Get That Hotel Feeling

We recently got back from a trip through Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. Tons of driving and we didn’t stay in the same hotel for more than one night. Thankfully, we packed for warmer weather and kept our luggage pretty light. That made it much easier to shlep from hotel to hotel. It makes me tired just thinking about it, but it was the perfect vacation and allowed us to see so much in a relatively short window.

The sights definitely took center stage with the trip, but as we were going from hotel to hotel, I couldn’t help but compare the rooms. Once I got home, I realized that I wanted to replicate some of the experiences. Even the motel that reminded me of the Bates Motel in Psycho taught me a few things.

I’ll start with the things I don’t want to copy. The ‘Bates Motel’ was stuck in the 50’s both in décor and excess. It seemed to be a resting place for all sorts of furniture,  whether or not it was functional. An extra recliner, an odd dresser/sideboard type of thing. My absolute least favorite thing was a full-length mirror on the door of the bathroom. I have nothing against full length mirrors and find them necessary at times, but I didn’t really want to be staring into the mirror when I was using the bathroom or startled by my reflection when I got out of the shower. There was another hotel that really decorated with excess, deer head over the fireplace in the foyer and walls cluttered with art pieces.

My favorite hotels were uncluttered, tidy and clean- all traits I want to copy with my house. It got me thinking how much related those are. It’s close to impossible to keep a cluttered home tidy, let alone keep it clean. Before you can clean anything, you have to move piles and shift things around. That not only makes it exhausting, but it makes it impractical to do often.

So to get my hotel feel at home, I need to make sure I keep things pretty minimal. Everything in a hotel is easy to find because they generally only have items that serve a purpose. It’s peaceful because there isn’t a bunch of clutter to distract us. Without all of the extra stuff, it’s easier to clean and easier to clean means I get to actually do it more often and a clean home makes me a much happier person.

We all spend so much time in a fast-paced, hectic world our homes should be a peaceful escape. Rather than waiting for a night away, I think we need to concentrate on bringing that hotel environment into our homes. We hear so much about the importance of self-care and I think we all deserve a little retreat from the chaotic world. I wouldn’t have been able to spend those long hours hiking if I didn’t have a relaxing bed to crash on and I think it’s the same thing in life. I think we’ll be better equipped to handle what life hands our way if we give ourselves that little retreat at home.

That’s my goal from now on. I want to give myself that feeling of amazing towels, crisp sheets and clear surfaces. I can’t control the rest of the world, but I can at least take control of that one little corner of it.