How to make your guest room feel like a luxury hotel
Create a warm and inviting space for overnight guests with accent pieces and simple seasonal touches that combine comfort and functionality. Choices from beautiful bedding and ambient lighting to thoughtful personal touches and more make visitors feel at home.
Four-season bedding
Whatever the season your guests are visiting start with a comfortable bed where they can lay their heads each night. Kathy Kuo, interior designer and founder of Kathy Kuo Home, likes “textural elements.”
She says, “In the cold winter months, layer the bed with a chunky wool throw or thick faux fur blanket and soft velvet throw pillows for an instantly warm and luxurious look. In spring and summer, swap out the heavier textiles for a light cotton throw blanket and airy linen pillow covers."
Two blanket choices depending on the season are the Kathy Kuo Home Billie Modern Classic Cotton Throw Blanket for $99 and the Kathy Kuo Home Coastal Beach Pebble Wool Handwoven Throw Blanket for $276.
Bedside table for fun and function
"A nightstand might seem small, but it’s one of the most used pieces in a bedroom,” says Charlene Yang, marketing manager at SICOTAS. “It’s where you set down your phone, a book, a glass of water at night and where your day starts in the morning.” Yang adds that the SICOTAS’ Savanna nightstand with charging station is “both functional and well-designed.” Convenient features for guests are a Type-C port with two power outlets plus two drawers for storage. $229.99 for a set of two, sicotas.com
Fresh flowers
Add color and a bit of nature with lovely flowers in your guest rooms. "A vase of fresh, seasonal flowers instantly makes a guest room feel thoughtful and welcoming while subtly bringing the beauty of the season indoors,” says Kristen Bonney-James, principal designer and owner KBJ Interiors.
You can order fresh roses online and get them delivered to your door from sustainable family farms with April & Ashley. Pick your bouquet by color including yellow, which signifies friendship, according to April & Ashley’s Co-CEO Tyler Francis.
Glow up
Lighting is another detail that makes a big difference, according to Cathleen Gruver, lead interior designer at Gruver Cooley. “We recommend a mix of ambient lighting and task lighting, such as bedside lamps or a small reading sconce, so the room feels warm and functional at any time of day,” she says. Gruver likes Pottery Barn’s Miller Ceramic Table Lamp, price varies.
Create a scentscape
“One of the simplest ways to elevate a guest room year-round is to treat scent like ambient lighting: subtle, intentional and seasonally flexible,” says Michelle Anna Alfano, marketing content manager for ScentAir.
“A light, fresh fragrance can make a room feel airy and clean in warmer months, while softer woods or warm musks add comfort and coziness in fall and winter.” She suggests using the ScentAir Whisper HOME Diffuser or ScentAir Whisper PRO Diffuser, $200 and $350, scentair.com.
Year-round small touches
Finally, it’s the little things that will transform your guest room into a cozy welcoming sanctuary. “First and foremost, (provide) either bottled water or a glass carafe of water with a little sweet treat like an individually wrapped cookie or chocolate treat for when that late night craving or thirst hits,” suggests Libby Baker Speight, interior designer and founder of Baker Design Co.
She likes Crate & Barrel’s Clear Glass Carafe ($29.95). It pairs as a pitcher with a matching tumbler that doubles as a lid. Baker Speight also likes to leave a “little basket full of local artisan or local farmers market goodies, like snacks or lotions, (to) give (guests) a little taste of what your area has to offer.”
Bring back the beauty of intentional expression.
Welcome your guests with one of their favorite snacks, gourmet chocolate or a personalized greeting card from Penned to Perfection. More than just paper and ink, it’s a gentle invitation to connect, reflect and say what truly matters — with authenticity and care.
As an added touch, every card is paired with a curated playlist — a soundtrack designed to set the mood and ease guests right into their retreat.