Five-Star
Hospitality At Home
by
Laura Emery, Field Editor
Falling asleep in the cozy confines of
an upscale hotel room can be a heavenly experience � memorable
mattresses, plump pillows, luxurious linens, and designer amenities
abound.
Posh hotel suites are designed to be
aesthetically pleasing. Simplicity, serenity, and sumptuousness reign
supreme in these rooms.
Hotels are in the business of making
travelers happy, comfortable, and forgetful of missing home. A m�lange of
details come together to culminate in the �five-star experience� �
high-quality linens, rolled towels, top-of-the-line shower heads, neutral
and elegant color palettes, cozy carpeting, gorgeous bathroom vanities,
subdued lighting, and quality electronics have all become signs of luxury
at the best-of-the-best hotels.
High-end hotels continuously upgrade
these amenities and perfect the five-star experience right down to the
smallest details. This is all in an effort to provide travelers with
luxury appeal. Within the walls of these plush rooms, people oftentimes
find respite from stress, clutter, and the hustle and bustle of day-to-day
life.
So it comes as no surprise that more
and more people are seeking to bring the uber-posh hotel experience home.
The World Wide Web is teeming with Web sites aimed at helping you do just
that. You don�t have to pay for a few nights of luxury anymore; you can
learn the tricks of the trade and turn your home or bedroom into your own
personalized five-star experience.
Imitation is the Highest Form of
Flattery
Five-star hotel linens are usually of
the highest quality, turning sleep into a superior experience. For those
guests who yearn to primp their home with the same chic style as their
favorite boutique, many hotel chains have made their products available
for purchase by the general public. You can purchase the same toiletries,
sheets, pillows, and mattresses that are offered at the hotel itself.
Folding Fancy Towels
http://video.about.com/interiordec/Folding-Fancy-Towels.htm
Upscale hotels fold towels and
washcloths in ways that are memorable and decorative. These extra touches
are easy to bring into your own home and can make a lasting impression on
visiting family and friends. At this site, you can watch a brief video
showing step-by-step procedures for folding fancy towels that will be sure
to impress.
Flawless Bed-Making
http://blogs.hgtv.com/hgtv/design/archives/2007/09/hotel_style_how.html
Very rarely do you find sloppy
bed-making in a luxury hotel. The beds are usually crisp, clean, and
sheets are pulled tightly to pristine perfection.
A well-made luxury bed usually elicits
the immediate response of, �How do they make the bed look so perfect?�
Well, this HGTV Web site will tell you how to bring bed-making perfection
to your bedroom at home.
Bringing Hotel Style Home
www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_57854,00.html
www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_other/article/0,,HGTV_3379_5189344,00.html
Saying you want �hotel-chic style�
no longer conjures up images of hideous scratchy, floral comforters,
spartan shower stalls, fluorescent lighting, cheap furniture and artwork,
and odd-colored carpeting. Nowadays, designer hotel style is a growing
trend and a designer word for modern elegance and superior sophistication.
Adding Pizzazz to Your Plate
http://stilllifewith.com/category/styling/plating
www.cookinglight.com/cooking/mp/entertaining/article/0,13803,349320,00.html
Nothing says fine dining like having a
plate of food set down in front of you that looks more like a culinary
work of art than something to be devoured and digested. If you�re
enjoying the fine dining of a high-end resort, the dining staff endea�vors
to tantalize more than your taste buds. They aim to appeal to your visual
sensibilities as well.
Artistic food styling and plating is a
distinctive design discipline that can make culinary masterpieces look
even better than they taste. To learn some tips on how to achieve these
dazzling presentation skills with your own food, these Web sites are the
place to go.
Formal Table Setting
www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,1624135,00.html
To further enhance the luxury dining
experience, check out this Web site on the appropriate way to set a formal
dining table.
Fancy Napkin Folds
http://kitchen.robbiehaf.com/NapkinFolds.html
www.customlinenservice.com/napkins.html
When guests order room service at a
high-end hotel, the first thing they usually see sitting on top of, or
just beside, the stainless-steel warming plate is a beautifully folded
napkin. Luxury hotels know that it�s an easy way to add style to your
in-room dining experience, and it�s these little touches that make hotel
guests come back for more.
At Robbie�s Kitchen, you will find
photographs of a variety of ways to creatively fold linen napkins. Simply
click on the image to get step-by-step instructions on how to bring napkin
splendor to your dinner table.