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.