceramic pottery, woven baskets, linen curtains, wool blankets, and chunky knits all give a room dimension without requiring lots of decoration.
You can recreate this with small details.
Place a large ceramic vase on a console table. Add a stone tray to your coffee table. Use linen napkins at dinner. Put a woven basket beside the fireplace for blankets. Choose pottery with an imperfect, handmade quality.
These little imperfections are part of what makes a home feel warm rather than overly styled.
Make the Fireplace the Heart of the Home
If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, let it become the focal point.
A mountain retreat almost always makes you want to sit down near the fire with a book, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine.
Keep the mantel relatively simple. A large piece of art, a mirror, a few ceramic vessels, or a collection of natural objects can be enough.
And if you don't have a fireplace, you can still create the same feeling by designing a cozy focal point around a beautiful lamp, a large piece of artwork, or a comfortable reading chair.
The idea is to create somewhere that naturally draws people in.
I became obsessed with mountain home decor after watching Yellowstone! The main home in that show is my dream decor!
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