How to Make Your Hotel Room Feel Homey

Editor’s Note: We’re very proud to welcome Grace, our summer intern, who will be helping us write content for the next few weeks. As her first (official) assignment, she got the opportunity to write about a travel theme of her choice; we love how she shaped this blog topic! 

As you know, most of our corporate travelers stay away from home for over five nights, which clearly classifies them in the extended stay travel sector. Long days and nights on the road can start feeling grueling, but please don’t let it get to you! Listen to Grace’s tips about transcending the travel madness and feeling right at home during your long stay.  

We all know that by the end of a long workday, you just want to relax in the comfort of your own home, but how do you do that if you’re traveling on a business trip? These are some ways to make your temporary home away from home cozy and hospitable. These tips will make you question if “There’s no place like home” is still accurate.

Unpack & put your clothes away

This might sound unnecessary to do if you’re just traveling for a couple days, but I promise it will end up making your life easier. If you fold your clothes and put them away in the provided drawers or hang them in closet, you will not only be able to find things with more ease, but your clothes will also be neat and unwrinkled. Keeping your items in drawers helps you settle into the environment. Hotels provide you with them for a reason: they want you to be comfortable.

Bring your most relaxing outfit

If you bring your favorite comfy clothes to throw on after work or a long day, you will feel right at home. It’s undeniable that we all have that classic hanging-out-in-bed-watching-our-guilty-pleasure-TV-show outfit, so pack that baby up! Even a pair of your slippers will add to the right at home feel.

Keep it clean & organized

By keeping your room orderly, you will feel much more comfortable. A cluttered room is scientifically proven to make you more anxious. Nobody wants to feel like that when they’re trying to relax after a long, high-stress day in the office: let’s totally avoid that and keep things tidy.  

Bring your own toiletries

Bringing your own shampoo and conditioner will make you feel at home no matter how far you are. Bring the products you know that you love! By using your favorite products from home, you will feel like you just hopped out of your own shower; who doesn’t want to feel like that?

Don’t feel guilty for avoiding the products the hotel provides for you: hotels can get involved in a program called Clean the World. This company accepts donations of the soaps, shampoo, and conditioners that haven’t been used or even just empty bottles. Millions of soaps and bottles are wasted daily in a hotel industry. This company recycles these bottles and soaps and sends them to shelters and countries in need. This changes people’s lives “one bar at a time.” Get involved.

Watch this YouTube video to find out more about Clean the World!

Home is where the heart is

My last tip would be to bring/do some things that make YOU happy! This could be as simple as packing your favorite mug, doing a facial, or even just picking up your favorite dessert … whatever brings you joy at the end of the day. Keeping yourself happy and occupied by things you love in your downtime is the ultimate key to feeling right at home.

About the Author: Grace is going into her final year of college as a marketing major at West Chester University, located in Pennsylvania. She is currently managing the social media accounts for her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, promoting the group’s philanthropic events. She is spending the summer furthering her knowledge about marketing by interning at Creative Lodging Solutions, a business traveling company that has booked over 13 million traveler nights for clients nationwide. She loves spending time with her yellow lab, Indy, and eating Funfetti cake.